Do you believe in Magic?

You have been transformed into a mystical being that has the ability to do magic. Describe your new abilities in detail. How will you use your new skills?

Magic is all around you
If you listen to your heart beat
IF you have a moment to see
The countless wonders unfold

The magic of the morning sun
Wiping the darkness of the night
The magic of flowers in full bloom
Transformed from teeny buds

The magic of vast fields of green grass
Swaying in the light breeze
The magic of birds flying in harmony
In the azure skies above

The magic of a mothers love
Patient, selfless and sincere
The magic in a childs smile
Innocent, bright and wondrous

There is no need for mythical beasts
To fool me by illusion
When I am inspired every moment
By your awesome, unfathomable, creation
© copyright, skm

Other interesting posts in this category:
1) https://writingandreadingashobbies.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/do-you-believe-in-magic/
2) https://ihadapearl.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/magic-a-haiku/
3）https://alotfromlydia.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/duplicate-me/
4）https://myviewonlifeafter65.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/i-am-a-wizard/
5）https://caroljforrester.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/magic/
６）https://promptlings.wordpress.com/2015/10/19/if-i-could-have-a-gift-of-magic/
7）https://mandyblake95.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/enchanted/
8）http://adityaviyer.com/2014/01/01/do-you-believe-in-magic/
9）https://randomlyabstract.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/magic/
10）https://incidentsofadysfunctionalspraffer.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/daily-prompt-2/

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The New School

You get to redesign school as we know it from the ground up. Will you do away with reading, writing, and arithmetic? What skills and knowledge will your school focus on imparting to young minds?

(This is a post which I wrote about 2 years ago and is revisited today in the daily prompt)

I have observed how children learn the most through play. Structured, organised clasroom settings defeat the purpose of learning. A natural, outdoor setting is the best for learning. Why do we have to show pictures of snails, flowers, the sun and the moon when we can let them see them, touch them and feel all these things outdoors?.

Colours and imagery also attract children the most. So exposure to images to emphasize and add to the knowledge gained through interaction with nature is good. Language is an important component of learning and communication is one of the important pre-requisites of growing up with confidence. But the way in which language is taught is paramount. Literature, poetry and appreciation of language and works of great writers like Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Keats etc is important and still relevant. Just learning english to understand grammar and answer exams is boring.

Reading is another important habit that can be inculcated. A love for good books like Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton can be inculcated from a young age through setting an example. This will divert the attention of children from the scores of gadgets and videos that dissipate their enthusiasm and energy.

It is high time we revamp the age-old curricula and experiment with a new paradigm. Provide the right environment and exposure and watch the childs natural curiosity and wonder grow by leaps and bounds.

On teaching of other subjects like mathematics. Basic knowledge of such subjects is essential for our daily life. However, many of the advanced concepts of maths are learnt only for examinations and then because we never apply these concepts in daily life, we forget them altogether.

Schools must become a place where a child wants to go to .. a second home and not a four-walled prison. The fear of exams is one reason why a child does not want to attend school. Another fear is the fear of excess homework that burdens a child. Studying becomes more of a chore than a joyful, learning experience.

The school of tomorrow must along with studies focus on overall development of a child. A child should also be taught to be street-smart, speak with confidence, make bold decisions, have global knowledge, and learn the skills to be an entrepreneur. The jobs of tomorrow will require an entirely new skill set and our schools will have to start early to hone a new set of skills.  Our children of tomorrow should grow up with their unique nature confident of creating, discovering , experimenting, failing and enjoying life to the fullest!

 

Other interesting posts in this category:
1) http://61musings.com/2013/12/29/killing-creativity/
2) https://iprattle.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/the-next-generation-school/
3) https://lostguy35.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/the-new-school/
4) https://polymathically.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/daily-prompt-the-new-school/
5) https://sltimewellwasted.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/getting-schooled/
6) https://fictionalismtoday.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/learn-your-place/
7) https://shardsofsilence.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/epistemology/
8) https://flowersandbreezes.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/basics/
9) http://kevindeisher.com/2013/12/29/239-new-school/
10) https://not4faintheartsblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/29/the-schoolyard/

Forward Drive

What is the one thing that drives you to wake up in the morning and do whatever it is you do? Is it writing, family, friends or something else entirely?

The early hours are the best part of my day. It is the time when I can focus my mind and decide on the quality of thoughts for the day. After a good nights rest, it is in the morning that there is a flurry of thoughts that invade our mind. Before that happens I usually have half an hour of quiet time for prayer, contemplation and peace.

I find that this practice has been of great help to me especially in times of challenge. After a good rest, the morning sun recharges me and I am ready to give my best. So I am a morning bird that sings “O la Paloma blanca”

When the sun shines on the mountains
and the night is on the run,
its a new day,its a new way,
and I fly up to the sun.

I can feel the morning sunlight.
I can smell the new-morn hay.
I can hear Gods voices calling
of my golden skylight way.

O la paloma blanca,
Im just a bird in the sky.
O la paloma blanca,
over the mountains I fly.
Yes, no one can take my freedom away.

Once I had my share of losing,
once they locked me on a chain.
Yes, they tried to break my power.
Oh I still can feel the pain.

O la paloma blanca,
Im just a bird in the sky.
O la paloma blanca,
over the mountains I fly.
Yes, no one can take my freedom away.

Other interesting posts in this category:
1) https://nadya.wordpress.com/2015/09/08/why-i-write/
2) http://pickedlastingymclass.com/2015/09/08/you-probably-dont-deserve-better/
3) http://zombieflamingoes.com/2015/09/04/wait-its-friday/
4) https://designersophisticate.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/forward-drive/
5) https://trappedonthe14thfloor.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/daily-prompt-forward-drive/

Express yourself

Do you like to dance, sing, write, sculpt, paint or debate?  What’s your favourite way to express yourself, creatively?

Writing

My purpose in writing a blog are that it offers me the following avenues:

An outlet for my creativity
A creative flow from the deep recesses of your mind. An outlet to express your emotions.  An expression of love, a celebration of success, an inspiration on the joys of life and a search for the truth.

Write to inspire
We can write to inspire and motivate and develop the leaders of tomorrow.  To instill values that stand the test of time.  To inspire people to live a life of value based on simplicity, truth and courage. To stop the mad rat-race and greed that is leading to our downfall.  To seek to know the true purpose of our life.

A stand against injustice
Writing also enables us to take a stand against injustices prevailing in society like corruption, child labour, rape, terrorism, atrocities against women, racial distinctions etc.  By writing we can take little steps to enlighten and educate people of the ills in our society.

A fight for a noble cause
 It helps us to undertake and mobilise people to work for noble causes like education for the poor, the fight against poverty, environmental causes, food and water for poor etc.

The recognition of the oneness in us
Writing opens our heart to the world.  It recognises the oneness in all of us.  And by sharing our joys, sorrows and successes we recognise and re-inforce the belief that a community effort is more successful than a lone voice that cannot be heard.  It helps us to mobilise people towards a noble cause.

We can write to inform, to educate, to share, to lift the spirits, to lighten the mood, to seek the truth, to inspire with poetry, stories, art, travel and photography.

Public Speaking/Toastmasters
The greatest fear in the world today is the fear of public speaking. I am an introvert by nature and would avoid grand parties etc. but I love speakng in public. I have enjoyed taking part in elocution and debate competitions since  school days. It has helped me a lot to become comfortable and confident.

A toastmasters program is a structured program with a communication and leadership track. It is a great platform to conquer your speaking fears and to be evaluated by peers in your club. You also have an opportunity to develop leadership skills by taking on meeting roles or positions in the Exco of your club. You get to learn to write a good speech, to listen, to evaluate, to mentor, to give a humorous speech and to inspire others to join your club. A typical chapter meeting at a club consists of Prepared speeches, Table topics (Impromptu speeches) and evaluations. There is also a language evaluator who can help you to improve understanding of pronunciation, articulation and grammar. A general evaluator gives tips on how to improve the meetings.

A toastmasters club is a wonderful avenue to meet after work and improve on speaking, listening and leadership skills. It is a great place to network with people of diverse backgrounds and get diverse perspectives on current events, topics of interest and have fun. It also helps to develop our leadership abilities by way of taking up roles at meetings within the club and networking with other clubs.

I joined Toastmasters International 5 years ago and am currently doing my Advanced Project manuals. I would like to take this  interest further by being involved in training and leadership for companies.

Papa loves Mambo

What sort of music was played in your house when you were growing up? What effect, (if any) did it have on your musical tastes?”

I grew up listening to Bollywood music. – the music of the 70s and 80s.  The songs of Kishore Kumar, Lata  Mangeshkar, Manna Dey, Geeta Dutt, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Bhupender, Asha Bhosle, Mohamed Rafi ,  the music of R. D. Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji and Shankar Jaikishen and the lyrics of Gulzar, Shailendra, Shakeel Badayuni, Indeevar, Anand Bakshi, Hasrat Jaipuri, Kaifi Azmi and Sahir Ludhianvi  etc are evergreen and still resonate with me today.

The movies of those years were screened in our colony almost every month and I was fortunate to have watched those classic movies and see how the playback singers were so versatile and could do the voice for the stars of those days like Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Manoj Kumar, Waheeda Rahman, Vyjanthimala, Nutan, Saira Bhanu, Mumtaz etc.

Good songs according to me are a combination of great lyrics, soulful music and beautiful rendition.  And these can be found in any language.  The great poets, music composers and singers of yesteryears will always remain in our hearts as they have left behind a rich legacy of music!

Other interesting posts in this category:
1) http://flynnspaws.com/2015/10/07/20151007-daily-paws/
2) https://nosajnawk.wordpress.com/2015/10/07/the-music-of-my-life/
3) https://rosetintedrambles.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/music-food-and-a-dash-of-wild/
4) https://likereadingontrains.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/a-whole-other-selection-daily-prompt-papa-loves-mambo/
5) https://thebohemianrockstarpresents.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/my-musical-memory-set-list-volume-two/

Too Soon?

Can anything be funny, or are some things off limits?

Laughter is a great tranquiliser – a great medicine.  Humour is not easy and not everyone can be funny.  It is a sign of a mature person.

However, most people tend to use slapstick comedy or vulgar language to make people laugh and this does not require great effort.  According to me, true humour is that which can make people laugh without offending them.  There are certain areas like race, religion etc which can affect the cultural sensitivities of people.

Humour can be found in almost every situation in our lives.  By looking at these situations from a different perspective makes us enjoy life and spread some cheer around us.

Smiles and laughter can recharge you and have a great effect on our well-being.   Laughter and good humour is infectious.  The sound of roaring laughter is also contagious.  When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy.  Llaughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humour and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy,  diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress

I love to watch standup comedies, fun sitcoms like Friends, Seinfeld, Whose line is it anyway, Just for laughs, Mind your language etc. I also try to play with my daughter whenever I get time. Children have a natural sense of humour and laugh much more than adults. Watching cartoons like Tom & Jerry, Popeye with your child is also a great way to relax at home and enjoy some laughter.

I  love R K Laxman’s  daily cartoon in the Times of India with his unique ‘common man’.  I also love Dilbert strips about office politics.

When it comes to books it has to be PG Wodehouse with his unique style of writing.  Jeeves never fails to make us laugh.   Then there are TinTin comics which are a fun read.

Laughter teaches us not to take everything too seriously. It makes us lighten up and also lightens the mood of those around us.

Whether it is sharing a good joke, relating a humorous anecdote or watching a funny movie – we can inject some humour into our daily life to smile, enhance our personality and spread the good feeling to those around us.

In life we are struck by joys and sorrows which can rock our boat.  In such times we can
.. share a happy moment with family and friends to help to lift our spirits
..count our blessings
..look at things from a different perspective

William James the American author said, “We don’t laugh because we’re happy, we are happy because we laugh.”

Other interesting posts in this category:
1) https://shellb27.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/laughing-to-the-grave/
2) http://momsorganicbohofoodfun.com/2015/10/05/ok-to-laugh/
3) https://angryjedi.wordpress.com/2015/10/04/2084-too-soon/
4) http://thegadabouttown.com/2015/10/04/some-thoughts-on-freedom-of-speech/
5) http://jackies-forget-me-nots.com/2015/10/04/find-the-funny/
6) https://determined34.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/daily-prompt-too-soon/
7) https://booksmusicandmovies.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/daily-prompt-funny-2/
8) https://thebloggingpath.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/daily-prompt-too-soon/
9)https://suestrifles.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/too-soon-or-too-late/
10) https://notsinglebutnothappy.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/were-laughing-at-you-not-with-you/