Resolve to laugh more often

New year is the time of the year when we all make resolutions. While most of you might be setting your eyes and ambitious plans and goals for the year, let me request you to add, “I will laugh more this year”, as one of your New Year resolutions.

Why Laughter? Because laughter is a healthy proposition, that will help you combat stress, in your pursuit of your ambitious goals.

So here are some facts. The average child laughs 300 to 500 times a day while the average adult laughs only about 15 times a day. So, we are laugh deprived indeed.

Laughter is a God given gift, only to human beings. Animals don’t laugh. But man is created as a social animal, who can connect with people, share his joys and laugh out whole heartedly. But what we find today is a serious bunch of people, busy with their day to day chores, who don’t even find the time to laugh. If so, aren’t we denying a wonderful gift of God?

We have often heard, “Laughter is the best medicine”, but we don’t take aid of this free medicine. Probably because, we don’t trust anything that doesn’t have a scientific proof.

I too was quite sceptical about this, until I attended a Laughter Yoga session. The experience of the laugher yoga session was so exhilarating. I could personally experience, how much better I was feeling and how active my mind became at the end of the session. This motivated me to sign up for a 5 day Laughter Yoga Trainer workshop at Bangalore, under the tutorship of the founder of the laughter yoga movement, Dr. Madan Kataria, himself.Laughter Yoga is gaining popularity and wider acceptance across the globe and is now being practiced in more than 100 countries.

I found the benefits of laughter are too huge to ignore. There are umpteen numbers of benefits, but here is the TOP 5:

1.   Laughter enhances energy levels, due to the increased supply of fresh oxygen that is made available while laughing

2.    Laughter makes us feel good, as endorphins are released by our brain, when we laugh

3.      Laughter relives stress and helps in relaxation

4.      Laughter boosts our immunity and prevents many diseases.

5.       It also relieves pain, by producing natural pain killers.

While the benefits are so obvious, why not put it to practice. The best part is, it doesn’t cost you any money and is not a strain on yourself, physically or mentally.

In order to get the scientifically proven health benefits of laughter, we need to laugh continuously for at least for 10 to 15 minutes. The laughter has to be loud and deep, coming from the diaphragm. It should be a belly laugh. This type of laughter is possible, only when you can laugh without any reason. So, the point to remember is not to search for a reason to laugh, rather laugh just for the sake of laughing. Our brain doesn’t distinguish between real laughter and fake laughter and therefore the effects are the same. Therefore, never wait for someone to tell a joke, or do something silly to initiate laughter. Just laugh for no reason and soon you would see that you are becoming more healthy and happy.

Another good thing about laughter is that, it is contagious. So the moment we start laughing everyone around us will start to laugh too. This will create a higher vibration of laughter benefitting everyone involved.

May be you should consider having a sign board at your desk or at your bed head, which says “Did you LAUGH today?”.  This can ensure you have had your daily dose of laughter.

So, this new year, resolve to laugh more often and live a happier life than ever.

   D. Senthil Kannan,

   Managing Trustee, PALMS, Tuticorin.

   Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning 

   Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com

Zero is Hero

“Zero is Hero” may sound like a contradictory phrase, as we always have the highest regard for a hero, whereas we have the lowest regard for a Zero. But I look at Zero as a real Hero, when it comes to the success of any mission. Let me try to explain my viewpoint.

We all know the number Zero is considered as one of the important inventions. Without the invention of the number zero, mathematics wouldn’t have evolved so far. Not so many mathematical theories and calculations would have been possible. Even in computers, the software programme is coded in binary language which is a combination of 0s and 1s. So Zero, is a significant digit, in spite of the fact that it does not have a value on its own.

While we all agree that zero has no value, we also know that the digit zero added to any number increases its value manifold. For instance, the No: 1 has very minimal value, of its own, but when we add zero to it, it becomes 10. When you add one more zero it becomes 100 and one more zero it becomes 1000. So, unless the Number One is supported by many Zeros its value doesn’t increase exponentially.

Same is the case with any organisation. Every organisation exists to fulfil a purpose, and the purpose can be achieved only by its people. Now let us assume that the purpose is No: 1 and the people who work for the purpose are No: 0. The purpose by itself finds little value, unless it is supported by people. Now, when we add the No: 0 to the purpose, its value increases. When we add more people to the purpose, it increases even further.

Let me illustrate, with an example. Gandhi was an ordinary man, but he grew up to so much of significance because he aligned himself to a purpose - the purpose of getting freedom for his countrymen. In the process, there were so many other people who supported him and laid their lives for the cause. There were so many martyrs of freedom, whose name are not popular. They lost their lives but in the process attained freedom for the country. To them, the purpose was more important than fame, family or even their life. According to me, these insignificant people, who lost their lives for the cause they believed in, are the real heroes. Such types of leaders are truly exemplary.

 When the purpose is bigger than the person, the person may not be significant but without the person the purpose cannot be achieved.

Also Zero implies an egoless state. An egoless state is what it takes to be a great leader. When it comes to an organisational vision or mission, the person should subdue his ego to the cause, so that the purpose of the organisation is achieved. When it comes to an argument between two people, the deciding criteria shouldn’t be “who is right?” but “what is right?” When people of a team, work with such a mindset, then the purpose becomes more easily achievable. A beautiful quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, goes like this: “There is no limit to what can be accomplished if it doesn't matter who gets the credit.”

This is not the case today, in many social organisations,  that are meant to function to serve a purpose. They have lost its focus on the purpose as the leaders are too concerned about developing their personal identity rather than subordinate themselves to the purpose. Such types of organisations don’t serve the purpose, nor grow in value. They soon find a dooms day, with too many leaders and no followers. Without the Zeros, there is no big accomplishment.

So, let us learn to respect the “Zeroes as Heroes”.

 D. Senthil Kannan,

Managing Trustee, PALMS, Tuticorin.

Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning 

Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com

Towards a Better Education System

The Education system in India, has been widely acclaimed as one of the best in the world. Yet, on taking a closer look, I would say that it is the intelligence of the Indian’s that has given the merit and not the learning system itself.

 

One of my important observations, when I visited Finland as a Rotary GSE Team member in 2006, was the system of education, which has been rated the No.1 in the world by PISA - Programme for International Student Assessment.

 

I had the opportunity of meeting and interacting with the principal of a teacher training school in Rovaniemi. She shared a lot of useful information of which one point caught my attention.  She said that, “the failure of the student is the failure of the teacher”. The child comes with a raw mind to learn and it is the duty of the teacher to teach the child the way, he/ she understands. There is no justice in classifying a child as bright or dull, without the teacher taking enough efforts to bring out the best in the child. The inefficiency of the teacher, surfaces on the results of the student. But the teacher comfortably shifts the cause to the inefficiency of the child.

 

When it comes to education the Parents - Teacher – Student form the 3 vertices of the magic trio. Everyone has to play their fair part. While it is true that the child has to put in its share of effort to study and present well, it is the duty of the teacher to create an interest of the subject in the child by some innovative means and it is the duty of the parents to create a good learning atmosphere.

 

In Finland, teachers have strong methodical autonomy, which means they do not have to fall into a glue of a fixed teaching pattern. They therefore think of new ways of teaching and make the learning process as fun and experiential as possible.

 

Throughout the education students with learning difficulties are paid special attention to. There is a strong favour for individual learning guidance. This is possible because the number of schools as compared to the number of student is high. A classroom has a maximum of 20 students, therefore personal attention is possible.

 

The parents seem to be very co-operative with the teacher and the child in terms of the child’s interest development.  There is no imposing of the parents on the child as to what he or she should become at the end of his education.

 

In Finland, there is a uniform curriculum throughout the country, in alternate to our system of multiple curriculums such as ICSE, CBSE, Matric, State Board etc. This uniform curriculum establishes a national standard and eases student migration, from one part of the country to the other.

 

One noticeable and appreciable part of their education is there is no ranking system in school.  The school is considered as a place of learning and not as place of competing. No child fails in class. Therefore no emotional damage is caused to the students during the learning period. No complexes are developed.  There are no public ranking lists. Entrance to Colleges based only on Entrance Test.  The Entrance test is again, not a place where you get rejected. The entrance test is more or less like a general aptitude test, wherein the student’s subject preference is evaluated. At the end of the entrance test a counselor sits with the student and discusses, the suitable options for the student based on his interest and skill level. The student then chooses the field of study based on this evaluation.

 

In Finland, all education institutions are run by the Government. There are no private schools. While in India, the students studying in Government schools are considered unfortunate, in Finland the Government is able to provide the best of education for its students and also be ranked as No.1, in the world.

 

 

 

 D. Senthil Kannan,

Managing Trustee, PALMS, Tuticorin.

Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning 

Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com