Everybody is born into this world with endless possibilities.
The responsibility of harnessing these potentials and translating them into success lie with parents, schools and society at large.
Moreover, it is imperative that students realise this and work towards the fulfilment of their capacities and abilities.
The question that now arises is, ‘How can schools teach students to live life to their fullest potential?’
The first thing that teachers and the school need to do is to ‘Set Expectations’. Schools should set high standards and implore students to meet them. Students may not always be able to tap their inner potential, the teacher needs to incessantly push them towards it.
Sometimes a sense of complacency creeps in when a student feels he has achieved the maximum he can. Encouragement through praise and acknowledgement of effort are sure motivators for students to stretch themselves in their pursuit for excellence.
The culture of a ‘growth mindset’ needs to be created early. However a word of caution ...expectations must be realistic or else it can turn to a downturn.
In the highly technology driven world that we live in today, it is important that we understand and embrace the edge that technology can give, in fulfilling the potential of students.
It is a fallacy to believe that technology and the arts are different ends of a spectrum.
Creativity is the cornerstone of both ----it is the school’s responsibility to engage students creatively to ensure that they do justice to their potential.
To do this effectively schools need to be flexible. Every student cannot be judged by the same yardstick, as abilities, aptitudes and aspiration differ.
In any school, there are doctors-in-training, astronauts-to-be, actors and actresses, artists, sportspersons just waiting for their first big break ----- fostering these aspirations and turning them into success stories will mean the unleashing of their full potential.
To live life to the fullest is not only about achieving targets and goals.
As Sadhguru puts it, ‘By the end of the day, you must be a little more joyful, a little more enhanced, a little better’.
If we can help our students achieve this we can be rest assured that they are on the way to live life to the fullest.
And in doing so they will have given to the world all that they have in them, thus enrichening the world with their ideas, knowledge and their innate goodness.
In the words of Todd Henry, the author of the all time best seller ‘Die Empty’.......
* If you have an idea perform it.
* If you have a knowledge give it out.
* If you have a goal achieve it.
* Love, share and distribute, do not keep it inside.
* Shall we begin to give and spread every atom of goodness inside us?
* Start the race....
* Die Empty
Author : Chitrangadha Chakravarthy, Vice Principal, BVM Global @ Perungudi