In the rat race of life, we are trained to let go of our dreams and to enter the insane corporate world. Recent events in Pakistan have shown numerous students being introduced to this concept as early as during their school life. Children no longer are treated like children instead we are witnessing more and more students being targets of depression and stress. The rate of suicide in young Pakistanis has been alarming. All of these factors have affected the overall growth of a child. Schools need to address these issues and go back to creating healthy environments like they had before.
The City School recently took up a brilliant initiative by the name of Live Out Loud with Khalid Malik. The interactive motivational session #LOL with Khalid Malik, was specially designed for the youth with the aim of at uplifting spirits and igniting a positive attitude while alleviating depression.
The session encouraged students to look beyond the obvious hurdles, life might present and the various ways to accomplish one’s dream. It spoke of the power of positivity and how one can gain clarity of thought just by channeling positive thoughts.
The interactive talk even addressed the multiple mental illnesses rampant amongst students such as depression and anxiety.
Let’s face it, the children of today are in one of the worst types of competition – be it being bullying, peer pressure, being a top achiever, looking perfect physically, taking out time to socialize while dealing with getting the best grades and top it all off we have the social media battles of being the most popular and having the most likes/followers. It’s not easy being a child any more.
The City School’s brilliant initiative #LOL with Khalid Malik also touched upon other serious issues including identity crisis; the need to be comfortable in one’s own skin; the need for tolerance and diversity in present times. Subjects like these don’t only help children get through some of the toughest times in a more constructive manner but also prepare them for a better future. A future that unfortunately might have more mental and social issues than the one we reside in today.
The school held these motivational sessions with Khalid Malik at their Karachi and Islamabad campuses and will continue to cover more campuses in various cities of Pakistan.
It’s refreshing to see such a big educational organization enrich the lives of so many young students and encourage them to look beyond the obvious. It would be great to see more schools in Pakistan take such an active role in creating and providing a holistic space for our younger generation.
