Instructions: Write an essay on any one of the following in about 1000-1200 words.
Time : 90 minutes
Marks : 125
1. It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.
2. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
Essay Test – October 14, 2017
It Is During Our Darkest Moments That We Must Focus To See The Light—
In each of us lie good and bad, light and dark, art and pain, choice and regret, cruelty and sacrifice. No one can live in the light all the time.
We all go through dark times .Depression does that to you. Anxiety can do that to you. Darkness can do that to you. You begin convincing yourself that darkness actually means hopelessness. But it doesn’t. This couldn’t be any farther from the truth. The reality is we all go through dark times in life. And although our darkness may look and feel different depending on the person, this doesn’t make hope any less obtainable, no matter how broken and lifeless one may feel.
Difficult life circumstances give us opportunities to explore our inner lives and do the internal work necessary for us to rise above our challenges. Now is the time for self-understanding and self-awareness.
It’s time to use available tools – from therapy and counseling to spirituality and journaling – to help us better understand ourselves.
Appreciate The Dark :During your most difficult hour, it’s hard to sit back and exercise any amount of gratefulness.You can learn to appreciate the situation because you are discovering the tools you’ll need to navigate in the dark. If you can keep walking toward the light, you’ll develop qualities that will help you resist life’s challenges.
When you walk in the dark, you develop the qualities of persistence, patience, discovery and navigation. Sure, you won’t know where you are, but you’ll start getting a better sense of the darkness and will eventually navigate your way around.Your greatest gift in the dark is your newfound abilities to embrace change, persist and keep going. These skills you’ll have with you for the rest of your life.
Who would forget life long struggle of Dr.BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR’s against CASTE DISCRIMINATION or NELSON MANDELA’s against APARTHEID LAW in South Africa.
It is important to remember that things are not always as they seem.Truthfully, there are blessings in some negative events. Indeed, what we interpret as negative could indeed provide us with a message or a blessing that turns out to be very positive and life changing.
Blank Canvas Opportunity: We absolutely take life way too much for granted. The father of Indian IT sector NARAYAN MURTHY did not have money when he wanted to start the venture but he knows it he is meant for it and the rest is history.He made a decision to view his life as a blank canvas, to start again and paint whatever picture I so desired for my future.
When we experience a powerful life situation and nothing feels as though it could get any worse, we have then built a foundation of experience on which to construct the rest of our lives.
The tough times that we endure give us a place of reference and offer the motivation to continue. When we realize that we have endured ‘X’, and ‘X’ was horrific and terrible, yet we are still standing — then we are filled with the hope that we can get through the smaller battles each day.
OPRAH WINFRY can be one of the example,She had a difficult childhood, lived in great poverty and being sexually abused at an early age.The result is that today Oprah Winfrey went from poverty to becoming one of the most wealthy and successful people in the world.
No experience is ever wasted. Everything that we experience provides an opportunity for us to learn and grow, to evolve and to discover more of who we truly are, sometimes by discovering who we are not. Everything that you have ever done, learned, tried or experienced serves as an essential piece of the puzzle of your life. You may not know how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together initially, and at first it may even look impossible, but there are never useless pieces in the box. As you proceed through your life and start to see the big picture, you will know how each piece has served you and others, even if it only becomes clear once this lifetime is complete.
Become Aware Of What Does Not Work:When you hit a dark place, you receive a gift: you realize what doesn’t work.You have more insight into yourself than you did before.
Understanding what doesn’t work is as insightful as knowing what does work. Knowing the dark is critical to appreciating the light.
When you see the futility and hopelessness of a particular path or situation, your mind can create a new path and life.
Remember, as Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
If you think about the enormity of the situation, you’ll feel paralyzed and want to stay in bed.Don’t think about the global picture; take everything moment by moment.
Your current circumstance may be more challenging than those you faced in the past, but you’ve built up your adversity muscle to deal with changes and setbacks.
THE DAWN IS NEAR: Life is like the seasons, after all. You can’t remain stuck in winter forever. Your situation will change, just like the seasons change.You’ll find a way to move on, discover the solution or get the break you’ve been waiting for.
Don’t bask in life’s lows and dark places when light is just around the corner.Stay hopeful for a brighter tomorrow. Stay patient if things take a little longer than expected.
As NAPOLOEN HILL once said, “Most people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest dark moments
Life sometimes serves up difficult situations. You’ll feel terrified, hopeless and Helpless. Your experiences will feel pitch-black scary and lonely.It is through this “breaking down experience,” we undergo a powerful transformation, letting go of all that no longer serves us, arriving at a moment of awakening. Now we rebuild ourselves, truly discovering who we are, what we are about and everything that we stand for — from the ground up. These are the powerful moments of true awakening.You’ll not only achieve significant growth and change, you’ll come out stronger.You’ll emerge with a newfound appreciation for where you’ve been and will learn lessons that last a lifetime.
Hence,it clearly indicates,Your darkest hours are merely a setup for your greatest days ahead.
Every weekend I look up to your essays. I’m a beginner and I learn a lot from them.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
A boy was madly running across the street of Damietta – an old city of Egypt. Has was holding a packet that he was intended not to loose at any cost. A mob of 10-15 people was chasing him furiously. At the turn of street junction, he slipped and fell. people surrounded him from every corner. There was no way to escape. Anguished people were starring him with large eyeballs. Situation was so intense and egregious like a storm would suddenly fall on penurious boy and burn his supercilious soul and pour the ice on the savage mob. Slowly an young man came near to him and snatched the packet, that the boy was keeping near heart with tight hands. When packet was opened, everybody shocked on looking at cough syrup bottle, few strips of tablets and some files of injections. Perhaps, the boy had done burglary in medicine shop. He had done this act due to his bed ridden mother. Their miserable condition had not given any scope to buy even medicines, and so he did burglary. Soon before the mob decided to make judgement for his karma, an old person bargained the situation and paid the bill of medicine from his own pocket and let the boy go with his packet. Time always running non-stop and so, ten years passed from this incident. That kind old man was on the bed of cardiac hospital . Doctors had left only option of surgery to his daughter. That surgery was supposed to do within a week but the expense was huge and the old man was not capable to meet the expenses at the cost of his all assets. His poor daughter was sitting near her father, holding his hand and looking at him with eyes full of tears and broken hopes. On next morning, GOD’s blessing conferred on them. Doctors were ready to perform surgery because someone had paid the entire cost last night. The angle itself had come to help the old man and that angle was no other but that little boy who was saved from angry mob ten years back. A small act of kindness had paid back with great kindness and reverence.
Such story keep alive the faith in humanity and kindness. It is not the single one example. There are innumerable burning examples that proves the existence of mankind and moral values. Perhaps,it is our very humanitarian characteristics that has protected the human being from all kind of adversities, and so we have have been at the top in hierarchy of all the living beings.
In almost all religions and social arrangements, there is a basic set of features that are supposed to be hold and imbibed by every person. Such features are mix of moral, ethical and humanitarian values. Kindness is one of them. Even Kindness is a basic ground of cultivating other moral and ethical values. Without keeping the kind feeling in heart, we can’t think of being calm and subtle, we can’t think of equality and prosperity and liberation and salvation is beyond our imagination. The whole ethos of mankind is surrounded by kindness. The journey of spirituality starts at the very post of kindness only. Whether in the ancient mythology or in the modern culture, all greatest figures and personalities have always been ardent supporter and staunch believers of kindness. Lord, Rama, Krishna, Buddha, Gandhi, Lincoln, Sarojni, Sir Syed etc are name of few.
The great writer, Thomas Dreier correctly said – The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove to be loving, friendly and helpful in return. The world is what you are. Thus, the same thing applies to kindness and hatred. Further, we must realize that whatever we give to this world, it returns back several times higher. A small act of kindness to other may change your own life drastically. The returned kindness may come from in any way, not necessarily in the same way and by the same receptor. The same thing applies to hatred too. And, we all know the pivot to living wheel – what we sow, we reap.
Today the whole world is burning in the hell of hatred and selfishness. Our act of kindness has now been fake and poured with lust and self interest. The kindness has been camouflaged by deep rooted materialistic interest. Forget about the political leaders or influenced people in society, who do common welfare works. Most of their social works are solely designed to reap their own benefits and satisfy their own needs. Since, they are at higher stage, their acts and intentions are easily perceived and analyzed. Think about an individual. We a common man have the same persona. We have our own dockyard of self interest. Our supercilious desire has annihilated the kindness in dark. Honor, position, prestige are some of the deep rooted desire that provoke us to entice the society through the act of kindness. But such kindness is fake and illusive. Rather, it inflicts the honest thoughts of others. Such false acts rescinded the true meaning of kindness.
Kindness should be free of any kind of selfishness. We should do any act of kindness without expecting anything in return. Kindness should flow in one direction. Nature will automatically give you return back enormously. Let the world see the mankind through the teaching of great leaders and philosophers. Let us assimilate their thoughts in our own way of living. Let us realize the true meaning of gives and forget. Our probity lies on the pillar of kindness. It is time to learn how to be kind and make others kind. The world is going to the verge of destruction both physically and morally. Science and Technology and government’s policies would save the hard rocks but who will save and prevent us from downgrading at our moral and ethical values? Let we should start a true act of kindness and pave the way of better living of ourselves and our coming generation. Be kind, safe the mankind.
Nicely written..
Few things to point out:
1. Humans are not at the top of hierarchy.. I read it somewhere that we might consider ourselves at top, but we are certainly not coz evolution is slow and continuous process.. Referring to this line “so we have have been at the top in hierarchy of all the living beings.”
2. There are at places spelling and gramatical mistakes.. It can be because of typing too.. So if it is not coz of typing, improve on it
3. Try incorporate dimensions and keep starting story small.. This story can easily take more than 1 page when written.. So keep it short and simple like 1 para only
4. Usage of quotes is nice
5. U have almost written extreme negative for Politicians and NGOs.. Balancing it would be better option.. There are some who work for self-interest, but there are many selfless too
Yeah, feel difficulty in typing and so mistakes occur.
I also felt that story went too long.
Thanks.
All Dear friends write itself not copy from google or Wikipedia….only u can go through from their but write ur own words……if something wrong behalf of me then I apologize for that I hope everyone will follow it….thnk’s
Apology accepted…..:)
agreed.. ?
Yes, you said correctly. The person who havr no aware of the topic, they can use google or any other source for getting idea. But the conclusion should be their own words and ideas.
I agreed with your comments.
Y….because some copy from google& other comment on that even he don’t know who post that what full paragraph mean…..
No Act Of Kindness ,No Matter How Small, Is Ever Wasted–
There Is A famous story, The Lion and the Mouse, wherein a small Mouse, caught by the Lion, is released rather than eaten, as a kindness.
Later, the Mouse comes across the Lion, trapped in a net. The Mouse remembers the kindness done for him by the Lion, and chews through the ropes, freeing the Lion, and returning the kindness.
Kindness is contagious; it spreads like a beneficial virus, and is passed along from one person to the next. The smallest act of kindness may be all that is needed to brighten someone else’s day, turning things from bad to manageable and helping boost the spirits of the person more than you may imagine. A small smile, a kind word, or the slightest nice gesture can change everything for someone. Being kind costs you nothing but this simple act can be incredibly valuable for someone else, and sometimes the smallest kindness can change the world.
For Example—Mother Teresa was a teacher in a school in India. However, she chose to give up her life in that convent in order to live with the poorest of the poor on the streets of Calcutta, taking care of the very sick and dying. She took care of people with whom no one else wanted to bother.
Another interpretation would be that even if holding open a door for someone to you may be trivial, they might appreciate it a great deal. But it is meant as a bit of inspiration for those of us who forget the little things that often matter most.
The moral of the story is held that there is no one so lowly that they cannot be of some use, and that none should be scorned for their lowly position or life.
By being kind when you don’t have to make you feel good and free as negative energy that will build up inside of you. So in essence you are not only being kind to the other person you are also being kind to yourself. If you could have been nice and you were not you will carry that negative feeling all day , the other person will also.
In today’s world, the terms KINDNESS and GENEORISITY have faded away from the mind of people. People have become self-centered, narcissists human beings. They will involve themselves only if they are benefited from it. This has created a meaner society where everyone care only for themselves and is not bothered by whatever happens around them.
This arrogant, selfish attitude has drastically changed the world we live in. The people who are affected the most are poor people. With the life already troubling them financially, our behavior has just added oil to the fire. This have completely removed hopes and happiness from their life.
Rationality for Being Kind:You have a natural desire to respond the person in the same way as the person has behaved with you. Hence, if someone is nasty to you,there is a natural urge in you to be nasty to him or her. If you try to be kind to him following your policy of being nice to everyone, it would create an anger within you that disturbs your peace of mind.
However, you will soon realize the benefit of being nice all the time to all the people when you will find that the person who had been nasty to you also follows the same law and try to be
Kind vs Unkind People:Kind people are more likely to be used and manipulated. They are also more likely to inspire others, create change in the world, and succeed in life.
Nice people finish last because they put those at disadvantages first. There is a lot to be said about the person who gives up their seat for somebody versus the person who rushes past everybody to get to the seat. The comfort you’ll feel in your heart is 100x more powerful than the comfort you’d feel by sitting.
Ruthless people are more likely to be successful for a while liars get caught, cheaters get sought, and genuinely mean people never stick around long. From war criminals to baseball players, those who are ruthless might have had their day of glory, but they spend the rest of their lives fearing they’ll be found out. When they are, they have to live with that stigma forever.
Leaving out the idea of morality, and leaving out the idea of conscience, being nice,kind and generous is, in general, better for us.
Being kind does not have to translate into being a doormat for others.Being assertive does not have to be ruthless.Being kind yet assertive is the key to a balanced life.
What goes around comes around’. So, just be polite and kind in your behaviour and the same will come back to you. Being kind to self is equally important as being kind to others. Don’t be harsh to yourself and give space to the trivial mistakes in life. As, we only learn by committing mistakes. Learn from the experience and move ahead in the positive direction.