In the 9th episode, hosts Dr Meghna and Devishobha showcase why compassion is an essential 21-st century skill. The hosts interview guests - Anjali Gurmukhani Sharma and Deepika Ahuja, the curators of the anthology- ‘My Act of Heart’. When the world is reeling under uncertainly, one constant element that has kept hope alive is little acts of compassion from people known and known- and these children- all 29 of them, are totally owning it, combining passion with compassion.

This book is a labour of love by Anjali Gurmukhani Sharma of Charters of Compassion and Deepika Ahuja who planted the seed of an idea to share real stories of acts of compassion by children and has been almost 2 years in the making.his book is not only inspiring to other children and adults alike, but it also shines a light on the minds of children from the age of 6-15 from all over the world, and the book complements the storytelling with rich illustrations- again from children.

Devishobha and Meghna lead the discussion on the nurturing of the book from a seed of an idea to the fruition of a published book. They also cover topics like why it is important to raise compassionate kids, how a societal mindset and peer pressure might affect our innate ability for compassion, how the practice of compassion is linked to brain development the physical, emotional, social, and mental health benefits associated with compassion and finally strategies to inculcate the culture of compassion as a family.

Deepika Ahuja is a happiness coach and an Insurance analytics expert and works in the corporate sector. She has been selected as “51 Most Fabulous Happiness leaders in the world” by the World HRD Congress. She got recognized as “Iconic women creating a better world for all” by Women Economic Forum in 2020 and was felicitated with the Grandqueens Leadership award in the area of mental wellness.

In 2019, she authored the book “Demystifying happiness” and has garnered a lot of appreciation from the readers. “My Act of Heart(2022)” is her second published work

Born and brought up in Dehradun, she now stays in Bengaluru with her husband and two kids, Lakshya and Inaya. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her little munchkins, volunteer her time to educational causes and read and watch about Positive Psychology.

Anjali G Sharma is an educator, writer and development sector enthusiast who quit her corporate career to follow her heart. This software professional in the past life is a mother to two kids and now works with not so privileged girls helping them find their feet and connect with their voice. She takes pride in the fact that a few of these girls are also a part of this book which you are holding in your hands.

She was felicitated with the Women Achievers’ Award on IWD2021 and the IBM award for “Making a Difference” for her contribution towards the cause of education. She was also a finalist at the prestigious Orange Flower Award by Womens’ Web in 2020 and 2021 for writing on Social impact and Women at Work. Her work has appeared in the anthology “Escape Velocity (2018)” by Write & Beyond and “Write in Power (2021)” by Hidden Pen Collective and “My Act of Heart(2022)”

If you wish to learn more, check out:

1. You can purchase the book here: My Act of Heart

2. The connection between the brain and compassion:

1. How to train the compassionate brain

2. MIndfulness training and the compassionate brain.

3. Brain can be trained in compassion, study shows

3. Games to inculcate compassion:

1. Acting Kindly: A Real-world game to inculcate compassion.

2. Key strategies to teach children empathy

Tune in to Big Talk About Tiny Humans every Wednesday for new episodes!

Have a question or topic you’d like to see covered on the show? Follow and DM the hosts on Instagram at @kidskintha and @thetherapistmommy and the hosts will address them in future episodes. Visit https://kidskintha.com/ and https://raisingfamilyacademy.com to learn more about the hosts’ ongoing programmes on parenting and child development..

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