Things to Make Life Easier. Easier?

Hello,

Every now and then I come across a column that tell me how to live or how to behave and so on. When I read some, I tell myself, that makes sense, I have read it before or I better remember this. Recently, I came across something about speaking, that made me feel, hmmm, this is nice and worth following. One person who read the points given here, commented, following these would kill some cultures!

Meera

Things to Make Life Easier. Easier?

Sixteen-year-old, Sagar, picked up an apple from the kitchen and brought it to the den along with the sheets of paper and sat in a comfortable chair. He started to read them.

Twelve-year-old, Sapna, walked into the den with the eight-year-old, twins, "Bhaiya, help me get these girls settled in a game or something."

Soori said, "Not a something,..."

Her twin Suchi added, "Yeah, forget the something, play a game with us."

Sagar looked up, "Guys, let me finish this that mom left on my desk."

Sapna asked, "What is it?"

The twins asked, "A plan for a game?"

Sagar shook his head, "Guys, sit down, and listen. I can make it simpler for you, these are seven rules of speaking."

Suchi said, "Speaking what?"

Her twin said, "We know the rules about not cheating and not stealing and..."

Sagar said, "Stop! Listen!"

"You don't have to scream at us, just tell us nicely."

Sapna sat between the two, "Girls, be quiet."

Sagar said, "Thank you, Sapna. The first one is, give up dogmatism."

Soori said, "We don't have a dog..."

Sagar glared at her.

Sapna said, "Girls, go to your room, I'll tell you the rules once I learn them." 

The twins left.

Sapna asked Sagar, "Bhaiya, even I don't know what dogmatism is. Are they going to be more and more difficult as you read the seven rules?"

"No, sis, I started with the seventh, the rest are easy, dogmatism is being rigid, stubborn, especially in an argument."

Sapna said, "Okay, I will try not to be stubborn."

"The sixth is not lying."

Sapna nodded, "Easy, mom and dad always tell us not to tell a lie."

"Actually, the fourth and the fifth go together. The fourth one is don't complain, and then making excuses is the fifth one."

Sapna scrunched up her nose, "I guess I just have to do my homework without complaints or excuses."

Sagar said, "Right, do not tell why you couldn't do it or complain about it, just do it The one before that is give up negativity."

Sapna made a face, "Uh...uh... negativity?"

"Yep, don't be pessimistic, I guess it means be enthusiastic when you talk. The one before that is stop judging."

Sapna raised her eyebrows, "Huh?"

Sagar laughed, "It means don't be excessively critical of your brother, don't tell him he's doing this or that wrong," He smiled, "And also don't be critical of your friends and others."

Again, Sapna scrunched up her nose.

Sagar said, "And the first one is do not gossip, don't spend your time speaking about others."

Sapna said,, "Hmm...I guess I'll have to find a way to remember the seven about what to speak and what not to speak. Do you remember them Bhaiya? Let's see, what are the seven to avoid? Hmmm...Gossip, Judgement, Negativity, Complaints, Excuses, Lying and Dogmatism."

Sagar gave her a high-five, "Sapana, you already remember them! I sort of do too. The hard part is following them."

Sapna nodded, "Right. I wonder how much of this the twins will understand." She took the paper from Sagar's hand and went towards the twins' room.

The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah