FEELING SURE OF YOURSELF

Confidence 

What Is Confidence?

Confidence means feeling sure of yourself and your abilities — not in an arrogant way, but in a realistic, secure way. Confidence isn't about feeling superior to others. It's a quiet inner knowledge that you're capable.

Confident people: 

● Feel secure rather than insecure 

● Know they can rely on their skills and strengths to handle whatever comes up

● feel ready for everyday challenges like tests, performances, and competitions 

● think "I can" instead of "I can't"

Why Confidence Matters?

Confidence helps us feel ready for life's experiences. When we're confident, we're more likely to move forward with people and opportunities — not backaway from them. And if things don't work out at first, confidence helps us try again.

How to Be More Confident: Everyone can work to gain more confidence. Here are a few tips to try:

● Build a confident mindset. When your inner voice says "I can't," retrain it to say "I can". Or you could also say, "I know I can learn (or do) this if I put my mind to it."

● Take a safe risk. Sign up for a school committee, volunteer to help with a project or any school activity, or try out for a team or talent show. Raise your hand in class more often. Talk to everyone in class.

● Challenge yourself to do something that's just beyond your normal comfort zone. Pick something you'd like to do if only you had more confidence. Give yourself a little push and do it. Now that you've done that, pick something else to try — and keep repeating this same process. Confidence grows with every step forward.

● Know your talents and help them shine. We're taught to work hard to improve our weaknesses. Sometimes that's important, like bringing up a bad grade. But don't let working on a weakness prevent you from getting even better at the things you're good at.

● Do your homework. Study. Do assignments. Prepare for class, tests, and quizzes. Why? If you've been keeping on top of class work all along, you'll feel more confident in tests and finals. The best defence against test anxiety and school stress is to keep up and do the work steadily.

It takes courage and confidence to be real. But the more real we are, the more self-confident we become. Confidence builds self-esteem.

FOUNDER OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY

Henry Ford 

Henry Ford is famous for making cars easier for most people to buy. He did this by producing the cars using an assembly line.

Henry Ford was born in 1863 in Michigan. He had 4 siblings, and his family owned a farm. He worked on the farm when he was young, but he soon discovered that he loved taking things apart to see how they worked, and then putting them back together again.

He worked on watches a lot and ended up helping many people fix their watches. In 1879, when he was 16 years old, he moved to Detroit to start working with machines, though he did come home and work on the farm a little, too.

Ford got married to Clara Bryant in 1888 and worked in a sawmill. He eventually became an engineer.

Ford worked for the Edison Illuminating Company and even got to meet Thomas Edison! Edison encouraged him to keep working on his plans for his horseless carriage, powered by a motor. 

Ford’s gasoline-powered horseless carriage was called the Quadricycle. He sold the Quadricycle and started his own company to continue his work making vehicles.

He did not stay with the first company for very many years but eventually started the Ford Motor Company. He spent many years developing cars, which were made only a few at a time.

Ford was not the first person to create a car, but he was the one who began to make them accessible to a lot of people in the United States.

His “Model T” car, released in 1908, was easy to drive and repair, which made many people want one.

He needed to make a lot of cars very quickly. His company, Ford Motor Company, hired skilled workers to work on an assembly line. The car would move through the line, and each worker had a job along the line.

One worker might put on the steering wheel, while at a different spot on the line, another worker put on tires. Every Model T was painted black. The company could make many cars at a time this way, which made them cheaper to produce.

In addition to using the assembly line to produce cars, Ford was also known for paying his workers fair wages.

Henry Ford died in 1947, but his company is still around and making cars today.

SEPTEMBER 2

 World Coconut Day

Most of us would have learnt in school about the Kalpavriksha, or the “tree of life” which is so known because every part of it is useful to humans. That’s the familiar palm tree Cocos nucifera, the only living species of the genus Cocos and literally a powerhouse of nutrition and other benefits. 

It’s sad that the coconut got such a bad reputation for several years because of negative propaganda spurred by rival oil producers. Fortunately that’s a thing of the past, and even the West is wise to the excellent qualities of this hardy nut. Who knows, soon they might also “discover” the properties of the tree’s other parts! 

For people in coconut-producing countries, however, the knowledge has always been there, and treasured as a way of life. In fact, the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), an intergovernmental organisation of coconut-producing countries, has been celebrating World Coconut Day on September 2 since 2009. 

We don’t need to be told that the coconut is regarded as holy, and plays a significant role in most Hindu rituals. The launch of anything from an enterprise to a boat, housewarming, foundation stone laying, buying a new car... It isn’t complete without breaking a coconut! 

Pity about the water that gets wasted on these occasions, though — that coconut water is like liquid gold for the body, as it is full of electrolytes and minerals. No wonder it’s among the first things we reach for on a hot day.

Once you’re done with the water, comes the sweet white kernel of the coconut, the essential ingredient in coastal cuisine. Dried into copra, or scraped for fresh use, the coconut lends its inimitable flavour — whether it is ground into a masala, roasted and pounded into a chutney, or sprinkled freshly grated into your favourite dish. Budding flowers are used to make palm sugar, which is healthier than the refined white one.

Consuming coconut, especially fresh, regularly, helps keep hair shiny and skin supple. Coconut oil, which is extracted from the dried copra, has similar benefits, and a wider range of applications. The oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), and of course Indians have long been using it on hair and for massage, without knowing any of these complicated words. Now that we know more about MCTs, it emerges that coconut oil is more of a medicine and less of a food or cosmetic aid.

The MCTs in coconut oil can help increase metabolism and support weight loss. MCTs can also improve gut health and reduce symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Coconut oil's fatty acids nourish and moisturise skin and hair, reducing dryness and frizz.

Coconut oil contains lauric acid, which has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and thus supports the immune system.

Coconut oil's anti-inflammatory properties can help soothe and calm irritated skin and joints.

Coconut oil's antimicrobial properties can help reduce bad breath, plaque, and gum inflammation.

Coconut oil is a natural makeup remover as it effectively removes makeup without stripping skin of its natural oils.

Coconut oil's MCTs may help increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. So much for the myth that coconut is high in cholesterol!

To grind into curries or other coconut-based dishes, you can use either fresh or dried coconut – likewise, for using in dishes as a garnish. The simple poha gets the nomenclature of “special poha” when freshly grated coconut is sprinkled over it. 

Coconut water is best enjoyed by itself, and some attempts at incorporating it into cocktails haven’t really taken off. But coconut milk is more inclusive, and allows itself to be made into a variety of drinks, from the sol kadi, to a daiquiri. You could even sip that from a cup made out of a coconut shell. 

Coconut shells are used to make a wide range of crafts, from utensils to jewellery, and the husk is used for making coir. The shells are now also being ground and used to make exfoliating scrubs. The leaves of the coconut tree are woven into the ubiquitous thatched roofs that one sees in rural areas all along the Konkan coast. The sturdy trunk provides wood which is traditionally made into canoes, and is now also used for furniture and even flooring.

This is why the tree is called Kalpavriksha.

MATHEMATICS IN NATURE

Petal Numbers

Count the number of petals on flowers in your backyard, out in the country, or in a picture book. You’ll find that the number five keeps coming up. Hibiscus, periwinkle, Jasmine all have five petals.

You may also find flowers with 3 petals, and others with 8, 13, or even 21 petals. But it’s harder to find flowers with 4, 6, 7, or 10 petals (unless some have been nibbled).

Is there something special about the numbers 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21? As a matter of fact, there is. 

To see that, start with 1. 

Then add 1 + 1 = 2. 

Keep doing this, and you get a pattern:

1 + 1 = 2

1 + 2 = 3

2 + 3 = 5

3 + 5 = 8

5 + 8 = 13

8 + 13 = 21, and so on. 

This set of numbers, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, … goes on to infinity. They are called Fibonacci numbers, after the mathematician who made them famous.

Fibonacci numbers show up all over nature: in the spirals of pinecones and pineapples, in the swirls of snail shells, in flowers and leaves. 

Why? It might have something to do with how plants and other living things grow, but no one knows for sure. 

THE ACCLAIMED ANIMATION HOUSE

Walt Disney Company

Who does not love a good Disney animation? With characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to Rapunzel to Mirabel in Encanto, Disney has got something to satisfy everyone's palate. Named after its titular co-founder Walt Disney, the company has revolutionized the genre of animation. So much so that the term animation has become synonymous with Disney for millions the world over. 

Now, let us take a brief dive into the origin and evolution of Disney:

The Beginnings: Known officially as the Walt Disney Company, Disney was established on 16 October, 1923. The company was founded by Walt Disney and his brother, Roy Disney. It was first named the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. The studio was located in California, USA. 

In 1928, Disney introduced Mickey Mouse in a short film titled, 'Steamboat Willie'. The film was also the first of its kind to feature synchronized sound. Mickey went on to become a huge sensation, popularizing the young animation studio and revolutionizing the animated film industry. Mickey Mouse later became the mascot of the company.

A turning point in Disney’s history happened with the release of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’; the company’s first feature length animation film. The movie was released in 1937. A roaring success, this movie further cemented Disney as an authority in animation and imagination. 

Disney after War: Post Second World War (1939-1945), Disney became more successful and produced several more animated feature films. It also diversified into live-action films, television cartoons and theme parks in the 1950s.

In 1961, Disney released ‘101 Dalmatians’, which was another pivotal moment in the history of the company. The film made use of a new and improved type of animation technology known as Xerox animation. The technology made it possible for animators to transfer their drawings directly to animation cells, instead of tracing them by hand. Thus, the process of animation became much faster and smoother. 

The Dark Ages: The 1970s-1980s are known as the Dark Ages in the history of Disney Animations. The studio suffered a decline and most of the films produced were not commercial successes. ‘The Aristocats’ and ‘The Fox and the Hound’ are some examples of films released during the dark ages.

The Renaissance: The term renaissance means a ‘comeback’. Thus, after a time of steep decline, Disney bounced back during its Renaissance. This period began in 1989 with the release of the feature film, ‘The Little Mermaid’. A huge sensation, the film helped Disney regain its foothold as the dominant force in animation. Disney continued its success streak with several other features during this period. A few notable examples are: ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘The Lion King’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Mulan’.

Disney after Renaissance: Post renaissance, Disney went through a period of transition in the 1990s and 2000s. And from 2010 onwards, Disney experienced yet another resurgence, commonly known as the ‘Disney Revival’. 

The Revival Era started with the release of ‘Tangled’ in 2010. Several successful films like ‘Frozen’, ‘Big Hero 6’, ‘Zootopia’ and ‘Moana’ followed the release of ‘Tangled’. 

A major factor that distinguishes successful animation production companies, particularly Disney, is their focus not only on good illustrations and a captivating story, but also their close attention to details.

Disney after Revival: Post Revival, Disney continues to release smashing hits in animation, much to the joy of animation lovers worldwide. In 2021, Disney released widely acclaimed films like ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and ‘Encanto’. In 2022, Disney released critically successful films like ‘Turning Red’.

With its impeccable designs and beautiful storylines, Disney remains one of the most popular animation houses in the world. The many fictional characters created by Disney, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc., mesmerize as well as remain ever loved and etched in the minds of children the world over. Moreover, the magical worlds created by Disney are always an exceptional source of great joy and fun for kids everywhere. Even adults find refuge in the comforting magic of Disney. And thus, the legacy of Disney animations continues to shine brightly through the ages.

Do You Know?

● The original Disney logo featured Mickey Mouse. In 1928, Walt Disney created a mouse character, replacing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. 

● Dumbo is the shortest feature length film made by Disney. The film is only 64 minutes long.

● The first movie to release a soundtrack was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

● Since its inception, Disney has won 135 Academy Awards, the most by any organization.

● The first truly original Disney story was of The Lion King. The movies that came before were adaptations.

● In The Lion King, hyenas were portrayed as villains. A hyena biologist sued Disney for doing.

FATHER OF SURGERY

Sushruta 

The Golden Age of Surgery in ancient India rests largely on the accomplishments of Sushruta, who is supposed to have lived sometime around the 4th Century CE in the ancient city of Benaras, located on the banks of the river Ganges. His monumental treatise on Surgery, Sushruta Samhitaa, established him as the Father of Indian Surgery. He was the first surgeon to systematise surgery by dividing it into separate fields. He is known as the originator of plastic surgery, cataract operation, laparotomy and vesical lithotomy. He also explicitly described diabetes. Sushruta’s identity may be lost in the mists of the past but the tradition that he so comprehensively contributed to, remains clear and expansive in its exposition of ancient surgical methods in India.

Sushruta was the first to classify surgical operations. He was both a practitioner and a teacher of surgery. His contribution to the medical heritage of not just India but the World is invaluable.

Sushruta divides his Samhita into 120 chapters and six parts, covering all the branches of medicine, including hygiene, midwifery, ophthalmology, toxicology and psychosomatic ailments. Sushruta considers surgery the first and foremost branch of medicine and states: “Surgery has the superior advantage of producing instantaneous effects by means of surgical instruments and appliances. Hence, it is the highest in value of all the medical tantras. It is eternal and a source of infinite piety, imports fame and opens the gates of Heaven to its votaries. It prolongs the duration of human existence on earth and helps men in successfully fulfilling their missions and earning a decent competence in life.” He describes eight different operations for surgery like cutting, opening, scratching, piercing, inserting etc, and finally stitching up the wound.

The fullness of the wisdom and skill of Sushruta can be best comprehended not through the fragmentary evidence of his life but by exploring the details of the text itself. In order to initiate this exploration it would be worth briefly viewing some features of this Samhitaa. For example, Sushruta has explained the technique of “yogyaa”, which means practicing the use of surgical equipments on non-human subjects like different fruits and vegetables (such as jackfruit, pumpkin and cucumber), dead animals and artificial limbs created from wood and wax. This gives the practitioner mastery over surgical tools in order to prepare him to apply his skills on actual human beings. He believes that it is also necessary for a surgeon to have a thorough knowledge of internal organs. A corpse kept in flowing water for fifteen to thirty days is given to the disciples for dissection. Without the knowledge of Anatomy, it is impossible to become a good surgeon.

In addition to this, Sushruta also refers to the basic precautions to be taken to avoid infection during surgery. To make sure that this is so, it is suggested that the operation be conducted away from the human settlement, in a safe and clean environment where plenty of water is available. The text goes on to explain that surgical equipment should be cleaned and disinfected with the fumes of specific medicinal plants.

Sushruta prescribes the use of metal needles and silk threads to stitch wounds. In fact, certain species of ants are also recommended for stitching internal organs like intestines. These ants should be handpicked and allowed to bite at the place that needs to be sewed. Once they have done this, their bodies are to be severed, leaving their mouths closed on the wound. Also prescribed is the use of a strong alcoholic beverage to be used as a sedative before the surgery is performed.

The great highlight of Sushruta’s surgery was however, the operation of rhinoplasty. The making of a new nose captured the imagination of the medical world and brought him fame as the originator of plastic surgery. A detailed description of nose, lip and ear surgery is also provided. Of course, these methods were not used for cosmetic purposes but primarily to join or reshape these organs in the case of natural deformity or injury.

As an entire work, the Sushruta-Samhitaa is divided into two main parts - the Purvatantra and the Uttaratantra. The Purvatantra, being elaborate, is further divided into five sthaanas (sections). The first sthaana is Sutrasthaana, which provides a summary of the whole text. It describes the yantras (blunt devices or tools used for removing a foreign body) and shastras (sharp tools used for actual surgery). One hundred and one yantras are included. Among them are svastikayantra and and Sandamshayantra (forceps), taalayantra (scoop) and others. Twenty shastras such as karapatra (Knife or saw), vriddhipatra (scalpel), suchi (needle), kuthaarikaa(axe-shaped knife), vrihimukha (trocar) and badisha(hook) are featured. He describes that a shastra “should have an edge so fine that it should divide the hairs on the skin.”

The Sutrasthaana also discusses particular procedures such as Kshaarapaaka (the use of alkaline ashes of medicinal plants), Agnikarman (using a heated needle or other pointed object for pain-relief), Jalaukaavacarana (using leeches to take out blood). In the closing chapters of the Sutrasthaana, we find detailed information regarding the characteristics of the food items such as grains, vegetables (leaves, flowers, stems and roots), milk and other dairy products, meat of herbivores and carnivores, birds, fish and other aquatic animals, oils, honey, sugarcane and alcoholic beverages.

The Nidaanasthaana deals with the cause, progress and diagnosis of many diseases such as sciatica, facial paralysis, piles, urine-stones, various skin diseases, ascites, tumours, sexually transmitted diseases, fractures and diseases of the mouth, tongue, teeth and throat. On the other hand, the Shaarirasthaana deals with the creation and function of the sharira (body). It begins with explaining the process of reproduction and leads on to discussing some diseases related to the reproductive system. The stages of pregnancy with reference to the development of an embryo are also examined.

An informative discussion on the marmashaastra (identifying the vulnerable / vital spots) is found here. The marmas (vital points), present in the body, are divided into five groups according to the defect generated due to an injury to these points. These groups are the aashuhara, kaalaantaraghna, vaikalyajanana, vishalyaghna and rujaakara, causing immediate or delayed death, deformity and severe pain respectively.

The Chikitsaasthaana elaborates the actual treatment of diseases that are dealt with in the sequence of the Nidaanasthaana. Here, the well-known process of Panchakarman, which removes the three doshas (vaata– air in space - wind, pitta – fire in water – bile and kapha – water in earth – phlegm) in order to purify the body, is explained at length. In another context, the Kalpasthaana presents information related to Toxicology. It begins with a discussion on preventive measures to be taken in the kitchen, especially for the king, to avoid getting poisoned and explains the two types of poisons - sthaavara (plants and minerals) and jangama (animals). Types of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, along with the other poisonous animals such as scorpions, spiders, mice and insects are described in substantial detail and treatment is suggested for a poisoned person with the help of mantras as well as with different agadas (medicines prepared from plants and mineral products).

The Uttaratantra devotes 18 chapters to describing 76 different diseases of the eye of which 51 require operations. Sushruta is said to be the first surgeon to have removed a cataract. In addition to the technique of cataract extraction, Sushruta describes such modern concepts as antisepsis, anaesthesia and post-operative care followed by diseases of ear and nose. Here, there are also details of the concept of change in voice and some common diseases like cough, fever, dysentery, vomiting, jaundice and asthma. The ill effects caused by alcoholism are also discussed.

The closing chapters are reserved for the 32 tantrayuktis (methodology of theoretico-scientific treatises in Sanskrit), basically taken from the tradition of the nyaaya philosophy. It is thought to be important to have knowledge of the nyaaya, which makes a physician able to diagnose and treat some critical cases that may not have been mentioned in the text.

So expansive, detailed and incisive is the Sushruta-Samhitaa that it is evident that it had originally stemmed from a truly enlightened mind, which had a deep and thorough understanding of the inner and outer reality of the human body and its very existence in the context of the seen and unseen world. It also reflects the extent to which the author has been tuned to the wider tradition he belongs to. Though Sushruta’s identity may be somewhat blurred, his legacy isn’t…

A NATIVE AMERICAN FOLK TALE

 Why do owls stare?

An owl and a pigeon were friends. One day, the owl began boastfully, “I think there are more owls than pigeons.” 

The pigeon laughed, “You must be joking! We pigeons can easily outnumber you.”

The owl frowned haughtily and said, “I challenge you to a count!” 

“Done!” cooed the pigeon. 

“But, first, let’s decide where the count will be held. After all, we’ll need plenty of perching space.”

The owl thought for a while and said, “How about the Big Woods? It has lots of trees.”

“Fine,” agreed the pigeon. “Go and inform all the owls and I’ll gather my flock. You have a week’s time. On the seventh day, an hour after sunrise, all owls and pigeons have to be there. Latecomers will not be counted.”

“Agreed,” hooted the owl and flew off to spread the news of the challenge.

A week passed and on the seventh day, the owls arrived at sunrise. They swooped down on Big Woods and occupied several trees.

“Toowit, toowit! Looks like the pigeons forgot to wake up,” they hooted joyfully.

Suddenly, the sky darkened as huge clouds rumbled over the woods from all four directions. The owls stared in shock as they realised that the clouds were actually pigeons. Thousands of pigeons swooped down, blocking the sunlight. They perched on the trees, pushing the owls together. Branches snapped, unable to take the weight of so many pigeons at once. The owls forgot to blink and started moving their heads from side to side in surprise. Their eyes grew wider and wider as the pigeons just kept coming in hordes.

Nervous about being squashed by the pigeons, the owls finally flew up into the sky. 

Since then, owls travel only at night when pigeons are fast asleep. And they stare at everything around them, watching out for pigeons.