|| FEAR IS A VIRUS, LOVE IS THE CURE || 

Apart from human beings, when we look at birds and plants they breathe like us. They drink the same water and their body is uniquely designed to consume food and to survive. They also procreate like us, we on the other hand have access to multiple things around parenting. Like classes, exercises, and yoga are recommended during pregnancies which are great. But because of the speed with which the city works new mothers find shortcuts to be their saviour. Peer pressure also plays its role it puts parents in the spotlight, they worry about having a child if at all, giving the best life to your child, or being the best parents. This is fear, and it spreads like a virus. Do you think the birds and animals you see do they take any for parenting lessons to give lessons to their kids? o, they protect them with love, care, and warmth. They gather materials to build the nest to keep the enemies away from them. The love allows them to grow. Parent birds teach their child to fight, hunt for food and fly when the time is right with confidence. The only language they use is love, isn’t it time we learned it from them? 

While going through the book of Ramayana and Mahabharata I just thought that when Lord Rama fought with Ravana and Lord Krishna fought with Kansa his uncle and Kauravas who were against Pandavas. When the war took place both Lord Rama and Lord Krishna tried to make Ravana and Kansa and Kauravas understand the real meaning of Dharma through love but they just did not understand. Lord Krishna fought with all the devils sent by Kansa but he never killed any one of them instead of through his wisdom he helped them to see the real path. Though they were devils but they were influenced by Kansa and even they were doing adharma because of fear which they felt working with Kansa. Fear works like a virus that makes you kill others and love makes others cure though they have done bad karmas, that is the lesson we need to learn from Lord Krishna. If you have fear, it takes you to the journey of doing adharma and love can make a person come out of bad karma. We have to decide what we want to do.

I remember when I completed my graduation and joined Nazareth speakers academy for public speaking, one of the lecturers gave me the assignment to write about personality. Since I had psychology in my study, I willingly accepted the assignment. I had to give a speech on personality in 4 to 5 minutes. I specifically mentioned the personality of male-female going through different physical and mental hazards throughout life. Different hazards at different ages and stages of life and in that I do remember mentioning fear plays a very important role in dealing with those hazards and love helps you to overcome all the physical and mental hazards of life at different ages. My understanding of personality and talking with confidence helped me to be the chief guest speaker in alumni of Nazareth speakers academy at the age of just 22. The topic was hearing health awareness. It was just one year of experience in the profession but I could answer all the questions asked by eminent personalities. My love and affection for my profession and my confidence made me do that. I still remember when I sat on the stage as a guest speaker so many eyes were asking what this small girl will do? or will talk?? but my sir had confidence in me. Nazareth sir taught me that when others feel you can't do it, you need to motivate yourself and work hard so you can prove them wrong.

People have fear and they feel it's difficult to make a change. I have a friend of mine who is like a guide to me. Many a time I discuss that I want to make a change but do you feel people will accept. My friend will promptly reply if everyone will think like that then who will make a change. The profession, business, or any act that upholds human values will always be the ultimate winner. If you are making change for good then why not try. When we started Josh Foundation accepting hearing impaired children in normal school was next to impossible. Looking around in society made us realize that since this disability cannot be seen, hence society is just ignoring their needs and wants. With Josh Foundation we decided to empower these kids with correct requirements right from hearing aids to other curricular activities. I am proud to say one such kid is Bhoomi. When we gave her digital hearing aids she was in pre-school and couldn't speak anything. Also that time she was in a special school.

After we gave her the hearing aid, she started hearing and speaking well. With continuous support and dedication by parents and love for their child, she moved to normal school from first grade for better results. Parents and we at Josh Foundation saw the immense potential in her at that time. We have received the fruit now of an act done 11 years back. She proved herself to be equally capable. Despite being hearing impaired she stood first in her school during her SSC exam this year. This shows when disability is empowered with correct proficiency, no child is inferior and the sky is the limit for them. Our pure love and affection cannot bring immediate change in the lifestyle but it changes personalities and life entirely. Fear of what to do with the child was never felt by Bhoomi's parents, they just worked hard without any facilities and peer pressure. They just thought to do best for their child.

I also remember an incident where we have selected Bhoomi to sing a jingle on one of the TV show with a well-known singer.  The moment she came to know that it will be telecasted on TV and she will be seen by her family and friends. Her first thought was, she is hearing impaired and she has to sing on national television. She was afraid and she never wanted to participate for the same. Being in adolescence age she also had some physical and mental state of not being ready to accept people's reactions towards her. Her parents also tried to explain to her but she was just not ready to do it. So I sat with her and explained to her that though you have hearing difficulty but you are brave and have always faced the challenges to reach this stage. You have achieved something which is even difficult to achieve by normal people. You are doing this to motivate others. You will be a role model for others so without having fear just do your best. See how you are doing and if you won't do well we will not telecast it on national TV. She agreed and to my respect she did but when she saw her own result she got so inspired and she thanked me for what I did for her. Sometimes just sitting with the person and speaking with pure love helps you to cure them and also helps them to face all the challenges.

Today at this stage helping others especially deaf kids, and seeing their happiness gives me happiness. Satisfaction of being human. I feel happiness is not what things we have, happiness is how we have learned to love and how we have learned to experience love. This pandemic has spread the virus of fear which is dangerous for our future but I hope we understand the love and learn to let it flow naturally so that it cures us faster and it helps us to come out of this pandemic faster.

Our soft attitude to love like other creatures in this universe will help us to build strong relations with each other and our strong relations, warmth, and love for each other will help us to throw away our fear of viruses and our love for ourselves, for others and for our mother earth will only help us to cure faster. So be positive and just join to spread the love with me.