The Unruly Guests

in fhis chapter
Value Taught- Throw out fiegiue Theuges
Life Sd-Saf-Aurre
magine enjoying peaceful day at
a
home, when suddenly the door flies Ouotable Ouets
open and in comes a crowd of unruy
people. They are loud, obnorious and Formas rergie firiing it a
uhich, ouer ine, senes a
condescending They create chaos and adidicion
havoc in yourhouse. As the day passes
they invite more people which adds to Deer Me.lae
your frustration. You lose contral of almost
everything
Who are these creeps, you ask? They are negative thoughts. And they can take
over your lie f you do not take contral of them. We often do not realize how
OWerrunwith negative thoughts we are until we
become etremeiy
uncomfortable, just ike the example above. Segative thoughts can be smeai
Spping in undetected, yet having a powerful impact on aur moods and
emotions. Over the time, they can take over our thoughts aitogether. Think
Bboutthe followingscenariosand see fyou recognizeyourselfin amyof them
You apply for a greatjob and feel excted by the possibilities. You gve a good
interview, a few days go by, and youdo nat receive a phone call Do you begin
worny about the errors that you had made
Ouring the interview? Do you doubt your siils?
Do you assume that you woulid not get the job
and think of resigning yourself to a low-payin
unfulfillingcareerfor the rest of your life?
You are driving in a fast-moving traffic and yo
see a large truck approaching from the
 fear that
the truck would veer
instantly
direction.
Do you
osite could happen?
oppos accident

towards your
lane and an
minutes late in coming home from
member is thirty
One ofyour family Do you instantly worst) Does
imagine the worst?
the telephone rings.
and suddenly at the possibility
ofa mishap.
increase
yourheartbeat can move into a
demonstrate how easily our thoughts gative
These examples esan
common, so do not
feel sad. There is something vou
place. It is actually very
to point out that these examples reflect situations
do about it. It is important
of our control. Even if the worst happens, we could not
that are completely out
have to deal with it. Just as we do with other
do much about it. We would simply
challenges in life. Obsessed by the horrible things that could happen to us only
makes us feel powerless and frightened.

What if we choose to turn our thoughts around and focus on happy things
instead? We can, we know! That does not mean negative thought will never
pop back into our heads. They probably will. But we should not allow them to
stay for long. Just like our unruly houseguests described above, we need to be
firm and unyielding about the types of thoughts we want to welcome. So, what
can we do when
frightful images pop into our heads? The best course of action
would be to throw them out
again. They should not be entertained. Simply turn
the thought
around something positive or at least neutral.
Rather than
assuming your family member is late because of a
he/she is late because of mishap, assume
a quick
heavy traffic or a last minute
request from the bo o
stop at the supermarket. Rather
the job, assume than assuming that you would not
that it will take time
for the concerned get
the applications. Acknowledge that even person to get througn du
tnere are if you do not
plenty more great jobs out get that particular jo
And, rather than there if you take time to look for the
you would remainassuming that you would be hit by a large truck, assume hat
safe.
Turning these thoughts
you are used to around will take time and
letting them take over consistent effort, espe cially if
nouseguests do not your mind. Remember that
usually respond in a subtle u displ
immense determination and throw way. You may cnlay
out some
major ones. Howevet
need keep
 I.The UnrulyGuests
on trying, they will eventually grow weary of the hostile atmosphere and leave
you in peace.

Howtoovercome negative thinking?

Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist? Are you always on
edge, waiting for the next disaster to strike? Or do you look towards the future
anticipating joy? One of the biggest lessons in life is to understand that 'joy
attracts joy'. People believe that they would become happy if they meet the
right person, find the right job, lose enough weight, etc. But it does not work
that way. Some people even got these things but were unable to be happy. One
has to learn to become happy first, and then everything else in their life begins
to transform to more closely match their attitude.
Majority of tend to let our experiences influence our thoughts, rather than
us
the other way around. One negative experience can ruin our mood for the day

and cause usto think and act in ways that attract even more negativity or which
reaction of negativity that
puts us in an even worse mood. It creates a chain
affects us, and everyone around us.

Obsessive fear and worry are also facts of a negative attitude. However, a

of course normal. Worrying about

certain amount of these emotions are
do us good by keeping
exams, performance in a job interview, etc. can actually
our worrying to extreme limit. We
us mentally sharp. However, we tend to take
which are out of our control which results in
excessively worry about things
actually more harm than good.
common sense. One should not throw
There is a difference between worry and
all means, we should do what we can
caution to the wind and ignore safety. By
on the bad things
to minimize the potential for disaster. But constantly focusing
them to happen-can only keep us
that could happen to us- and even expecting
Does that mean if we think only positive,
stuck in negative thought patterns.
that is not the truth
only good things will happen to us? No, unfortunately,
we need to go through in life for the
either. There are certain experiences
are not fun
Purpose of strengthening us and helping us grow. Even though they
when they strike, they serve our highest good in the long run. The tests and
trials in life help us to have more control over our lives than we realise. We need
 tremendous power! Think, if we derit.
have
our thoughts would we be capable
remember that and tocused way, what
to conscious

use that
power in a
creating?
thoughts were like yesterday, look a
want to know what your
nis said, you want to s e e
what
yourself t0day, 1f you An Etiquette Tip
tomorrow, look at your
yourself will be like
thoughts today' How powertul atNever post your very oifes. pereonal detale
on social netuuorking If you fru
And, of course, the concept can be carreo
further than just the state of our bodies, to to be very active, you give your
include the state of our lives to0. Look | loopholes to other.
around you. What have your thoughts
created? Can you see a connection between

your attitude in the past, and your present?

You can still change it. It is never too late for an attitude shift. However, it will
require practice and patience, Remember that many of us have been thinking
negatively for years, and old habits die hard. But if you set your mind to i ,and
keep focusingg on the brighter side, positive circumstances will bloom in your
ife. Make a conscious decision to expect the best at all times. Even if you do not
end up with 'the best', you might stillend up with better.

GLOSSARY
unruly wild, uncontrolled
obnoxious very annoying, contemptible
condescending having a tone of superiority
unyielding stubborn
obsessive excessive

Ponder
Negative thinking is
You should verycommon. it ruins our mental
develop a habit of thinking peace.
positively. Always be optimistic in lifte.
 1.The Unruly Guesfs
Practice Session

(A) Answer thefollowing

Q1. How do negative thoughts affect you?
02. How can the fear of mishappenings be harmful?
03. Howshould we deal with negative thoughts?
04. How can we overcome negative thinking?
Q5. How is negative thinking normal sometimes?
(B) Write 'True' or 'False':
1. Negative thinking is very rare.
Even if worst happens, we cannot do much
about it.
Negative thoughts should not be entertained.
It is never too late for an attitude shift.
5. Make a conscious decision to expect the best at all times.
38Sriitstittsfaaasn

Activity (Value and Life Skill Activities)

(A) Read the following:
cORRUPTION IN INDIA
'Corruption is a tree, whose branches are of
immeasurable length; they spread
an
everywhere'- Beaumont and Fletcher
Corruption, in one form or another, is a worldwide phenomenon. It is
immoral and detestable. Unfortunately,
something ugly,
in our country,
of life. It has entered the very roots of the Indian corruption become a part has
society. Corruption,
dishonesty have tarnished every fabric of our social life. In the nepotism
and

departments, many officials ask for bribe

government
other favours to do our
or
the land has loopholes and therefore it is not always able to deal the
The law of task.
with an iron hand. The vested interests rule the roost. corrupt elements
Even the
departments fall an easy prey to the lure of the
corrupt persons and they let them
anti-corruption
scot free with minor punishment, go
Everybody feels helpless in sucha state of affairs. We
thus hear of scams which run into thousands of crores.
Comment on the state of corruption of India,
or eliminate it,
Suggest measures which would reduce

13
 mood after a session of negas.
ative
see in your
difference that you
C o m m e n t on the
(B) session af positive
thinking
and after a
thinking

ills SELF-AWARENESS

that one has as regards his own

Self-awareness refers to the conscious knowledge
character and feelings. It refers to the awareness that one has about his own personality
Let us learn about the various levels of self-awareness on the basis of mirror neurons which

provide the neurological basis of self-awareness.

Levels of Self-Awareness
Level0-It isthe level ofconfusion.In this level, an individual's self-awareness is zero.A
person is unaware of any mirror reflection or the mirror itself. They perceives the
mirror asanextension of their environment. This level is also displayed when a person
is frightened as he is unable to identify himself correctly by his own reflection.
Level 1- This is the level of differentiation. The individual realises that the mirror
reflects. They notice that what is in the mirror is different from what
is surrounding
them. In this level, they are able to
differentiate between their own movement in the
mirror and the movement of the
surrounding ervironment
Level 2-It isa situation based level. At
this point, the individual can link the
on the mirror to what is movements
perceived within his/her own body. This is the first hint of seif-
exploration on a projected surface where what is visualised in the mirror is special to
the self.
Level 3- This is a level of
identify self. The identification. This stage is featured by the new
actually himself.
individual can now see what is in the mirror is not another abilty
perso
Level 4-This is the level of
can identify permanence. Once the individual reaches this
themselves beyond the leve,
the self in
previous pictures
present mirror imagery. They are able to
looking different or younger. At this point, they expe10en
 LThe UnrulyGuests
a permanent self.
Level 5-This is the level of self-consciousness or 'meta' self-awareness. In this level,
not only is the self seen from a first person view but it is realised that it is also seen from
a third person's view. The individual can gauge what others think about him and the
publicopinion.
A Few Steps that improve Your Self-Awareness
Learn to lookat yourself objectively
Write your own manifesto or goals
Keepa record of yourself.
Do regularself-reviews.

chapter
O L e f ' s lbk theraxt
at

aM

Suggestion for the Teacher

Encourage the children to become optimistic in life. Tel them to kick out negative thoughts from their minds.