Stimulating the intellect

Although our intellect always longs for clarity and certainty, our nature often finds uncertainty fascinating.  Karl Von Clausewitz

Partly because of our education system, partly due to our upbringing but mainly because we like the comfort of order, system and conformity we associate our intellect with excellence displayed in academics and the knowledge gleaned out of texts and reflected in exam results. However it is the practical applicability of all this learning in day to day completely unstructured life, that allows one to creatively explore one’s intellect. Unfortunately, most times we grapple with such uncertainties rather reluctantly and with apprehension, never fully savoring the exhilarating joy of stretching ones imagination and making new discoveries in the process.

How many school children have enjoyed the beauty of literature, the flow of poetry and the quirks of language? How many have been fascinated by the hum of a bee, the chirping of the birds or the gurgle of the waters on the pebbles in the stream? Subjects that invoke fear in tender minds unequivocal are math’s and science and it would be a rare student who gravitated with fascination to the appreciation of these subjects. The flaw chiefly responsible for the arduous route to education is the mistaken emphasis of teachers, parents and peers that intellect is all about solving the problems instead of allowing one to explore make mistakes, attempt again and enjoy the process without the fear of retribution.

I recollect reading a fascinating theory that stated ‘schooling teaches non-sense’. Just like you, I was intrigued by this absolutely sacrilegious observation and bold assertion and on reading further was jolted by the arguments that supported this hypothesis. The writer, puts for the the argument that long before schooling as a discipline emerged, the human race used intellect to progress and prosper. What propelled this intellect was the use of the 5 senses that we are blessed with, sight, smell, touch, smell and hearing. Unfortunately in modern day education the importance of senses has been marginalized and nothing about it is taught, thereby making schooling non-sense figuratively and to a very large extent realistically too. Here is a quick reality check – what is the standard numbering pattern in a dice or which King in a pack of cards has only one eye? The challenge for educators and all those influencing education is make the process more fascinating, the progress more enthralling and the senses more stimulated if one were to truly engage the intellect.

The mantra of learning should be inquiry, discovery, experimentation, application and creative liberation.

Remember: The only means of strengthening one’s intellect is to make up one’s mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts. John Keats

Try this:

1. Check out the website http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/  to find inputs on creatively teaching science and making the process engaging, experiential and cost effective.
2. Can you list out various ideas get children to fear mathematics less and possible make them a wee bit more interested in it?

Here are couple of suggestions to get you going…

• To get students interested in the concept of angles try this PPT The_numbers
• Ask students to multiply 37037 by any single digit and then by 3. What do they observe?

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

Nurturing the spirit in the New Year

“It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated…it is finished when it surrenders.”Ben Stein

For me personally, the above quote is the perfect one to begin the New Year’s first post. After setting a personal target to write every day in 2010 when I began this blog, I was delighted when by December 2010, I had managed around 345 posts. After a diligent start to 2011, both reader fatigue and personal fatigue induced me to scale down my target to just around one post a week. Even this I realized was tough going and by December end 2011 I was just happy that the year had ended albeit with very little output to showcase on this blog. Then I chanced upon this quote and that injected fresh life into my blogging endeavor and here I am back with the hope of doing  much more than in 2011.

There would many like me who have enjoyed the high points of success but have also experienced the low point of drudgery that sometimes overwhelms us. This is inevitable, but surrendering meekly to it is optional. For almost every individual, life by and large is fairly routine, occasionally stressful, sporadically successful but largely very boring. At various points in this cycle of life, the temptation to give in and surrender meekly is often overwhelming, but then the spirit of survival takes over and coerces us to take charge of our life. It is this spirit that we are all blessed with which needs to be nourished so that it powers us from within to tide over the bumps, the hurdles, the pitfalls and the chasms that we need to cross in our journey called life.

This is my 4 A’s formula to help nourish the spirit.

Accept with grace. Good or bad, pleasant or unpleasant, bountiful or frugal these are extremes in a continuum and we need to accept that in the journey of life we would be getting our share of these. Rather than crave for more of good or whine about our troubles we should calmly and deliberately focus on acknowledging the fact that we receive these only because we are alive. Life by itself is a grace of the almighty and what comes with it needs to be accepted as it is. By accepting ourselves unconditionally we are ensuring that our spirit is fully charged up within us.

Avoid negativity. Finding fault, making comparisons, being dissatisfied are very human traits. Notice that these are never found in the animal kingdom and yet we proudly claim to be a more evolved species.  The irony is obvious and so we would be better off taking a leaf out of the book of the animal kingdom and wake up each morning with the hope of a better day.  By avoiding the negatives we would be letting our spirit shine brighter.

Appreciate gratefully. As an evolved species we have the power of communication, higher level of intelligence, the special gift of being creative and the individuality that is so unique to each one.  We need to realize that with these special gifts we are empowered to meet any challenge. Once we appreciate this power within us, we would be reinforcing our spirit.

Align harmoniously.  We need to align our life to our goals, our dreams, our expectations by soaking in the grace that we are blessed with, eliminating the negativity that we are tempted to embrace and by adding zest to our living by appreciating the blessings given in abundance to us. When we align our thoughts, hopes, aspirations, expectations to our material, spiritual, intellectual and social wealth we would realize that the spirit engulfs us from within and we radiate that spirit in our thoughts, words and deeds.

Remember: Success is not a place at which one arrives but rather the spirit with which one undertakes and continues the journey. (Quote by – Alex Noble)

Try this:

1. Play a game of snakes and ladders with a group consisting of someone much older, another person of around your age but of the opposite sex and a child. Notice that the group is heterogeneous and there is an equal probability of each person winning.  Can you see life as this game being played by characters not too different from those playing with you. The only difference is that in the game of life, everyone is assured of a win.
2. List out all your negative thoughts, fears, worries etc. one below the other. When you run out of ideas to include in this list, realign this list in order of your most worry some thoughts. Adjacent to this list, against each point write down all the blessings, positive points, the skill sets that you posses. Once you have listed this in the next column write down all your hopes, your aspirations, your dreams. Now study the table and put a line under the last row where each of the columns is filled in. Cut of all the items in the other two columns against which there is no item in any of the adjacent column. Put a time frame column adjacent to the dreams column and enter a time frame to achieve each of your dreams, hopes and aspirations. Make this your practical horoscope and envisage the future for yourself.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

An effective way to make New Year Resolutions

At the outset let me thank all my readers, blog followers and well wishers for your encouragement, feedback and support over the past two years.

Let me also wish each one of you a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year 2012

“Clothe with life the weak intent, let me be the thing I meant.” John Greenleaf Whittier

Every individual resolves to make at least one resolution during the New Year, which he/she hopes to faithfully adhere too during the course of the year.  In reality many of us actually have more than one hope, expectation, resolution that we secretly aim to achieve. The overwhelming majority of us, unfortunately end up with regrets and excuses for either completely abandoning most of the resolutions or vainly attempting a few. This is invariably followed by a temporary fervor to once again make a fresh set of resolutions and a short lived attempt at it. Are there ways and means to help one achieve one’s resolutions? Outlined is a 5 step method to go about making resolutions that can be achieved.

Think carefully write clearly. Resolutions are nothing but goals ones sets for oneself. Obviously therefore one must think carefully, ponder insightfully and commit wholeheartedly by writing down the resolution. Many of us have a vague notion of a goal e.g. make more money or get a good job or enhance my savings. The adjectives only obfuscate our real desires. Instead make the resolution more tangible so that one can visualize it clearly. Spell out the money you want the type of job and work environment in mind or put a number in real terms or as a percentage of income that one seeks to save.

Allocate a time slot for each resolution. If for example one wants to increase the savings then one needs to carefully record expenses or find alternatives to increase income. This cannot be done as a casual exercise but can be achieved if it is well entrenched in our regular routine.  A fixed time allocated to record expenses will bring about the disciple also to collect bills as well as make you think twice before you actually spend. Similarly one would explore alternatives to enhance income only if one seriously sits down and explores possibilities.

Make a commitment aloud. This does not mean shouting from the roof tops (this can also help too) but refers to ensuring that the written goals are keep visible so that one is often forced to look at it. Maybe a copy of it can be pasted on the mirror on your room or a small list put in your wallet or the list is put on your computer as a start up icon that pops up on booting. An alternative is to actually share some of your resolutions with close friend and well wishers who can keep reminding you of it off and on.

Never let slippages become excuses. For various reasons, despite ones best efforts one may not be able to faithfully adhere to the time slots allocated. Many of us take that first slippage as a fatal failure and let tardiness and casualness overcome us. This is a fatal mistake. Never let such slippages bind you in its clutches. Instead be aware of the slippages and make a determined effort to double your efforts next time around. E.g. If you plan to learn a musical instrument and because of a bout of flu you were forced to miss a week of class do not give up completely.

Inbuilt a success acknowledgement. Every individual needs to relish every success that comes ones way. The same holds true with the small victories and the large triumphs that involve ones numerous resolutions. If we have shared our resolutions with others and we share the progress too then the sharing itself gives one a high and more often than not the congratulatory responses adds to ones elation and reinforces ones resolve. Other times take stock of one’s progress and visualize the distance one has travelled to achieving ones goal.

Remember: “Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.”  Benjamin Franklin

Try this:

1. Here is a PPT that was shared with me which gives you some Positive Thoughts to keep in mind this New Year 2012. You can make this your first resolution for the New Year. Think about the positives
2. Jot down 3 resolutions each, under the following heads

• Personal resolutions
• Career related resolutions
• Social commitment resolution
• Financial oriented resolutions

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

Making your life simple

“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.”  Charles Dudley Warner

Are you one of those who is forever complaining, someone who is constantly stressed, a person who never seems to have enough and an individual in the quest of his / her individuality? Our source of dissatisfaction, restlessness and irritation can be stymied and possibly got rid off by learning to avoid complicating our thinking and by focusing on simplifying our living. How do we complicate our thinking? How can we simplify our living? The answers to these questions are the essence of today’s post.

How do we complicate our thinking?

Comparisons. A common human bane is our invariable impulsive need to compare with others. Be it our own physical personality or mental abilities or wealth and riches; the urge to surpass the other creates in us need to compare and this leads us to warped thinking, skewed logic and insatiable wants.

Desires. Coveting what catches our fancy is perhaps a logical extension of our sin of comparison. However this goes deeper in as much as we pay no attention to our need but cave into our greed and lust and this blinds us to the consequences or price of our actions.

Jealousy.  Our insatiable urge for things manifests itself in desires whilst our ego is largely responsible for inability to restrain ourselves from comparing with those around. Alas, the combination of these two evils sparks of a third bigger evil jealousy. Jealousy unfortunately has no antidote and the best way to stem the rot is by learning to appreciate  all that we posses.

Lack of appreciation. By failing to acknowledge all that we are blessed with, we tend to take things for granted. If you have sprained any part of your body or you have had a hand or leg in cast you would understand how much we have taken our physical body for granted. Do we really appreciate the blessings of a loving family the power we have in the form of an intimate friends circle or the blessings of good health?

How can we simplify our living?

Acceptance: We have to make the best use of the cards that have been given us in this life. The first step then is to accept the reality and then begin to make the best of what we have. What we really need to watch out for are excuses that we spew out when we fail to grasp the opportunities that come our way. Acceptance is no license either to stop striving for one can steadily progress by aiming higher.

Be grateful : If you are reading this just be grateful for your education, your eyesight, the fortune of being able to access the computer and for the good fortune of coming across this site. Perhaps there are many more things to be grateful for. In reality do we value all the triumphs, the trails, the pain and the pleasure that we have experienced. The trails and pains are invaluable experiences that teach us a lot while the pain and the pleasure makes our life more fulfilling.

Enjoy the moment: Far too often we plan, strategize, anticipate, imagine and visualize in order to protect our future. Alas in this scramble to enjoy the future we miss out on relishing the present, the reality of now and the ecstasy of living. While it is essential to also think of the future that must never be at the cost of not having a great laugh, indulging in some tomfoolery caressing a loved one or enjoying the affectation of loved ones.

Worry less: The one thing that we overlook when trying to simplify life is minimizing stress. Stress is nothing but worry working overtime and overtaking our happiness. The way to minimize worry is by assessing the source and the consequence and then reconcile to it. This requires a lot of grit to confront the problem and a healthy dose of positivity to appreciate the worst case scenario. Worrying won’t solve problems but by minimizing our worrying we will have peace of mind, clarity of thought and ample time to enjoy the moment.

Remember: “In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Try this:

1. Out of the 4 points listed in the first part of this write up  and  the 4 points listed in the second part which 2 are u most guilty of violating?
2. Think of one person who annoys you a lot. Now list out 2 things you admire in him/ her.
3. Think of 2 things that worry you a lot. Now list out 3 reasons for each which you believe makes the worry less irksome.
4. Name one person who gives you positive feedback and compliments. How often have you appreciated him/her? Have you tried to emulate him/her?

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our  Inspirational and Motivational Blog www.poweract.blogspot.com

You can impact the world around you NOW

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve theworld. Anne Frank 

Every individual has the power to influence the environment and the people around him/ her. What limits our ability to harness this potential is our inherent inability to believe in ourselves and to accept the reality that our every act if done with good intent and purpose will have a positive effect. Notice how involved we get and how much we enjoy a performance when we can without inhibition clap and cheer. On the other hand we would fail to appreciate the finer aspects of the happenings if we remain constantly critical and negative. Similarly, if we are subject to what we genuinely believe is a poor performance and we do not express our disappointment we would not be helping ourselves or the performers by our silent acceptance.

Here are 5 simple ways to contribute our mite to improving the world.

Participate: The principle applied here is to willingly and genuinely attempt rather than make excuses, play spoilt sport or become adamant. Let us say you go for a Christian Wedding Reception and you are invited to participate in the Wedding March. If the whole concept is alien to you rather than becoming very apprehensive and dogmatic, make an attempt to join in and if you feel genuinely uncomfortable regain your seat. In the process you would have learnt something new, made the environment more lively by your gracious acceptance to play along and chances are you would have enjoyed the experience.

Volunteer: Look around and you will find so many opportunities for you to volunteer and contribute. Do you see someone looking lost and unsure; you can help them feel reassured. Even if you are a guest at a function and there seems to be some confusion or crisis, find out and help out. Do you see some tensions and frayed tempers; step in to diffuse the tension. When there is a major activity being planned, volunteer to take on some activities, preferably one where you have some expertise.

Be proactive: Do we go prepared? Whether it is a meeting / lecture that we are attending or paying a condolence visit or a participant at a picnic we can anticipate some requirements and go prepared. Maybe we have some questions prepared to ask at the end of the lecture or prepared ourselves on the topic by reading up on it. Apart from offering our condolences can we also anticipate some need that we can fulfill for the bereaved family?  As a picnicker we simply go as a guest but the real leaders are those who come prepared with some games or activities to make the outing even livelier.

Encourage: Criticism comes naturally to most of us but offering encouragement is a skill that one must cultivate. Learn to find something appreciate, praise, motivate. Express that loudly and genuinely. If nothing else salute the spirit of the one who is coming last for his/ her spirit of daring and adventure. Learn from the behaviour of legendary coaches who appreciate the efforts of his/ her players even if they have lost a game. The post match critical analysis is always closed door but the pat on the back for every team member is immediate and warmly given.

Smile: The least that one can do to improve the world is to smile. It costs nothing, means much to others and lifts spirits instantaneously. Spreading cheer is within everyone’s power and ability. What is needed is a large heart, a spirit of enterprise, a positive attitude and a zest for life. A smile will never fail you then.

Remember: If you wait to do everything until you’re sure it’s right, you’ll probably never do much of anything.  Win Borden

Try this:

1. With a group of likeminded people plan a visit to the mental asylum / the local prison / a hospice for the terminally ill. How will you make use of the learning above to make the visit a very memorable one both for you and those you are visiting?
2. How will you handle the following scenarios?

• You are walking along a lonely path and you see a small baby bird that has fallen of the next. You are worried that a cat or dog could attack it. You have never handled birds and feel very uncomfortable.
• You find a bag left behind in a bus just as you are about to get off the bus.
• You are in a fair and you notice a small child of 4 years bitterly crying.
• You are at the railway station to see off a friend. The train is about to leave and you notice a rather stout lady lugging a very heavy bag desperately trying to rush and board the train. In a split second you realize that if you help her with the luggage she can board the train but you will have to board it too if the luggage has to be taken in.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

Finding your way in life

Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.  Howard Thurman

Many of us meander through life with a sense of regret that we have neither achieved anything nor made our mark in this world. One reason for this regret is the subconscious desire to make our presence felt and be recognized, applauded and rewarded for our contributions. In this quest to make our presence felt we strive to find a niche that we can quickly usurp and hopefully make it the showcase of our achievements. As many a dope tainted athlete would have realized, there are no short cuts to success and the illusion that our achievements are the focal point of attention is a myth that lasts only as long as we continue to hog the lime light.

On the other hand if we scan our immediate environment, we would find a large number of individuals who may not be changing the world at large but are definitely influencing the world around them. With a little introspection, we could also make the profound discovery that each one of us too has a deep and lasting impact on the many people who we come in contact with. The trouble is that we tend to undermine our own role, abilities and influence and fall victim to the irrational belief that we need to be a mover and shaker if we are to qualify as achievers. The truth is that every small, purposeful and positive action by an individual stirs up the environment around and its ripples reach out far and wide.

The skeptic in us would immediately question our contribution and influence rationalizing that we are too insignificant in the scheme of things. So then how can we really appreciate our importance and role in the mundane and humdrum existence that we seem to be destined for? The clue to this lies in seeking answers to three vital questions.

What are my values? While it may not be humanely possible to be a paradigm of every virtue, it is essential that we identify at least one virtue that we steadfastly hold on to. Most people would have a large list of virtues but it is the one critical virtue that would help one understand ones values in life.  It could be honesty/ sense of fair play/ compassion/ doggedness/ never say die spirit/ accepting challenges/ patience/ orderliness/ etc. The one central virtue is what will anchor the individual to the reality of life and inject in them the urge to proactively contribute and influence e.g. Those with a strong sense of compassion would seek out ways and means to be useful to the poor/ the destitute/ the suffering. Those who are dogged will resolutely pursue the goal they set themselves; be it bringing the guilty to justice or helping the underdog get his/her due.

How do I cope with my own personal weakness and failures? As human beings we are susceptible to a multitude of weakness and have to carry the cross of many a failure. The manner in which we cope with these limitations in us would have a profound bearing on our personality and life. .  E.g. those who are unable to cope with failure could be academically brilliant but completely risk averse. Yet the weakness by itself should be seen as an indictment of the individual for almost everyone has ample alternative strengths just waiting to be tapped. E.g. some of those who are prey to addictions would when sober be the most effective and efficient people to have around. The secret is to discover the potential and to harness that power.

What should I be doing? Nothing is more confusing than the answer to this question. How does a professional sportsman know when to retire? How much money would make a person happy? Should I give up a steady job to purse my passion and dreams? Should I be single or get married because that is the way of the world? When my conscience rebels do I succumb to the pressures of protecting my friends and companions or would I at the risk of losing everything stand up for the truth no matter how damaging it may be?  Once we are able to honestly and consistently answer this question of what should I be doing; then we would be doing what needs to be done voluntarily, proactively and confidently.

Answer the questions above in the silence of your hearts and they will open the doors to self awareness.  Life would then be more meaningful and fulfilling.

Remember: “I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” Billie Jean King

Try these:

How will you cope with this hypothetical situation?

You have attended a week long leadership training program. On the last day each participant in the program was asked to give one negative feedback for every participant. You come home with the sealed cover containing the negative feedback you have received. You open the cover and find 7 slips each outlining a different negative feedback as under. How many of these allegations are true about yourself. Can you think of one person whom you know for whom the allegation fits? Can you think of a specific incident that leads you to this conclusion about that person?

Slip 1 – In my view you are very lazy

Slip 2 – Why are you such a loud mouth

Slip 3 – I wouldn’t trust you with my purse.

Slip 4 – Your arrogant way of interaction annoyed me a lot.

Slip 5 – You are an unreliable person

Slip 6 – Wish you weren’t so negative and critical

Slip 7 – My impression is that you are too cunning

Write down the following goals for yourself.

1 personal goal

1 financial goal

1 relationship related goal

1 social commitment goal

1 goal related to a passion you have.

Now  jot down at least 3 steps (for each goal) that you will take to attain the goal.

(e.g. My Passion related goal to read at least one book a month.

 Step 1 – Identify at least 50 books by February 2012 end .

Step 2 – Buy at least 3 books before December 2011 end.

Step 3 –  I will read every Sunday between 4 and 6 pm)

Take a look at this poster that perhaps captures the gist of this post succinctly.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

It is OK to make mistakes.

Assert your right to make a few mistakes. If people can’t accept your imperfections, that’s their fault.  Dr. David M. Burns

Perfection is what is ideally expected from each one of us; our parents want us to excel in academics and sports and the extracurricular activities. The expectations from teachers, friends and extended family are almost equally demanding. Subconsciously then, we have imbibed the need to be fiercely competitive, strive to be perfectionist and despise mistakes of any sort. There are broadly 3 long term negative consequences of these subconsciously imbibed thoughts .

Our fierce determination to succeed no matter what the means used. With high expectations prodding one along, the pressure to succeed and the terrible fear of failure invariably leads one to find ways and means to succeed. We may find some ingenuous loop holes, interpret the rules to suit our needs and in rare cases even resort to dubious means to succeed. The most common example is the invariably temptation to copy, be it in exams or in assignments. Bribing, cheating, swindling are the invariable scale up of this mentality that pressurizes us to seek success at any cost.

Our reluctance to accept or understand our imperfections When criticized our immediate reaction is to rationalize and often we accept the criticism with poor grace. With rare exceptions almost every time a criticism is leveled against us there is fair bit of truth in it, but alas our mind has been conditioned to accept only praise and acceptance and criticism is taboo. Our imperfections become more accentuated when we face more competition, are exposed to people having superior skills and we face challenges that daunt us. Excuses are the most favored means of deflecting criticism. Fault finding, rebuttal, counter criticism, backbiting are other common means of expressing our reluctance to accept the reality of our imperfections.

Our reduced risk taking ability. The fear of not succeeding, the lack of confidence that comes from the intense pressure of expectations and the inability to accept failure as an acceptable option, forces a person to avoid taking any risks. In life taking a calculated risk is the norm but when our calculations are mentally skewed to ensuring only success then more often than not we prefer not to participate if given the option. Other times we put on a facade of participation giving up too quickly under some pretext, make excuses to prepare others not to expect too much and line up a litany of reasons to rationalize or justify failure or non participation.

All this adds to up to one leading a life filled with numerous negative emotions including remorse, regret, fear, jealousy, doubt and a feeling of inadequacy.  To overcome this one has to do the following 3 things.

Learn to accept the reality. Be pragmatic about ones strengths and weakness. In every race on the tracks there can be only one winner, yet there will be numerous participants who despite their reservations about being the best believe they have a chance for they are one of the best. There are many who participate to gain experience and learn from it.

Be less critical both of self and others. We are often harsh on ourselves especially when we make silly mistakes. In the same vein we can be extremely harsh with others who we perceive to have made silly mistakes. This attitude minimizes our ability to trust ourselves, makes us habitually see the pitfalls and does not infuse enthusiasm to attempt. By being less critical, more tolerant and heartily embracing the outcome of our efforts and that of other irrespective of the results, we can emerge from our self imposed hiatus.

Prepare and participate enthusiastically, embrace failure with grace and try again with fortitude and self belief. Unless one has taken efforts to succeed mere participation won’t result in success. Just as studying is a prerequisite even for the most brilliant to succeed it is essential that one prepares before enthusiastically participating. Thereafter the outcome should not be seen as indication of either a comprehensive success or a decisive failure but merely as a fair outcome. Let not failure impede your will to try again nor let a fluke victory be seen as the pinnacle of success. What is important is to try to exceed the benchmarks attained.

Remember: The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. Elbert Hubbard

Action Points:

1. Choose the one or two aspects of your life that you are most criticized for and try to resolve the issue by trying consistently for a month. Eg. Reducing your weight/  girth or a bad habit of being critical of everything / your tendency to overuse certain words like you know, ummm., hmm, you see  etc.
2. Try the following simple activities and see if you can overcome your own inhibitions.

• Thread a needle
• Learn 3 new words every week and use it in your communication
• Find something positive everyday in someone you dislike
• Experiment with something goofy eg. Wearing mismatched clothes/ wearing a hat to work (if that is not part of the attire)/ surprising your friends/ colleagues with some goodies for no particular reason.

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog  www.poweract.blogspot.com

Confronting difficulties

In time of difficulties, we must not lose sight of our achievements. Mao Tse-Tung

Difficulties are found in every walk of life be it in personal life, in the work environment, in the family, in business, in sports, in social communications etc. Obviously in an ideal world, we would hate to be faced with difficulties because it impedes our progress, causes disruption and challenges us to overcome it with a real risk of failure looming large. Yet with resourcefulness, ingenuity, grit and persistence more often than not we have overcome many a difficulty and perhaps occasionally also experienced a few bruises in the process. We would also have painful recollections of failures, discouragement, frustration, shame and pain when the difficulties could not be overcome. Yet if you are still reading this, it clearly means that no obstacle or difficulty could defeat you permanently and that is a very encouraging thought.

Despite this realization, we tend to get dispirited, frustrated and are often tempted to throw in the towel when some difficulties seem unreasonable, grossly unjust and we lack the temperament to fight our way through. Here are three facts about difficulties that we must bear in mind at all times.

• We cannot avoid difficulties
• We can plan to mitigate the possible difficulties that we can visualize
• Every difficulty that comes our way can be dealt with; however success is not guaranteed but if we do nothing failure is certain.

With the above reality kept in mind we can tackle every difficulty that comes our way with equanimity and hope. Since we are sure that we cannot avoid difficulties, the first thing we need to do is accept the difficulties when it comes with faith in ourselves and hope in finding a solution. The numerous successes that we have had in tackling past difficulties will give us both the faith and hope needed to sustain when things look bleak and one is desperately searching for the silver lining in the dark clouds.

We walk into a large number of difficulties simply because we do not anticipate them. The major reason for this is a lackadaisical attitude, inept planning and false bravado. Casualness in handling a task means we are leaving too many loose ends that could bring about a variety of difficulties. Inept planning can be overcome by brain storming, ideating, imagination and a structured approach to any task on hand. This involves not merely thinking about an issue but enumerating the solution in writing and then assigning responsibilities with clear directions, deadlines and goals. Such planning must also make allowances for changes and alternatives must be kept ready for implementation. The reality is that even the best of plans can be devastated by the unexpected, unforeseen and unimaginable difficulties. A sense of false bravado often results in one plunging headlong into finding solutions when the reality is that one needs expert advice, the help of experienced personnel and perhaps the courage of conviction to change the course of action when the progress is certainly doomed in the original direction planned.

Many a failure experienced when confronted with difficulties, is merely because a lack of self belief or the exact opposite a stubborn mule like tendency to chase the impossible. Lack of self belief comes from lack of adequate knowledge, poor self esteem, an exaggerated fear of failure and stunted thinking that limits self belief. The stubbornness that each of us has in varying degrees is primarily the result of EGO and partly the outcome of ignorance, foolhardiness and the mistaken notion that giving up is equivalent to failure. The challenge then is to master the difficulty of accepting the reality that whispers aloud to us and says go on you can do it or when it says stop killing yourself pursuing the impossible. When the former whispers loudly then take a good look at the quote below and when the latter whispers louder than ponder on the quote at the very top.

Remember:  Difficulties mastered are opportunities won. Winston Churchill

Try this:

1. How will you tackle the following difficulties?

• You have borrowed your friend’s costly new mobile handset and have misplaced it.
• You have studied hard for your exams. When the question paper is handed over to you, you are shocked to see the question paper of the subject that you had not anticipated. You then realize that unfortunately due to an error in jotting down the exam schedule, you studied the subject for the examination to be held a day later.
• You are in a new city and suddenly realize that you have been robbed of your purse and mobile. With no know person in the city and no money you are badly stuck.

1. The challenge / difficulty in this puzzle is to link all 9 dots (shown below) using four straight lines or fewer, without lifting the pen and without tracing the same line more than once.

 

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

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Making the best of holidays

Just as a puppy can be more of a challenge than a gift, so too can the holidays. John Clayton

With the Divali season around the corner, a sizeable section of the people in India are already in a holiday frenzy. Soon thereafter Christmas would be around the corner and practically three fourths of the rest of the world would be experiencing the same holiday frenzy.  While everyone eagerly looks forward to the holidays, the overwhelming majority of people are confused, apprehensive and hesitant about how to make best use of the holidays. Worse still is the fact that most people are completely unprepared to welcome the holidays. As a result the holiday season can often be a stressful period unless one makes adequate preparations to make the best use of the gift of holidays.

For those wedded to customs, traditions and rituals, the initial part of the holidays are well laid out in as much as they follow the accepted customs and norms. The real challenge is thereafter. Travel is the most preferred option for many but the destination poses problems as much as the means of travel and the duration. Of course the biggest headache still remains the finances. What is not really noticed is that the real problem is ‘not paying attention to planning and preparing’ for the holidays. Any form of travel involves reasonable planning right from destination to dates and mode of travel and stay and how best to utilize the time at the chosen destination. If for whatever reason travel is ruled out then making the best use of holidays requires even more thought and deliberation for the options are rarely crystal clear mainly because we don’t pay much attention to it and prefer to work out on the spur of the moment. Net result is that we end the holidays with a sense of regret of having wasted it.

So the question that begs attention is ‘what else can one do with the holidays’?  Here are some alternatives for reflection and perusal especially for those not traveling during the holidays.

• Catch up on reading / movies / hobbies/ some quirks that were left on the back burner (eg. Experimenting with or understanding alternate therapy’s, learning magic / card tricks, go bird watching with a professional)
• Reorganizing the house and bring about some much needed change including rummaging through piled up / hoarded knick knacks and disposing of the unwanted stuff.
• Entertaining people who you could not otherwise invite due to, either their preoccupation or your own hectic life style.
• Detailed planning, (especially if a surprise party is planned) for some important events coming up like the golden jubilee of your parents wedding anniversary or a milestone birthday of a close relative.
• You can indulge the spouse / children/ family members with some surprises like a swim and dinner or day long picnic to a completely new locale.
• Use the holidays to sensitize the family to the needs of others and the reality of life by visiting an orphanage/ old age home/ shelter for challenged children or invite a couple of challenged children home to spend a day.

Many of you reading this post would suddenly get wary and wonder if the alternatives listed are practical and more importantly would the end result be a real holiday. It is all a matter of attitude. If you can plan and prepare, the efforts will never be wasted even if the end result is not what is hoped for.  Unless you try you never know. In any case by experimenting it will just be one holiday season that could be wasted but by never planning most holidays would end up being a challenge rather than a pleasure.

Remember: Holidays in general breed unrealistic expectations. The minute you start wondering, ‘is it going to be wonderful enough?, it never will be.  Pepper Schwartz

Try this:

1. Assuming that finance is not a constraint make a list of alternates that you will have lined up if you get a 4 day holiday suddenly.
2. Recollect the best holiday you ever had. Now also recount the  worst holiday season that you went through when you felt your holidays were wasted ( if you fell sick or a tragedy occurred then do not count them as worst holidays). Can you identify the reasons that made the first holiday so much fun and the other one a rather indifferent or miserable one?

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com

The value of experience

“One of the most important lessons that experience teaches is that, on the whole, success depends more upon character than upon either intellect or fortune”  William Edward Hartpole Lecky

Many a time, we tend to focus more on those events that have left a scar on our psyche, have given us a bitter pill to swallow or that which has hurt us immensely. Often our immediate reaction to this is to be fearful, become risk averse and make efforts to avoid the path that lead to the unfortunate experience. While the protective mechanism that we have honed comes in handy and saves us from catastrophes, far too often we miss out on grasping opportunities for we let our bitter experiences overwhelm our pragmatism and passion. Our experiences should not deter us from pursuing a path that we have chalked out for ourselves merely because we stumbled and grazed ourselves or in extreme cases it badly scarred us.

Experiences both good and bad are the pivots around which the future is built. The good experiences reinforce our beliefs and light up our path, where as the bad experiences alert us to the pitfalls ahead, allowing us time to relook, reassess and reorganize ourselves. The important learning got from our experiences is that our attitude and reactions at every stage determine how we will traverse the journey and attain success. In effect experiences are a test of our character and our ability to deal with the situations as they unfold.

Our character evolves through our formative years and continues to transform, albeit slowly, with every passing year. It is made of a combination of factors including our hereditary traits, the childhood scripting, the experiences and interactions that have percolated deep into our psyche and our own independent thinking and attitude. A happy and disciplined upbringing often has a deep and lasting influence on character building. The role of parents, teachers, classmates and neighbors is very critical in influencing the character that a person develops.  Motivation, encouragement, appreciation, acceptance, laugher, kindness, positive reinforcements are inputs that ensure a fragrance that remains always in a person’s character. On the other hand a gentle rebuke when needed, reasonable punishment if required, firm ground rules to enforce discipline  and impeccable grooming and manners ,   ensure that there is a sparkling diamond like luster in a person’s character.

Apart from analyzing our experiences ourselves, it also helps if we find the right mentor to guide, have a healthy dose of self confidence, develop our ability to be hardworking, look forward with optimism, hone our analytical and creative skills, work around our core competence and develop the art of learning something new and invaluable from every experience. We should also be able to develop the fine art of discernment to appreciate the learning from our experiences. Then every experience will become a successful test of character that becomes a new step in the ladder of success.

Remember: “There are no failures – just experiences and your reactions to them.” Tom Krause

Try this

1. Read the well-known poem IF by Rudyard Kipling by clicking on this link http://tinyurl.com/ne7rbv.  This poem in many ways tells us how to manage our good and bad experiences and become a success.
2. Try to list out at least one personal experience each under each of the following categories. If possible also elaborate the learning got from that experience.

• Happy experience
• Painful experience
• Hurtful experience
• Surprising experience
• Emotional experience
• Disgusting experience
• Exhilarating experience
• Embarrassing experience

This post is courtesy www.actspot.com

You are also invited to visit our Inspirational and Motivational Blog

www.poweract.blogspot.com