Friday, March 29, 2024 | Ramadan 18, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Is it just a storm in the cup... ?

lakshmi
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While watching kids race on their sports day, one of the judges said that the child stepped on the line and almost changed lanes, which could mean disqualification.


They are too young, I thought, to know the rules and begged to overlook after all they are just in play school.


But later on as the thoughts came back I realised the importance of sports education not just because of its fitness benefits but as well as the values that can be learnt from the rules of the games.


People in life play many games and we often think our manipulative skills are unmatched not often realising whatever we might have successfully achieved is only because it was meant to happen. If not why would some of the best doctors fail to resolve a health issue in certain patients or are unable to complete a project even after applying the best of logic. What is meant to happen will happen eventually. And at the same time there are doctors who succeed in medical cases that hardly had any chance to succeed.


There are many athletes and sports stars that leave the mark but the ones that continue to shine in the minds even after the retirement are the ones who in a way or the other highlighted their strength based on their values.


Moving out of your track in athletics or stepping on the line reminds one of stepping on other’s toes, does it not? People who are not sensitive


may never know if they have hurt someone’s feelings.


Individuals with high level of confidence can easily express themselves and get their way around as the saying goes, “The crying baby gets the milk’’. But it would be nice for us to look around if there is anyone in the vicinity who is silently crying and whether they need it more than us.


We teach children to be competitive and prepare them to be achievers never giving importance of the peace one gets from helping others and being there for others. Yes, there are instances when it is better to teach the youngsters to choose the company they want to keep and how to safeguard themselves. Today we are teaching them at an earlier age than ever before because the need to do so has been proven. Moral science classes in schools are often looked down as much as people wondering if extracurricular activities and physical training in school are all waste of time.


Learning to trust people and knowing when to step back is an important skill and how and who should teach it can be endlessly debated. The fact remains that parents are the first teachers followed by schoolteachers. Then again we all carry our own baggage and if as adults we do not know how to manage it then how do we expect the young minds to manage their expectations and disappointments? It is disappointments that lead us towards depression in many cases and yet we do not think of investing time to channelize the mind to move away from negative thoughts.


Schooling and right grades can secure seats for higher studies and eventually the right job titles but what we do with that success is the ultimate question. Others can help us to climb the ladder but once at destination a person is on his or her own.


Storms can weather us down but let them not whither us and it is only possible to withstand when the inner strength is intact. That is when one can practice peace within oneself and with others. Not eliminating others or isolating oneself but to be part of the ecosystem and learn to stand up each time we are knocked down at the same time learn to manoeuvre and take control of steering one’s life.


lakshmiobserver@gmail.com


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