Lifestyle lessons - a subject which needs to added to the curriculum with immediate effect.

Recently at a traffic jam, a smart, well-dressed educated man driving a sedan was verbally abusing an auto rickshaw driver. The rickshaw driver was trying his best to move his broken auto from the centre of the road. He apologised politely and said he was sorry about the inconvenience caused. This got me into thinking. Who was better educated? The well-dressed man or this poor driver.

Many a time, even the best educated people fall short in their demeanour and this is a pathetic state of affairs. The best of schools teach the subjects which help us to earn our livelihood but the lifestyle lessons are ignored everywhere.

What are life style lessons? Lifestyle lessons are not to be mistaken to be only about etiquettes and the like. They are also about how to lead a life. Nowadays we are seeing the ‘cool’ generation wherein everything is unplanned, rules are not important and principles take a backseat. These youngster’s daily lifestyle pattern is haphazard and in the long run, people are developing lifestyle diseases. In all this melee, inner peace is lost leading to physiological problems.

What do we learn in schools and colleges does not take us forward all through our life. Lifestyle lessons are very important. It is the ultimate goal of life to find peace with ourselves and our surroundings. This can be achieved by incorporating small changes in our routine life, being more empathetic and learning the art of giving.

But, how to incorporate them in the curriculum? While it is difficult to allot separate time for this in the timetable, it can be done in every class and every session. A few minutes can be spared by the teachers to enlighten students with some interesting real life incidents, stories, current affairs and the like and student’s input should also be taken. It is these discussions that will stay with the students long after they complete their education rather than mere theorems and calculus!