Expansion of Idea is elaborating a statement to explain its meaning by adding supportive details with illustrations.
Tips for Expansion of Ideas/Theme Writing:
· Understand the literal and symbolic meaning of the proverb.
· Explain first the literal or basic meaning of the proverb.
· Explain the symbolic or figurative meaning of the proverb with examples.
· Give a story, anecdote or an illustration to support the symbolic meaning.
· Conclude with what you have learnt from the given proverb.
· Write the expansion in one or two paragraphs and within 20 lines.
1. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
This proverb is a reference 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 last 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.
2. 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 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.
3. A stitch in Time saves Nine.
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 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’.
4. Actions speak louder than words
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 intention. In olden times, a man’s word was a matter of honour, even up to 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 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.
5. 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 practice. You need a coach to guide and 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 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 practice 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 practicedaily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice. If you don’t practice 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 practice daily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice. Five fingers make a hand. A hand makes a handshake. A handshake extends warmth and friendship and reaches out to the world. India is a land of diverse people, cultures, religions, languages and geography. Yet, as long as we are united, we are strong and no one can do us harm. The moment we show any sign of division, we will be vulnerable and enemies will try to take advantage of the situation. A team in which the individual members play for their own good cannot win a match. As long as it plays for the good of the team, it can win. Anything that we do should be done for the general good,not for the individual. Then only can we achieve victory.
6. God help 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 find, much to their dismay, that God does not help shirkers. 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 lo and behold!He had found the cure for malaria. Thus we see that God helps only those who help 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.
7. Dreamers create a world of their own
Dreams are an integral part of man’s life. Whether he is awake or sleep, 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.
8. 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 massive advertising campaign may attract the consumer. He may but 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.
9. Nature, the best teacher
Of all the teachers who have helped shape my life, I would say Mother Nature has been the best. For not only does she like a mother nurtures 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 time frame. Nature has been the inspiration for some of the greatest human creation, 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 be adaptable. The animal kingdom teaches us about when to strike, always be on the alert and many such lessons.
10. 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.
11. 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 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 favaourable 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.
12. Speech is the gift of all, but 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 can make use of this faculty. Man is a rational animal, but all men do not benefit by 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 mayhave to pay heavily for it. If a politician makes speech without giving due thought to what he says, he may cause a tumult, an 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.
13. 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 a 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.
14. Work is Worship
All human beings need to live a more meaningful life than the one they are born with. Workis natural to man. It is work that adds meaning to life. No matter how adverse the circumstances be, 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.
15. 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 forth coming 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 built 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 wrong doer 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
16. Example is better than precept.
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 adult’s 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 an 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 practice is more than a ton of precept.
17. 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 andis 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.
18. Say no to Plastic!
In recent times it has been a strong endeavor of our government to reduce the use of plastic. Though plastic has many advantages, one major disastrous disadvantage is that it is non - biodegradable and hence poses a major threat to the environment. This waste cannot be decomposed. As a result, it keeps on piling on the earth's surface. As a matter of fact, the amount of plastic already present on earth surpasses thousands of tones. Several animals consume this plastic and fall prey to various deadly diseases. Even the quality of soil is deteriorated as a result of buying of plastic material and waste.
From individuals to companies, everyone seems to be doing their own bit to save the environment. If you too want to take an environment friendly step, then it is important that you say no to plastic and make the world a better place to live in .
19. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
We have heard of quack doctors in the villages who try to cure serious diseases by their so called magical remedies. This is an example of a little learning being a dangerous thing, finally when the patient dies they shift the blame on some supernatural powers and wash their hands of the tragedy.
Sometimes children try to imitate dangerous scenes from films little realising the danger they could lead to. Learning Yoga from someone who is not an expert at it could be dangerous. Certain asanas should not be tried unless the trainer is an expert. Listening to the advice of someone who is less educated than you can lead to wrong choices in life. Remember Lord Buddha’s teaching: Travel not with a fall. He further goes on to say that if the people you are travelling with are less clever than you or equal in cleverness to you, it is better to travel alone. In other words, it is better to have no friends than to have one who has little knowledge.
20. A rolling stone gather no moss.
It is not good to keep on changing one’s place of residence or workplace or routine. Such a habit causes a lot of insecurity and instability. You are not able to acquire steady thoughts or the confidence in order to carry your day to day schedule. When one stays in one place for a long time, one gets familiarized with one’s surroundings and is able to go about one’s work with the correctness that is required for the job. Also people around know and recognize you and so you get help required when necessary.
A person who keeps on changing his regular schedule frequently is known as a rolling stone. He cannot cultivate any true friendship or relationships. frequent change of jobs and homes affects one’s financial prospects negatively. He or she will not get people to help him or her when he or she is in trouble, because no one will know him or her well enough.
Hence it is better to stay in one place and reap the benefits that the environment has to offer one. This is preferable to changing one’s location or job every now and then.
21. A Clumsy Workman Blames His Tools
Human nature is such that none is prepared to accept his own deficiency, drawbacks and blemishes. A typist who often commits mistakes would blame the quality of he typewriters. Similarly an inefficient mechanic condemns the entire auto-mobile industry. This is because we are used to finding fault with everyone and everything else except ourselves.
On the other hand, a piece of work can be thoroughly accomplished only when the person carrying it out is true to his job. If the workman does not concentrate on his task, he makes a shoddy job of it, but he is not willing to take responsibility of his failure and calls his tools imperfect. Thus instead of improving himself, a clumsy workman looks for scapegoats to thrust his faults on.
This is perhaps most evident in a student who does not fare well in his examinations. Instead of looking for reasons within himself, he looks outside for someone or something to blame such as a difficult question paper, a leaky pen or a wrathful examiner. Similarly a dancer who fails to perform well a particular event attributes his poor performance to the incompetent musicians, accompanists or to the poor stage management.
A farmer who does not tend his crops blames his poor produce on everything and everyone other than his negligence. An employee who fails to get promoted is a common example of this proverb. Instead of self-analysis, he accuses his superior of favoritism and his promoted colleagues of sycophancy. He fails to realize that reward is proportional to input.
Therefore it is important for people to accept the existence of their faults, if any, and correct them. This is the only way up the ladder of success. The proverb aptly reflects normal human behaviour.
22. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Life presents us with many beautiful things. This may be a beautiful scene or a flower or a lonely night walk on a beach that fill us with peace or a beautiful picture. We should store these pretty memories in our minds. When we are not feeling so good, or are lonely or depressed we should remember the beautiful sights that we have seen or experienced. This will make us happy.
William Wordsworth has put forward this point in his beautiful poem ‘Daffodils‘. Once he saw a sight of beautiful golden daffodils. This sight remained with him throughout his life. In the later years, whenever he was in vacant or in pensive mood, he recollected the scene of the daffodils and this gave him great solitude and filled his heart with pleasure.
Life is full of simple, beautiful things. It is for us to make good use of them to our advantage. We don’t have to spend money on luxurious holidays and expensive pastimes in order to bring happiness to ourselves. We can do so with simple memories that we have collected during the good times of our lives, when we have experienced beautiful things. Because such experience will never be erased from our memories.
23. Cut your coat according to your cloth.
If you give a piece of cloth to a tailor to make a coat, the tailor will first measure the cloth and then decide what kind of coat has to be made out of it. He will not be able to make a coat that requires more material than the cloth provided. The same is the case with our expenses and income. Our expenses should always be within the limits of our income. Otherwise, we surely land in debit and difficulties. The proverb thus tells us not to spend more than what we earn i.e., to live within our means.
The proverb applies not only to individuals but also to business establishment. Of course, a company may raise a loan to expand or diversify its business. But it must do it judiciously; otherwise it will be in deep trouble. Even the government of a country has to keep in mind its total resources while spending. If it does not do so and goes on borrowing recklessly from the people and from foreign countries, it would become bankrupt one day, and come to grief.
So the proverb is of universal application. It teaches us that our actions should suit the circumstances or resources. The wisdom of the proverb would guide everybody to live and work within their means and to avoid possible shame or punishment resulting from living beyond their means.
24. Health is Wealth
What is the use of having millions and billions in one’s bank account and yet not enjoying good health? A healthy man can enjoy the benefits of his wealth. But a wealthy man will always followed by physical complaints if he is not healthy.
In fact, if you are ever asked to choose between the two, always opt for good health. Health can give wealth, but wealth does not ensure health. Very often the desperate search for wealth makes a man unhappy. It brings along with it stress, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, ulcer and diabetes.
It deprives a man the necessary physical exercise. It makes him follow unhealthy food habit in the name of saving time. As a result he has to spend the later part of his life in and out of hospitals and undergoing expensive operations in order to keep himself alive. Finally he dies a stressful premature death. And all the wealth he has accumulated is distributed amongst his heirs. Rather he could have enjoyed his wealth while he had lived if only he had believed in the dictum, ‘Health is wealth ‘
25. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand of the mother. The proverb therefore implies that the very same mother who rocks the cradle to put her child to sleep, also rules the world. How is this so?
The world ‘ rule ‘ in the proverb does not necessarily means to ‘ govern ‘. It is used in a wider sense i.e., to influence people, to guide and direct them and to lead them. It is the mother who moulds the character of the child. The child then grows up to be an important personality, perhaps someone who guides the destinies of the people of states or countries. What they have been taught on their mother’s lap will then be the guiding force behind the decisions they make. No wonder it was that Abraham Lincoln said,’ All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother” We have an example of Jijamata who inspired Shivaji Maharaj as a child with stories of great heroes. It was this inspiration that led him to lead the battle for Hindavi Swaraj and to establish the Maratha kingdom. You may not turn out to be a great ruler, but what you have been taught by mother during childhood will be the guiding force in all that you do during your lifetime
26. To err is human, to forgive divine.
In one of Shakespeare’s plays one of the characters says, ‘The quality of mercy is divine’. Indeed to be able to forget the evil that others have done to you and to forgive them is divine. Jesus Christ, even on the cross, during his last moments, was able to say this about the people who had put him to death: father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Lord Rama showed no rancour against his stepmother, Kaikeyi, for sending him to the forest for sending him to the forest for fourteen years so that her son, Bharat, could be the king.
All of us are humans. We all have our weaknesses. No human being is prefect. So when someone does a wrong to us, why can’t we forgive them? When someone hurts us it is because that person is human and little understands the harm that he or she is causing. Forgiving that person brings out the god-like nature that lies in man. It is not very easy to do, but once we do it, we will feel an inner peace and the spirit of reconciliation
27. Where there is will, there is a way
When we read the biographies of great men and women, right from Albert Einstein to Edmund Hillary, we find that it is their strong will which made them overcome great difficulties or setbacks and find a way to march towards success. Similarly, a student may think to secure a first class in an examination is beyond his or her capacity. But if the student makes a firm resolve to achieve his or her goal and works towards it wholeheartedly, he or she is almost certain to achieve success.
There was a time when lying in the air, travelling in space and sending messages and pictures over the air were all regarded as flights of fancy. But today we see that these seemingly impossible things have become possible. The aero plane, the spaceship, the radio, the television, the mobile phone and the internet are now realities.
How have these impossibilities been achieved? By man’s will-power, determination and dedication. The doer is never a pessimist or a defeatist.He is an optimist confident of ultimate success. Nothing can deter him from his purpose. He has the will to win and achieve, and so he finds out ways and marches to ultimate victory.
So let us cultivate a strong will, a keen desire and the determination to achieve our goals.If there is no way we will create one.Victory is then bound to be ours
That’s why it’s right said :-‘where there is a will, there is a way’
Tips for Expansion of Ideas/Theme Writing:
· Understand the literal and symbolic meaning of the proverb.
· Explain first the literal or basic meaning of the proverb.
· Explain the symbolic or figurative meaning of the proverb with examples.
· Give a story, anecdote or an illustration to support the symbolic meaning.
· Conclude with what you have learnt from the given proverb.
· Write the expansion in one or two paragraphs and within 20 lines.
1. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
This proverb is a reference 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 last 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.
2. 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 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.
3. A stitch in Time saves Nine.
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 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’.
4. Actions speak louder than words
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 intention. In olden times, a man’s word was a matter of honour, even up to 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 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.
5. 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 practice. You need a coach to guide and 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 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 practice 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 practicedaily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice. If you don’t practice 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 practice daily and regularly. In fact, you can achieve almost anything with practice. Five fingers make a hand. A hand makes a handshake. A handshake extends warmth and friendship and reaches out to the world. India is a land of diverse people, cultures, religions, languages and geography. Yet, as long as we are united, we are strong and no one can do us harm. The moment we show any sign of division, we will be vulnerable and enemies will try to take advantage of the situation. A team in which the individual members play for their own good cannot win a match. As long as it plays for the good of the team, it can win. Anything that we do should be done for the general good,not for the individual. Then only can we achieve victory.
6. God help 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 find, much to their dismay, that God does not help shirkers. 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 lo and behold!He had found the cure for malaria. Thus we see that God helps only those who help 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.
7. Dreamers create a world of their own
Dreams are an integral part of man’s life. Whether he is awake or sleep, 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.
8. 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 massive advertising campaign may attract the consumer. He may but 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.
9. Nature, the best teacher
Of all the teachers who have helped shape my life, I would say Mother Nature has been the best. For not only does she like a mother nurtures 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 time frame. Nature has been the inspiration for some of the greatest human creation, 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 be adaptable. The animal kingdom teaches us about when to strike, always be on the alert and many such lessons.
10. 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.
11. 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 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 favaourable 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.
12. Speech is the gift of all, but 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 can make use of this faculty. Man is a rational animal, but all men do not benefit by 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 mayhave to pay heavily for it. If a politician makes speech without giving due thought to what he says, he may cause a tumult, an 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.
13. 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 a 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.
14. Work is Worship
All human beings need to live a more meaningful life than the one they are born with. Workis natural to man. It is work that adds meaning to life. No matter how adverse the circumstances be, 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.
15. 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 forth coming 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 built 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 wrong doer 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
16. Example is better than precept.
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 adult’s 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 an 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 practice is more than a ton of precept.
17. 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 andis 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.
18. Say no to Plastic!
In recent times it has been a strong endeavor of our government to reduce the use of plastic. Though plastic has many advantages, one major disastrous disadvantage is that it is non - biodegradable and hence poses a major threat to the environment. This waste cannot be decomposed. As a result, it keeps on piling on the earth's surface. As a matter of fact, the amount of plastic already present on earth surpasses thousands of tones. Several animals consume this plastic and fall prey to various deadly diseases. Even the quality of soil is deteriorated as a result of buying of plastic material and waste.
From individuals to companies, everyone seems to be doing their own bit to save the environment. If you too want to take an environment friendly step, then it is important that you say no to plastic and make the world a better place to live in .
19. A little learning is a dangerous thing.
We have heard of quack doctors in the villages who try to cure serious diseases by their so called magical remedies. This is an example of a little learning being a dangerous thing, finally when the patient dies they shift the blame on some supernatural powers and wash their hands of the tragedy.
Sometimes children try to imitate dangerous scenes from films little realising the danger they could lead to. Learning Yoga from someone who is not an expert at it could be dangerous. Certain asanas should not be tried unless the trainer is an expert. Listening to the advice of someone who is less educated than you can lead to wrong choices in life. Remember Lord Buddha’s teaching: Travel not with a fall. He further goes on to say that if the people you are travelling with are less clever than you or equal in cleverness to you, it is better to travel alone. In other words, it is better to have no friends than to have one who has little knowledge.
20. A rolling stone gather no moss.
It is not good to keep on changing one’s place of residence or workplace or routine. Such a habit causes a lot of insecurity and instability. You are not able to acquire steady thoughts or the confidence in order to carry your day to day schedule. When one stays in one place for a long time, one gets familiarized with one’s surroundings and is able to go about one’s work with the correctness that is required for the job. Also people around know and recognize you and so you get help required when necessary.
A person who keeps on changing his regular schedule frequently is known as a rolling stone. He cannot cultivate any true friendship or relationships. frequent change of jobs and homes affects one’s financial prospects negatively. He or she will not get people to help him or her when he or she is in trouble, because no one will know him or her well enough.
Hence it is better to stay in one place and reap the benefits that the environment has to offer one. This is preferable to changing one’s location or job every now and then.
21. A Clumsy Workman Blames His Tools
Human nature is such that none is prepared to accept his own deficiency, drawbacks and blemishes. A typist who often commits mistakes would blame the quality of he typewriters. Similarly an inefficient mechanic condemns the entire auto-mobile industry. This is because we are used to finding fault with everyone and everything else except ourselves.
On the other hand, a piece of work can be thoroughly accomplished only when the person carrying it out is true to his job. If the workman does not concentrate on his task, he makes a shoddy job of it, but he is not willing to take responsibility of his failure and calls his tools imperfect. Thus instead of improving himself, a clumsy workman looks for scapegoats to thrust his faults on.
This is perhaps most evident in a student who does not fare well in his examinations. Instead of looking for reasons within himself, he looks outside for someone or something to blame such as a difficult question paper, a leaky pen or a wrathful examiner. Similarly a dancer who fails to perform well a particular event attributes his poor performance to the incompetent musicians, accompanists or to the poor stage management.
A farmer who does not tend his crops blames his poor produce on everything and everyone other than his negligence. An employee who fails to get promoted is a common example of this proverb. Instead of self-analysis, he accuses his superior of favoritism and his promoted colleagues of sycophancy. He fails to realize that reward is proportional to input.
Therefore it is important for people to accept the existence of their faults, if any, and correct them. This is the only way up the ladder of success. The proverb aptly reflects normal human behaviour.
22. A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Life presents us with many beautiful things. This may be a beautiful scene or a flower or a lonely night walk on a beach that fill us with peace or a beautiful picture. We should store these pretty memories in our minds. When we are not feeling so good, or are lonely or depressed we should remember the beautiful sights that we have seen or experienced. This will make us happy.
William Wordsworth has put forward this point in his beautiful poem ‘Daffodils‘. Once he saw a sight of beautiful golden daffodils. This sight remained with him throughout his life. In the later years, whenever he was in vacant or in pensive mood, he recollected the scene of the daffodils and this gave him great solitude and filled his heart with pleasure.
Life is full of simple, beautiful things. It is for us to make good use of them to our advantage. We don’t have to spend money on luxurious holidays and expensive pastimes in order to bring happiness to ourselves. We can do so with simple memories that we have collected during the good times of our lives, when we have experienced beautiful things. Because such experience will never be erased from our memories.
23. Cut your coat according to your cloth.
If you give a piece of cloth to a tailor to make a coat, the tailor will first measure the cloth and then decide what kind of coat has to be made out of it. He will not be able to make a coat that requires more material than the cloth provided. The same is the case with our expenses and income. Our expenses should always be within the limits of our income. Otherwise, we surely land in debit and difficulties. The proverb thus tells us not to spend more than what we earn i.e., to live within our means.
The proverb applies not only to individuals but also to business establishment. Of course, a company may raise a loan to expand or diversify its business. But it must do it judiciously; otherwise it will be in deep trouble. Even the government of a country has to keep in mind its total resources while spending. If it does not do so and goes on borrowing recklessly from the people and from foreign countries, it would become bankrupt one day, and come to grief.
So the proverb is of universal application. It teaches us that our actions should suit the circumstances or resources. The wisdom of the proverb would guide everybody to live and work within their means and to avoid possible shame or punishment resulting from living beyond their means.
24. Health is Wealth
What is the use of having millions and billions in one’s bank account and yet not enjoying good health? A healthy man can enjoy the benefits of his wealth. But a wealthy man will always followed by physical complaints if he is not healthy.
In fact, if you are ever asked to choose between the two, always opt for good health. Health can give wealth, but wealth does not ensure health. Very often the desperate search for wealth makes a man unhappy. It brings along with it stress, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, ulcer and diabetes.
It deprives a man the necessary physical exercise. It makes him follow unhealthy food habit in the name of saving time. As a result he has to spend the later part of his life in and out of hospitals and undergoing expensive operations in order to keep himself alive. Finally he dies a stressful premature death. And all the wealth he has accumulated is distributed amongst his heirs. Rather he could have enjoyed his wealth while he had lived if only he had believed in the dictum, ‘Health is wealth ‘
25. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand of the mother. The proverb therefore implies that the very same mother who rocks the cradle to put her child to sleep, also rules the world. How is this so?
The world ‘ rule ‘ in the proverb does not necessarily means to ‘ govern ‘. It is used in a wider sense i.e., to influence people, to guide and direct them and to lead them. It is the mother who moulds the character of the child. The child then grows up to be an important personality, perhaps someone who guides the destinies of the people of states or countries. What they have been taught on their mother’s lap will then be the guiding force behind the decisions they make. No wonder it was that Abraham Lincoln said,’ All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother” We have an example of Jijamata who inspired Shivaji Maharaj as a child with stories of great heroes. It was this inspiration that led him to lead the battle for Hindavi Swaraj and to establish the Maratha kingdom. You may not turn out to be a great ruler, but what you have been taught by mother during childhood will be the guiding force in all that you do during your lifetime
26. To err is human, to forgive divine.
In one of Shakespeare’s plays one of the characters says, ‘The quality of mercy is divine’. Indeed to be able to forget the evil that others have done to you and to forgive them is divine. Jesus Christ, even on the cross, during his last moments, was able to say this about the people who had put him to death: father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Lord Rama showed no rancour against his stepmother, Kaikeyi, for sending him to the forest for sending him to the forest for fourteen years so that her son, Bharat, could be the king.
All of us are humans. We all have our weaknesses. No human being is prefect. So when someone does a wrong to us, why can’t we forgive them? When someone hurts us it is because that person is human and little understands the harm that he or she is causing. Forgiving that person brings out the god-like nature that lies in man. It is not very easy to do, but once we do it, we will feel an inner peace and the spirit of reconciliation
27. Where there is will, there is a way
When we read the biographies of great men and women, right from Albert Einstein to Edmund Hillary, we find that it is their strong will which made them overcome great difficulties or setbacks and find a way to march towards success. Similarly, a student may think to secure a first class in an examination is beyond his or her capacity. But if the student makes a firm resolve to achieve his or her goal and works towards it wholeheartedly, he or she is almost certain to achieve success.
There was a time when lying in the air, travelling in space and sending messages and pictures over the air were all regarded as flights of fancy. But today we see that these seemingly impossible things have become possible. The aero plane, the spaceship, the radio, the television, the mobile phone and the internet are now realities.
How have these impossibilities been achieved? By man’s will-power, determination and dedication. The doer is never a pessimist or a defeatist.He is an optimist confident of ultimate success. Nothing can deter him from his purpose. He has the will to win and achieve, and so he finds out ways and marches to ultimate victory.
So let us cultivate a strong will, a keen desire and the determination to achieve our goals.If there is no way we will create one.Victory is then bound to be ours
That’s why it’s right said :-‘where there is a will, there is a way’
Very Nice Sir 👌👌👌
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