It was the last working day of school. Every student had a bittersweet emotion. While we were sad that school was getting over and this was probably the last time we were seeing a lot of our batch mates and teachers, our eyes were sparkling with the dreams of starting a new life, the college life. Board exams were soon going to start and no one would call us children again. We would officially be referred to as 'grown-ups'. As a token of memory, our school organized a little session called 'Make Each Day Count'. It was a motivational session where the speakers talked about the responsibilities that we would soon be taking as adults. They mentioned how each day is important and how each day we should give our hundred percent to reach our final goal. That one session impacted me in a way that I started feeling like from now on, I need to start preparing myself to do something huge in life, something like discovering something big or inventing something new, only that way can I make each day count. 

 

As college started, I came in contact with a number of NGOs where I started teaching underserved children. Other than that, I was also taking French tuitions for school students. One day while I was taking a class, one of my students from the NGO said, "Didi aap French padhte ho? Mujhe bhi seekhna hai, mujhe bhi France jaana hai ek din".

 

That day it hit me, I don't have to move mountains to make each day count. I just have to do my daily activities with determination. As a teacher, I might feel that I'm not doing anything significant and each day is a waste, but in reality, I am preparing others for a better future. Today, even if one child gets inspired to make the most of all his days, it's a win-win situation for me! 

 

Amidst our busy lives and our huge goals, we often forget to appreciate ourselves for the daily activities we do. If I studied one hour yesterday and two hours today, that one hour extra is worth a pat on the back. The concept of appreciation is so alien to us that we are afraid that we'll become arrogant if we appreciate ourselves too much. It is important to take out time for ourselves and acknowledge whatever we have done throughout the day. For me, getting up in the morning and studying for two hours might be unimportant and basic, but for someone else, it is a lot. It's high time we start valuing the little things and stop the conditioned appreciation for ourselves, saying that it is a big deal only if I finish a particular task.