"We need to cultivate positive values to live by, so that as we grow older we become better at living them well. So what exactly would be my top five picks for values to live by? Firstly, Gratitude. Gratitude is a very powerful emotion that we need to strongly cultivate as children. In merely living 12 summers, I know how many individuals have already shaped my existence on this planet. I am grateful for all their sacrifices and their self-less tiring over improving the persona that I am. Two, Self-reliance. Self-reliance is a virtue that will become more and more relevant as we grow older and become independent in an interdependent world. Self-reliance is not about developing vanity, but shouldering responsibilities we are expected to perform without shirking them so that the interdependence amongst us will become better. Third, Courage. We need to cultivate courage to own up to both, what we are strong at and what we are weak at. It just takes a very strong person to own up our weaknesses and stay focused on our strengths. Fourth, Dependability. Our word must be our bond and we must mean what we say. As is well said, ability without dependability is a liability! Finally, Strength of Character. Strength of Character, to me is the sum and substance of all that we are and for what we stand for when we are put in the worst of circumstances! Remember that as we grow older, we become more and more of what we already are. I am sure that staying focused on these values will shape our destinies better by giving a purpose and meaning to everything that we would engage in." Sitara delivered this short talk in the morning assembly on June 28th, 2009 at her school - The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet.
What really got me thinking is, all of us have learnt to respect and live by some positive values which were ingrained in us during our formative periods of life. If we have not been imbued with positive values of this kind, then I am sure that the society has damned us and has failed us utterly. The more and more we observe adult behaviour in our society, the more and more I am convinced that something is amiss. We observe a complete lack of respect for one another in our daily transactions; we observe a complete lack of chivalry when we occupy a seat comfortably when a mother with a child in her arms is made to stand, even though it might be a bus ride from the airport terminal to the aircraft; we absolutely do not seem to have any gratitude for all those Divine instruments who shaped the course of our existence and who are responsible for what we are today; we seem to have no commitment even to ourselves - let alone being self-reliant and sustain the process of interdependence; we are seen to crumble and shatter all the good old value systems we were supposed to stand up for even when all the comforts of modern day are made available for us - leave alone, the tough times which test our strength of character. When did we really lose these values? Or, did we really gain any values at all, if what my daughter says is true in her opening line ... "... as we grow older we become better at living them well."
