Messy Art

Summer holidays started. I hope all the mothers are going crazy just like me. How well can I engage my child is the question for every mother. No wonder it is the same with me too. Every year I enroll my child for a summer camp. They may either learn a new language or learn something in theater or public speaking. 

This year I decided not to enroll them in any of the classes. I thought to take a risk by keeping them at home. First few days went well.  Yesterday the younger one was getting bored. I told him to read few books, gave him few assignments in Maths and a 20 minute kindle time. Everything was over. "Amma, I am bored. Can I have some more time watching kindle"? I said, "No".  

He was getting bored. I suggested him to do art with crayons and pencils. It took a long time to convince him. After that, he was ready to do the art. I supplied with everything he asked. There was starting trouble in his face.  He said, "I am blank. I don't know what to do draw"?  Then he suddenly remembered something about Neil Armstrong. He drew few rockets and started coloring them with a black sketch. Soon he realized the coloring was not perfect. So he started whining once again.

He said, " I am not going to draw anything anymore.  It is not looking good".  Soon I soothed him saying, "When you mess up your art you will learn to do it right the next time. So doing a messy art is not wrong". He stopped crying immediately and was looking at me. 

That moment I wondered, if we fail to exhibit perfection, it is okay. That is the best way to excel in the next attempt, which doesn't mean the next one is going to be perfect, but a little better than last time. Sometimes when we try doing a new recipe, it may fall flat, but from that moment we can learn it better. When we learn a new technology or a new skill for a project, high chances are that we don't always get it right. But it is always better than not learning anything. From there, we can always move to the better way.  After learning to drive a car, the first drive is not going to be a gentle one. We may end up with little scratches. But it is okay.  From there, we can always move to the better way. 

It is okay to fall for the first time to learn anything better. So friends when you hit a bumpy road, tell yourself it is okay, from there, we can always move to the better way. 

Who is your stepping stone?

Last week I was out on Friday and Saturday to retreat my brain. It is essential to feed the little machine in our system at the right time. Otherwise, they let loose themselves. Whenever I go outside for my knowledge hunt, usually I won't be able to take my younger one along for any of the sessions.  During those times I had to depend on my younger sister. She lives few km away from my place.

He stays there with no fuss and I move on peacefully to my work. At this juncture, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my sister who always renders help whenever I need it. She doesn't expect anything in return. You are lucky if you are in a relationship like that. You are the luxurious human being ever if you have that one good relationship in life. 

When I look back, there are so many tasks I would not have achieved if she is not around.  When you are in a right state and growing in the right ladder, we should know that it is not only because of us we achieve that position in life, but there are so many people around us who act as a stepping stone to help us reach that height. Those who realize the same leave gentle and humble footprints on earth. Those who never realize will always leave egoistic footprints which can never be erased. 

Take a part of your time in your life to thank that someone who is always helping you but stays behind the shadow and expect nothing. Your appreciation means a lot to them.

Breaking the Wall

I still remember the first day of my Yoga Class. I went into the class not knowing what to expect and dilemma. I unrolled my yoga mat and sat.  The trainer asked me to lay down and close my eyes. I followed her instruction subserviently and was waiting for the class to begin. 

The class started with some easy stretches and breathing exercise. I was calm and relaxed. The session progressed towards doing Downward Dog, Upward Dog and Bridge Pose to name a few. After the session, my legs pained and stomach cramped. I thought this is the end of it. I am not going to the Yoga class anymore. 

I came back home. I had a chat with my husband explaining my experience over the same.  He is not a person who leave me just like that. He heard the whole story and enjoyed every bit of my narrative.  I was waiting for the moment that he would say,  "Honey, you don't need to go to the class".  To my dismay, he asked me to go for one more session in the evening to get more practice.  My Goodness, I wondered I shouldn't have told the story to him. I realized I dug a hole for myself. 

From the next day onwards, the Yoga sessions were intense and then it continued that way.  As of now, I have almost 4 years of experience in Yoga practice.  I look back and wonder if my husband would not have pushed me I would not have come a long way. Now I am fairly confident to take yoga classes for others. 

Sometimes in life, we never know what is good.  When you can't think beyond what is in front of you right now, trust the person who believes you. If you take that one step in life, obviously a thousand mile journey will be easy for you.  Similarly, our children may be very adamant to try new things in life, we feel like yielding for them often, but as parents, if we can push them beyond their comfort zone it will help them to nourish their confidence a lot. Give that little discomfort for your children so that they can step ahead from their cocoon and learn abundantly from the world. Your child may not have the exposure to play with a new group of friends every time, give them that experience by taking to a Birthday party where they are in a new environment with a new set of people and friends. When you give a different experience every time,  it can bring a great shift in thought leadership. Let us be the motivating factor for ourselves and children.