Expansion of ideas

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

This proverb is a reference to the well-known fable of the hare and the tortoise. While the hare, over-confident of success, took things too easy, the slow-moving tortoise plodded steadily on and managed to win the race.

We should not be discouraged by the size of the task we have to do. If we do it little by little and steadily, we can achieve success.

Take the case of a student who labours ‘eighteen hours a day near the examination. He cannot ensure brilliant results that could have been certain even by ‘six hours’ a day study.

Anything done in a hurry cannot have solid, deep and firm foundations. It is the slow and constant labour that brings results. For example, a businessman should be patient and calm-minded. He should look in all directions before striking a bargain. If he is in a hurry, chances are that he may not consider all aspects fully and thus stand to lose.

The work done coolly, calmly with a balanced mind often lasts longer and proves fruitful than that done by working against the clock.

Thus while doing anything we must not forget that nothing worthwhile can be achieved in a single day or overnight and that every achievement takes time. Patient and persistent effort will beat the labours of a spasmodic (irregular) person.

Rome was not built in a day.

Rome in the proverb stands for any great achievement.

Romulus and Remus built the ancient city of Rome. It took many years and thousands of workers to construct the magnificent city of its time. Huge amounts of energy, resources and expenditure and time were involved in erecting the city that became the envy of the world.

Similarly any great task in life does not happen overnight. It requires time and effort. It grows out slowly after years and sometimes even after centuries of careful and patient work.

Take for example the great wonders of the world. We often admire their greatness but are apt to forget the tremendous amount of money and material, human labour and time that have gone into their making.

The Taj Mahal, a marvel of architectural workmanship, took seventeen years to complete. The huge pyramids of Giza took several generations to attain their overpowering magnitude and staggering height. The Great Wall of China is another case in point. These random examples are enough to prove the truth of the saying.

Similarly a student who desires to top the class has to devote most of his time in studying hard. He has to put in time and effort. He has to plan his schedule in a proper way from day one. Students who study at the nick of time end up getting bad scores.

Nothing can be achieved in a single day. There is nothing called instant success. Therefore one should be patient throughout his journey to reach his goal.

A stitch in Time saves Nine. OR

Actions speak louder than words

On the surface, the proverb says that a thing that needs mending ought to be mended before it assumes serious proportions.

Take for example a cloth that is a little torn. It can be easily mended with a single stitch. But if it is neglected, it requires more stitches. Further neglect may also make it useless.

By extension, the proverb means that timely action helps us in overcoming problems. Prompt action at an early stage prevents serious trouble in future.

Take for instance, the breach in a dam in Gujarat. It was not repaired in the early stages. This resulted in the bursting of the dam. A water sheet of twenty feet high ran across the village and thousands of people died in Marui, a beautiful city, in three minutes. It is a case of delay and ‘delays are dangerous’.

Same is the case of a student who falls into the habit of procrastination. He must read his lessons regularly. He must not postpone them. If he neglects to study in time he will have to strain before the examinations. He will have to ‘burn the midnight oil’. It may spoil his health and in addition there is every danger of forgetting whatever he has read. He becomes a victim of tension and fear.

A boy stole a pencil from a classmate and showed it to his grandmother. Instead of questioning him about it she kept quiet. The boy’s thefts went unchecked until one day he was arrested. If the boy had been corrected in time, he would not have become a thief. Timely action would have prevented him from falling into wrong ways. Thus the saying advises us to take timely action for ” a small hole, if neglected, will sink a big ship”.

A Friend in Need is A Friend Indeed

The proverb stands as a touchstone of true friendship.

It states that only that person who helps us when we are in need or difficulty is a true friend.

In our daily life we come across people who over a period of time become close to us. But we cannot be sure if they are true friends or just fair-weather friends. Many people develop contacts with influential people for their benefit. It will be a great mistake if one considers these apparently close people as friends. The test of true friendship is in time of difficulties. On the other hand, the fair-weather friends disappear in times of trails. They find excuses to distance themselves from us.

But a true friend will always stick to a person if that person is in deep trouble. He will be concerned about the welfare of a person when he considers them as a friend. If need be, he will make every effort to help his friend overcome the difficult situation, instead of running away from him. As the saying goes, ‘prosperity makes friends and adversity tries them’.

The Epics of India showcase timeless illustrations of true friendship. In the Ramayana, it is between Rama and Sugreva. In the Mahabharata, it is between Krishna and Kuchela; between Duryodhana and Karna. Such friendship stands the test of time. Such friends are life’s greatest blessing. Friendship with people like these last a lifetime.

Thus the proverb not only shows the nature of a true friend but also offers a method of choosing good friends. It also cautions us of ‘fair-weather’ friends.

It is our common experience to hear politicians make tall promise before elections, and to conveniently forget them after they are elected. Their actions do not match their words. That is why we do not trust them.

Words sound good. But actions prove the genuineness of one's intentions. In olden times a man.s word was a matter of honor, even unto the point of death. In modern times, people make all kinds of big promises which they have little intention of keeping. People like to say nice thing to give a good impression of themselves. But once they have left the place they think nothing of what they claim to do. We can only call such a person a cheater or a liar. A person who says one thing and does something to the contrary is a highly irresponsible person, and ought not to be trusted.

We too should develop the habit of matching our actions with words at all times.

Practice Makes Perfect

You cannot become a world-class musician unless you take up your instrument and play on it daily for hours together. You cannot become a Tendulkar merely through inborn skill. You have to go to the nets every day for hours to practise. You need a coach to guide you and to tell you where you go wrong.

Merit-holders in board examinations do not achieve their marks by pure inspiration. They have studied throughout the year and revised and re-revised and made themselves perfect in whatever they have set out to study. It is only regular practice that makes one perfect. If you don‟t practise your work regularly, you will, at the most, be average in your performance. You will not win prizes or medals or awards. the most difficult task can be performed by anyone if they take the trouble to practise daily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice.

God helps those who help themselves.

There are students who don't study all through the year and then one day before the examination they go to the temple, make offerings and perform pooja and think that God will answer their prayers and give them a good result in the examination. Such students will definitely break down the courage of themselves completely. God does not work for us but he always works with us. It means we need to perform the work continuously. He only helps those who help themselves.

There is the story of a scientist who worked for years in order to find out the cause of malaria. He had performed hundreds of experiments and almost given up hope. The he prayed and fell asleep. The next morning he woke up with a new idea in his hand. He tried it out and he had found the cure for malaria. Thus we see that God helps only those who helps themselves. This is because God has given us all talents, attributes and the thinking power to achieve what we want. After being given all these, why should we again rely on God to achieve success? We should rely on the gifts that God has given us to make progress in life, rather than on God to do it for us.

Dreamers create a world of their own

Dreams are an integral part of man’s life. Whether he is awake or asleep, man loves dreaming. Dreams take us to a different world ..... a world of our own ..... a world, where no one else can have any access ........ an imaginary world, where, often, every impossible thing becomes possible.

Stop dreaming and we come back to the same old world of limitations and deadlines. Nothing works the way we want and we face many set – backs and disappointments, frustration and failure. All inventions and discoveries are a result of man’s dreaming. Great novels and stories and the scripts for films and plays originate from a mind which imagined and dreamt.

A dreamer is a happy man. Asleep or awake, he is in his own world, creating his own thoughts, his own thrills. Whether one agrees or not, don’t we all love to go to sleep ......and to dream ......... and don’t we all hat to wake up after that ? Yes ! A dream world is our own world of happiness.

All that glitters is not gold

Appearances are often deceptive. Many things may superficially appear very attractive. When they are examined from close quarters, they prove to be disappointing. One cannot judge the quality of a thing by seeing its exterior portion only. Thus it is rightly said "All that glitters is not gold"

Physical appearance has always been of great importance for human beings. For centuries, poets have written about beauty, musicians have sung about it and painters have portrayed beautiful features on canvas. However, people worry so much about physical appearance nowadays that sometimes it stops being our ally to become our greatest enemy. Many things may superficially appear very attractive. When they are examined from close quarters, they prove to be disappointing. One cannot judge the quality of a thing by seeing its exterior portion only. We should try to find out the reality hidden behind their glittering facade. A book with a beautiful cover has no guarantee of its being interesting.

A beautiful packaged product launched in the market after a massive advertising campaign may attract the consumer. He may buy that product once but if the product is of poor quality, he would not buy it again. A wise discerning person does not accept things at face value. He gets suspicious of a person or thing which appears too good to be true. His trained eyes can see beyond the superficial appearance of an object. Thus this proverb actually is a warning to enable us to see the real picture and not to be deceived by the exterior.

Pollution : The Bane of Machine Age

Today's world cannot be imagined without machines. It is not just comfort for all of us but also our basic necessity. Cell phones, cars, refrigerators, air conditioners, and so on at every step are dependent on machines. Life was never so simple, just a click and you are connected to the whole world. But everything comes with a price tag. What price are we paying for all the comfort we are enjoying? Our environment and it is a big price. Every coin has two sides.

Machines have reduced work but also put us in great peril, the only habitat that shelters all creatures i.e. our planet earth is immensely harmed .Pollution is

slowly degrading our environment every minute. Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems the world faces today. It is an issue that troubles us economically, physically and everyday of our lives. The contamination of the environment is also being linked to some of the diseases that are around currently. Yet, most people pretend that there is no problem because they are dependent and sometimes addicted to machines. We must do some thing as soon as possible to curb this problem, not only for the good of the environment but also for the people that live in it. Many factors are present for why environmental pollution has become such a large issue in the world. However, if the people of the world were to address the issue it would definitely help both the environment and its people. There are many activities that can be done by both the common people and governments of the world, which could improve the environmental problem. On the other hand, if the current way the world's environmental problem is being handled continues, catastrophic consequences can follow for the future population.

Thus machine age brought solutions to many problems but has also done harm to our environment in the form of pollution thus putting a question mark on the very existence of human species.

Nature, the best teacher

Of all the teachers who have helped shape my life, I would say Mother Nature has been the best. Not only does she like a mother nurture her pupils but also like a strict disciplinarian punishes students who step out of line.

A student of nature learns lessons throughout his lifetime. He learns about the world around him as nature’s classrooms have no boundaries or timeframe. Nature has been the inspiration for some of the greatest human creations, be it ‘Daffodils’ by William Wordsworth or kung fu moves by the Shaolin monks. Nature has different lessons for different people. The trees teach us to provide cover to the weak and tired. They also teach us not to be rigid in the face of strong opposition and like plants to be adaptable. The animal kingdom teaches us about when to strike, always be on the alert and many such lessons.

As You Sow So Shall You Reap.

This well-known proverb ‘As you sow so shall you reap’ might have been derived on seeing a farmer. A farmer sows the seeds expecting to reap a good harvest. If he ploughs his field well, waters the crop, uses fertilizers and takes pains to see to every aspect of its growth, naturally he would profit from a bountiful harvest. On the other hand, if a farmer does not take care of the crop from the time he has sown the seeds, the final product will not satisfy him. The inherent meaning is that the consequences depend on the action. Our present makes our future. If you toil and strive and mould your present well enough, you are bound to reap its fruits. Gandhiji had rightly said, ‘Power comes from sincere service’. Mother Teresa, on account of her care and compassion for the poor and destitute, gained love and adulation from the masses. A child who is well matured and motivated to study well will surely shine in his academic field and grow up into a good Samaritan. All men desire the blessings of perfect bliss. We can either make or mar our own destiny. Each of us can be an architect of our own future and fortune. If he sows the seeds of sin and corruption, he will reap the harvest of ruin. Hence our duty is clear, we must be virtuous to achieve happiness, for as we sow so shall we reap.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE

In an age where man does not find time to think about himself, laughter can be considered as a good agent of relaxation. In today’s mechanized and busy life, people don’t get enough time to socialize. As a result there is no relaxation. Laughter serves as a stress-buster as it releases positive energy. It fills the person with enthusiasm and zeal and he is ready to face the world again. Nowadays, we can see many laughter clubs coming up in big cities. These clubs function mainly because of the drudgery of human life in today’s world. People take anti-anxiety drugs for relaxation. These drugs have far-reaching effects which are damaging for the kidneys and other organs of the body. Instead of taking these medicines if people interact with their family members and friends and have a hearty laugh then they would be more relaxed. They will get new energy for their work and it will enhance their performance. Laughter is certainly the best medicine which has only favourable effects. When a person cracks a joke, we laugh. When we laugh, the blood circulation within our body improves and as a result our face glows with radiance. So, next time, you feel low, have a hearty laugh and feel the difference. You’ll feel refreshed and replenished with new vigour and enthusiasm.

SPEECH IS THE GIFT OF ALL, BUT THE THOUGHT OF FEW.

Barring people who are dumb, human beings have been blessed with the gift of speech. Without freedom of speech one feels curbed, confined and constricted. No man can grow to his fullest stature without freedom of speech and expression. But while almost everybody talks, few people take the trouble of thinking. Talking comes naturally to a human being, but thinking requires mental exertion.

Everybody is gifted with reason, but few people make use of this faculty. Man is a rational animal, but all men do not benefit from the rational faculty. Thinking is, indeed, foreign to most people. The result is that words are spoken, decisions are taken, and actions are performed by people without any previous thinking. The want of thinking in most such cases leads to unpleasant, and even disastrous, consequences. If an individual says or does something thoughtlessly, he may have to pay heavily for it. If a politician makes a speech without giving due thought to what he says, he may cause a tumult, agitation and even a riot. Some people have the gift of the gab but little capacity for thinking. They often blurt out words, without realizing the implications of what they are saying. They are reckless in speech. So thinking is an essential part of a wise man’s mental equipment. Indeed, a wise man speaks less and thinks more. And whatever he speaks is the result of his thinking. But wise men are in small minority in this world. The world is inhabited largely by talkative people who consider thinking to be an avoidable hardship.

The Fruits of Labour are Sweeter than the gifts of Fortune.

The meaning of this well known proverb is ‘a sense of achievement’. Self-satisfaction in life and the feeling of achievement are of utmost significance of life. Hard work will lead to success, which will bring in a lot of materialistic pleasures but all these will give only temporary satisfaction. The ultimate pleasure is the satisfaction of body, mind and the soul which can be achieved only through hard work.

Material achievement is temporary and can give rise to insecurity. However, the fruits of labour are permanent. A student who has worked very hard the entire year will find immense happiness in his excellent results, but a student who has not really worked hard but through sheer fluke is blessed with an excellent result will not know how to derive pleasure from it. As is said ‘Failures are stepping stones to success’, we must learn from failures consistently. Saurav Ganguly was written off by everyone but he kept his cool and regained his form. Abhishekh Bachhan gave several flops at the beginning of his career but he didn’t give up. Today, he is one of the most successful actors. Our own parents and grandparents move ahead so positively in life despite their ill-health at times. Isn’t that inspiring enough? Remember, we control our destiny. Let us emerge stronger and control our lives instead of letting our lives control us. Let’s be people of substance.

Work is worship

All human beings need to live a more meaningful life than the one they are born with. Work is natural to man. It is work that adds meaning to life. No matter how adverse the circumstances are, if one continues to work diligently without losing faith and hope, then his duties take the form of worship.

If we keep busy working with full diligence and sincerity, we experience a sense of contentment that a devotee does. God is pleased if we do our duties. Therefore work is as good as worship. At the end of the day if the time has been utilized productively, we have a sense of satisfaction which keeps us physically and mentally healthy. Think how life would be had there been no work. Work therefore gives us a definite goal and draws us nearer to God.

JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED

At his best, man is the noblest of all animals separated from

law and justice he is worst said Aristotle but when justice is delayed

it is even worse. Justice is a legal maxim meaning that if legal redress is available for a party that has suffered some injury, but is not forthcoming in a timely fashion, it is effectively the same as having no redress at all.

The legal system and the procedure to deliver justice is one way a government can build trust among the citizens of that country but when justice is not prompt it is worse than not giving justice at all as then law can be used as a shield to defend the wrongdoer and boost the moral of all those who violate the law and injure the innocent not just physically but also mentally. It will bring anarchy and chaos in the society and life and property will no more remain safe.

Thus if justice is given in a timely manner than it acts like a strong foundation for a prosperous society for flourish and burgeon rapidly.

Knowledge is Power.

The literal meaning of ‘Knowledge is Power’ is that power can be obtained or experienced through knowledge. If one has enough knowledge about something or anything, it helps you become powerful. One can command the others as the less knowledgeable have to depend on you for help.

A highly qualified person is self-sufficient in his profession and can manage a high profile job efficiently. Similarly , a housewife who is trained in all aspects of running the house will not need anyone’s advice, for she can manage things smoothly. People who are fond of reading gain immense knowledge about various things. They are silent listeners too. This habit helps them tremendously to gain vast knowledge which works in their favor. A good leader must have knowledge to be able to control his followers. The followers will look up to him as they lack the knowledge he possesses A well read, clever student will be respected by his classmates as well as his teachers. Just like kings and emperors were powerful due to the vastness of the armies, their weaponry and the strength of the armies, ordinary humans can also become powerful through hard work, dedication, determination and an ambition to be powerful in the field they have skill and talent. Truly as Bacon says, “Knowledge is Power”.

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine.

This well known proverb ‘A Stitch in Time Saves Nine’ literally refers to the mending of clothes before they become irreparable. What is true of clothes is true for anything that needs mending. The advantage of a stitch in time does not limit itself to fabrics alone. Figuratively, it refers to health, medicine, morals, education and politics.

We have often heard a doctor telling his patient that an earlier consultation would have avoided the present painful suffering. a popular story of the son who had turned into a thief and finally went to the prison. He wished his mother had used the ‘timely stitch’.

In our personal lives, too, the timely stitches are of immense value. Before our wayward tendencies can turn into confirmed habits, let us apply the stitch in time. Our ancestors must have realized the importance of ‘timely stitches’ and stored their wisdom in this proverb for us to benefit from it. They have done their duty. Let us do ours.

Examples are better than precepts.

People generally like to give advice, but do not like to be advised. All of us are natural-born preachers. But when it comes to practicing what we preach, we make up excuses. Very often giving advance can become sheer nagging. It can become so irritating that it has no more or even the opposite effect on the hearer. Children are keen observers. Even though the elders do not know it, children are all the while keenly observing their behaviour. They are aware of the gulf between the adults' speech and their actual behaviour, between their words and deeds, between their preaching and practice. Naturally, they do not pay enough heed to the elders advice and instruction. By preaching things which they themselves don‟t practice, the elders only expose themselves as hypocrites and succeed in teaching youngsters a lesson in hypocrisy. The best way to teach is not to preach but to set and example by actually putting the preaching into practice. This is because human beings and especially children, are imitative by nature. In fact, the instinct to copy is very powerful in human beings. We should make the fullest use of this instinct to teach children what we want them to learn. If a father wants his child to never start the habit of smoking, he should first give up smoking himself. If parents wants their children to pick up good manners, they should themselves be models of good behaviour. In short, we should ourselves do what we want others to do. This is because example is better than precept and deeds are more powerful than words. Actions speak louder than words. An ounce of praise is more than a ton of precept.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

An unclean environment is an insult to the Creator. Everything that God has created is beautiful, and nature has in it the power to follow the norms of hygiene and sanitation. It is only man who makes his environment dirty and, very often, and for reasons best known to himself, is happy to keep it that way. When you go to a place of religious worship, don‟t you bathe first ? Don‟t you put on your clothes? Remember, this world is our temple and the first norm of cleanliness that we must follow is that of personal hygiene. This involves keeping one‟s body, clothes, belongings and home clean. This prevents diseases and prolongs life and its quality. It also makes the mind fresh and open to do better work. Cleanliness must also extend toward the neighborhood and the environment in general. For this, one must develop clean social and civic habits. It is wrong to spit on the roads, urinate in public or throw litter anywhere you please. By doing such things we are defacing the property that belongs to us -our nation. We are also spoiling this wonderful place that God has given us to live on -our earth.

Expansion of Ideas Proverb-type Essays.

The Pen is mightier than the sword.

A clumsy workman blames his tools

A friend in need is a friend indeed

A little learning is a dangerous thing.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

A stitch in time saves nine

A thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Action speaks louder than words

All that glitters is not gold

An apple a day keep the doctor away

An apple a day keeps the doctor away