He respects my decisions, no matter the path.
In his embrace, I find solace, not wrath.
With words of encouragement, he lifts me up high,
Saying, “Mysha, you can do it!”
As I reach for the sky.

“Never bow down,” he whispers in my ear.
“Stay strong and steady, there’s nothing to fear.”
A man of honour, strength and grace,
My brother’s courage shines in every embrace.

An inspiration to many.
A rock in our storm.
In his presence, I feel safe and warm.
Fearless warrior, a protector of the clan.
My brother, my strength.

The post My Brother, My Strength appeared first on The Teenager Today.

Every heart has a song
Every soul, a melody
A yearning so long
To find true serenity.
And one fine day
After the longest wait
Comes knocking along
An Angel with a harp
Turning their lives
Into a beautiful song.

The word ‘music’ originates from the Greek term Mousikē, which also includes drama, dance and poetry. Singing has been scientifically proven to soothe and raise your mood. However, singing in a group is even more beneficial because it releases hormones like oxytocin that make you feel good and also reduces stress hormones like cortisol.

Dopamine being the key, studies show that if you listen to music you enjoy, while getting your heart rate up, you can achieve more with less effort. The pain sensitivity can decrease in the aftermath of exercising with music, so when you’re done, you may not feel as exhausted as you would have otherwise. Listening to music before you do something can put you in the right frame of mind for the task at hand.

Listening to 5-10 songs daily helps improve memory and strength and boosts the immune system by 80%. Song lyrics are believed to have a stronger impact on human minds when an individual is sad. Though it can affect your mood, it turns out that it can also have a significant effect on your perception of the world. That is why the type of music you listen to plays a vital role in how you feel, what kind of thoughts you invite and your response to the situations around you!

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Being an entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer, Sudha Murty needs no introduction. She is a household name in India and beyond for creating waves of social reform and innovation with her thoughts and actions. Her life journey is a testament to the power of determination and the ability to overcome gender stereotypes.  

Sudha was born on 19 August 1950 in a middle-class family in Shiggaon, a village in Karnataka. Her family supported her in all her academic endeavours and instilled in her the importance of compassion and empathy.

In a time when engineering was largely seen as a male profession, Sudha decided to pursue it. She was the only female engineering student among 599 boys at the BVB College of Engineering (now KLE Technological University). She faced numerous challenges, including being teased by her classmates and facing discrimination from the college administration. She was not allowed to visit the college canteen, was required to wear a saree, and was not allowed to talk to boys. Despite these challenges, she persevered and became a topper, proving everyone wrong.

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Taslima Nasreen — an ecstatic transgender woman, accountable entrepreneur and determined social activist. Abandoned by her family at the age of 13, she attempted suicide, but fate had other plans in store for her. She was rescued by a group of transgenders who saw her sleeping in a park at Tirupur.

“If my parents and brothers had noticed me in Tirupur, they would have killed me, so I moved to Bengaluru and underwent a sex change surgery,” says Taslima. There, she applied for jobs in many companies, but since they did not accept her, she had to beg at traffic signals. She moved to Pudukkottai to get treatment as she was unwell and met Anjalai who worked with Mahaveers Trust. Taslima says, “She was one among those who was instrumental in getting me an identity in society.”

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Recently, I had the pleasure of watching Clifford the Big Red Dog, a heart-warming movie that brought back fond memories of the lessons I’ve learned from dogs throughout my life. As I followed the adventures of this lovable canine, it reminded me of the invaluable wisdom and insights that dogs offer. From their unwavering loyalty to their infectious joy, dogs teach us valuable lessons that are undeniably useful in navigating the ups and downs of life.

Unconditional Love and Acceptance

Watching Clifford’s unwavering love and acceptance towards his human companions reminded me of the immense capacity of dogs to love unconditionally. Dogs don’t judge us based on our appearance, flaws or past mistakes. They love us for who we are, flaws and all, offering a powerful lesson in accepting others and ourselves with open hearts. In a world where judgement and criticism is prevalent, dogs teach us the importance of embracing others with love and understanding.

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This young girl, despite all odds, took charge of her destiny and proved through her hard work and dedication that even a street vendor can aspire to pursue a Ph.D. in the USA.

After a long, hot sunny day, Sarita would return home exhausted after urging commuters to purchase tiny bouquets and flower garlands. This 12-year-old girl had no choice and alongside school had to pitch in and help in the family business to enhance the family income, especially during festivals. This was her daily routine for most of her educational life. Nevertheless, her circumstances did not dampen her spirit to learn and progress academically. She developed a love for Hindi literature and did not give in to external factors but continued with a will of iron to fulfil her dream of obtaining a good education. Little did she know that the vigour and fortitude she possessed would not only lead her to the completion of her education but also influence her to excel, and finally place her in a prestigious institution in the United States to work towards her doctorate.

Since it was impossible for her to afford an education, she pursued her M.A. and M.Phil. through Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a public-funded university, and will submit her Ph.D. in Hindi literature this July to the Indian Language Centre at JNU itself. There was a stroke of luck that played a part here, as Sarita managed to secure the last OBC seat at her entrance test at JNU. She attributes her acceptance at the University of California (UCLA), Santa Barbara, to JNU, and firmly believes that her future brightened up as soon as she was accepted at JNU.

Not only has Sarita been an inspiration to children and youth but also her family, as her siblings have understood the value of good education. Her elder sister has earned an M.A. degree and both her brothers are attempting competitive exams. In order to fund themselves, they are engaged in providing tuitions to meet their financial requirements just like Sarita. Despite the odds, Sarita’s father has always strongly supported her and encouraged her to study further.

Sarita’s vision is to raise awareness about the difficulties faced by street children in their attempt to obtain a decent education, especially the financial aspect. She rightly believes that education for street children should be free. Thus, those who have the desire to build up their skills and knowledge will have a system in place to develop themselves at no cost, thereby providing a fair opportunity to all. Education is a need of all and should be provided to benefit every citizen. This in turn will pave the way for the process of broadening everyone’s perspective, skills, and opportunities, leading our nation towards a radiant future.

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Meet quintessential Mumbai girl Dinkle Shah. She’s 29, loves numbers, graduated from a college in the suburbs, lives with a loving family, did an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj, works at Deloitte India in the Consulting wing, plays basketball as a defender and has won a gold medal in the sport. All good? Impressive, you might say. Definitely far above average.

Now what if I tell you she has been paralysed from the chest down since 2001, and has achieved all this in a wheelchair!

What if I tell you that she is a player with the Maharashtra Wheelchair Basketball women’s team, but when she started out in 2015, she was part of a mixed team!

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Mountaineering is tough even for the most physically and mentally fit individuals. But to take up this challenge even when you have lost one leg, calls for an unmatched degree of courage and sheer will. Anshul Bansal, 24, acquired this sense of fearlessness through his past experiences which changed the entire course of his life.

In his most recent expedition, while climbing Mount Satopanth, the second-highest peak in the Garhwal range of Himalayas, Anshul placed one foot after the other to reach the summit. Being the first amputee to climb this tough terrain, scores of thoughts ran across his mind as he went ahead. He thought he might never be able to see his parents again. He kept telling his fellow mountaineers that if he ever fell into any of those crevasses, to let his parents know that he tried his best.

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Our founder speaks through his books

For The Teenager Today family, comprising of its readers, patrons, printers, publishers and the staff, the name J. MAURUS is an icon of vision, inspiration and motivation. He founded the magazine in 1963 with the intention of motivating and inspiring youngsters of every generation thence. Today, even after 58 years of its existence, the vision and the mission envisaged by J. Maurus continue to guide and motivate the publishers and readers of The Teenager Today. As he left us for his eternal reward on 1 February 2018, we believe his invisible presence and his blessings from heaven continue to energize us. We salute him on the 58th anniversary of the foundation of The Teenager Today, and we pledge once again to march on with his legacy of motivating young people to dream big and dream differently.

Attitude
“When you change your attitude, you change your life, your thinking, the way you act, the way you feel.”
(Power of Positive Attitude, page 28)

Home
“Home is a magic place where desires become reality.”
(Be Smart, Be You!, page 22)

Risk
“Take risks. Forget yourself into greatness; empty yourself into adventure, lose yourself into immortality.”
(Power of Positive Attitude, page 31)

Hard work
“Hard work is the best investment you can make.”
(Be Smart, Be You! page 80)

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“Teachers are holy angels leading their flock out of darkness.” ~ Jeanette Walls

A village government school teacher became the first Indian to win the Global Teacher Prize 2020, selected from over 12,000 nominations from over 140 countries. The Prize was established by the Varkey Foundation in 2014. The excited Ranjitsinh Disale declared that he would share half of his $1 million prize money with the other nine finalists (each would get about Rs 40.57 lakh).

32-year-old Disale was declared the winner of the prize on 3 December 2020 for his work for girl child education and revolutionising textbooks in India.

“I am lucky that I chose teaching and could bring change in students’ lives,” Disale said. “Teachers are the real changemakers who are changing the lives of their students. Teachers work for the outcome and not for income, and these teachers (the finalists) are doing tremendous work and they should also get the reward. I want them to feel like winners and be equally happy. Together we can change this world because sharing is growing,” he announced.

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