Mindfulness and Self Belief
BY ADMIN PUBLISHED August 15, 2020, UPDATED January 5, 2023
Dear Children
I’m glad to receive this platform to reach out to you. Following the euphoria on the declaration of the CBSE Board results, came a spate of news of children being depressed at their scores and some even resorting to taking their own lives. This filled me with sadness and a desire to help.
I’m deeply influenced by Walter Wintle’s words:
If you think you’ll lose, you’re lost
For out of the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will
It’s all in the state of mind.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But soon or late the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!”
Mindfulness is a state of mind that recognizes and, in fact, welcomes all feelings whether of anger, fear, disappointment, joy, hope, confidence or gratitude as being integral to the self and being at par. A common tendency to avoid most and desire only some, makes us see the future as being hopeless and, so, ruins our present. This mindset makes food seem tasteless, the sky look grim and the ground under our feet, full of obstacles. The smile on our lips and spring in our step is lost forever.
Does it really matter what others think of us? Why is it so important for us to seek approval and admiration? It’s our personal growth graph that we should be proud of. If we let others judge us on our performance then we are no better than racing horses. This self-imposed race is a lonely one. In trying to be someone else or in always allowing others to judge us on the basis of performance, we stop feeling or even noticing the world around us or being appreciative of what we have. Instead of being concerned with what we can do or achieve, we focus on how others judge us.
Are students only made up of marks and grades? Certainly not! Each individual has rare talents; I may have the aptitude to be a creative dancer, illustrious writer or adept businesswoman but not the stereotyped engineer or doctor. The great mind is the one that thinks independently and walks its own path.
We ought to appreciate ourselves for being better than what we were yesterday. It can happen if we reflect and observe with mindfulness. This would make us achieve greatness and avoid nastiness or self-doubt. The mind is like a flexible mirror that needs adjustment to see a better world. If we wear gloves while plucking a rose, the gloves may protect us from the thorns but would also prevent us from touching (thereby appreciating) the petals’ softness. We’d only succeed in turning a real experience into an unreal one. The fear of being pricked wouldn’t let us enjoy beauty. Temptation to avoid nastiness leads to an illusionary existence. Roses do come with thorns; sunny days do intermingle with rainy ones!
Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without bidding away the unpleasant; being out of comfort zones without fearing that we’ll remain comfortless.
Finally, just two things matter: How well we have lived and how well we have learned to let go!
Hope my words help you see a new perspective and also aid you in being happier with yourself. God bless!
Meera Mathur
Principal
DPSG International
