January 2011

So long as a person is capable of self-renewal they are a living being.

Henri Frederic Amiel

A hiatus in our busy lives is, I think, a gift given only to hibernating species of animals, apart from human beings. While the former willfully sleep and shut off the world, we humans step out of the compelling world of work .We will ourselves or arrange to stop what we are doing and take a holiday! The purpose of this break is being able to relax and restore energy of all the kinds, needed to make life interesting, purposeful and enjoyable. Vacations and breaks are meant to do just this.

A break also gives us the zeal to recreate and reorder, to revitalize and rejuvenate. The greater purpose of such leisure is to renew.

Even in times of battle, there must be tactical pauses, for logistics to catch up, for fresh troops and supplies to be brought in, and battle-weary fighters to be replaced. In peace time, a Pause is meant to be a time of evaluation, renewal and consolidation.

This does not imply that during a vacation, teachers and students must use their time only to reflect and introspect. For one's health, both mental and physical a brief period of relative inactivity can do wonders for self-renewal. "The art of doing nothing" is a gift which must be cultivated; these are periods in one's life that provide a hiatus from daily tasks and concerns and allow us to just "be" rather than "become".

There is a greater purpose to such thinking than idle, random feelings and thoughts. Through the pleasure of such passive activity and seeming idleness, the body recoups and replenishes mental and spiritual energy. This is consciously done in readiness for the time to come when we "re-enter" our routine lives, where we left them to take this hiatus. We return recharged and ready for newer challenges. We return to complete half finished jobs, to tighten up our plans and strategies and in the case of students, to take the bold step of qualifying and meeting the standards of the next grade, or of college.

The New Year is traditionally a time for resolutions. Let us make this a year of Consolidation. Of putting together our efforts, be they individual or corporate, of evaluating without bias and of renewing our pledge to be prepared for every challenge, IN OMNIA PARATUS. Let us look for new challenges, for opportunities to serve and to lead.

My sincere wish is for a great spirit of renewal in your dreams, in your aspirations and your daily lives. Happy New Year!