Strategic Decision-Making: Tips and Techniques for Success

1) What is strategic decision process?

The strategic decision process refers to the systematic approach used by organizations to make long-term, significant decisions that shape the direction and scope of their activities. It involves several stages and key elements to ensure that decisions align with the organization’s goals, capabilities, and external environment. Here’s an overview of the strategic decision process:

Problem Identification: Recognizing and clearly defining the problem or opportunity that requires a strategic decision. This involves understanding the context and scope of the issue.

Environmental Analysis: Gathering and analyzing information about the external environment, including market trends, competition, regulatory landscape, and economic conditions. Tools like PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal) analysis and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis are often used.

Internal Analysis: Assessing the organization’s internal resources, capabilities, and core competencies. This includes evaluating financial resources, human resources, technology, and organizational culture.

Setting Objectives: Establishing clear, measurable, and achievable objectives that the decision aims to accomplish. These objectives should be aligned with the overall mission and vision of the organization.

Generating Alternatives: Developing a range of potential strategies or courses of action that could address the problem or opportunity. Creativity and innovation are essential in this stage to ensure a wide array of options.

Evaluating Alternatives: Assessing the feasibility, risks, and potential impact of each alternative. This involves using quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, such as cost-benefit analysis, scenario planning, and decision trees.

Making the Decision: Choosing the best alternative based on the evaluation. This step often involves deliberation and consensus-building among key stakeholders and decision-makers.

Implementation: Developing a detailed action plan to execute the chosen strategy. This includes assigning responsibilities, allocating resources, setting timelines, and establishing monitoring mechanisms.

Monitoring and Control: Continuously tracking the implementation progress and measuring the outcomes against the set objectives. This step helps in identifying any deviations from the plan and making necessary adjustments.

Review and Feedback: Analyzing the overall effectiveness of the decision and the process used to make it. This includes learning from successes and failures to improve future decision-making processes.

2) How to be decisive?

Being decisive involves making decisions confidently and efficiently. Here are some strategies to help you become more decisive:

1. Gather Information
Research: Gather relevant information to understand the options and potential outcomes.
Consult Experts: Seek advice from knowledgeable people to get different perspectives.
2. Clarify Your Goals
Identify Objectives: Be clear about what you want to achieve.
Prioritize: Determine what is most important and align your decisions with these priorities.
3. Evaluate Options
List Pros and Cons: Write down the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
Consider Consequences: Think about the short-term and long-term impacts of each choice.

4. Trust Your Intuition
Gut Feeling: Sometimes your instinct can guide you when logical analysis is insufficient.
Past Experiences: Use lessons from previous decisions to inform your current choice.
5. Set a Deadline
Time Limit: Give yourself a reasonable timeframe to make the decision.
Avoid Overthinking: Excessive deliberation can lead to decision paralysis.
6. Reduce Choices
Limit Options: Too many choices can be overwhelming. Narrow down the options to the most viable ones.
Simplify: Focus on the most critical factors that will influence the decision.
7. Take Action
Commit: Once you’ve made a decision, commit to it and follow through.
Adjust if Necessary: Be flexible and willing to adjust your course if new information or circumstances arise.
8. Learn from Decisions
Reflect: After making a decision, reflect on the outcome to understand what worked and what didn’t.
Continuous Improvement: Use this reflection to improve your decision-making process for the future.

4) Why it is Necessary To stay positive in challenging situations?

Staying positive in challenging situations is crucial for several reasons, encompassing psychological, emotional, and practical benefits:

Resilience: A positive mindset enhances resilience, helping you bounce back from setbacks more quickly. It allows you to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles.

Mental Health: Maintaining a positive outlook reduces stress and anxiety, which can otherwise exacerbate the difficulty of the situation. It helps in preventing depression and other mental health issues.

Problem-Solving: Positivity fosters a more open and creative mindset, which is essential for effective problem-solving. When you are positive, you are more likely to think outside the box and find innovative solutions.

Motivation: A positive attitude keeps you motivated and focused on your goals. It helps in sustaining the energy and drive needed to overcome challenges.

Relationships: Positivity is contagious and can improve your interactions with others. In challenging times, strong relationships are crucial for support and collaboration, and a positive demeanor can help strengthen these bonds.

Health Benefits: Research has shown that positive thinking can improve physical health by boosting the immune system, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and promoting overall well-being.

Perception and Reality: The way you perceive a situation can influence its outcome. By staying positive, you are more likely to notice and seize opportunities that can lead to a better outcome.

Performance: Athletes, performers, and professionals often perform better under pressure when they maintain a positive attitude. This mindset helps in staying calm, focused, and confident, which can enhance performance.

Leadership: Positive leaders inspire and motivate their teams, even in difficult times. This can lead to better team cohesion, morale, and productivity.Self-fulfilling Prophecy: Positivity can create a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe that you can overcome a challenge, you are more likely to take the necessary actions to make it happen, thereby increasing your chances of success.

5) What are the best books available for learning about decision making?

Here are some of the best books for learning about decision making, covering various aspects such as cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, strategic thinking, and practical frameworks:

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman

This seminal book by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explores the dual systems of thinking: System 1, which is fast, intuitive, and emotional; and System 2, which is slower, more deliberative, and logical. It provides deep insights into how decisions are made and the biases that influence them.

“Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness” by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

This book introduces the concept of “nudging” to improve decision-making in various aspects of life. Thaler and Sunstein provide practical examples of how subtle changes in the way choices are presented can significantly impact decisions.

“Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” by Dan Ariely

Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist, delves into the irrational ways humans often behave and make decisions. The book explains why we make decisions that defy logic and how we can improve our decision-making processes.


“The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less” by Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz examines how having too many choices can lead to anxiety and decision paralysis. He discusses the psychological effects of choice overload and offers strategies to make better decisions by simplifying choices.

“Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

The Heath brothers provide a framework called WRAP (Widen your options, Reality-test your assumptions, Attain distance before deciding, and Prepare to be wrong) to help improve decision-making in both personal and professional contexts.

“Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts” by Annie Duke

Annie Duke, a professional poker player, shares insights into decision-making under uncertainty. The book emphasizes thinking in probabilities rather than absolutes and offers practical advice for making better decisions when the outcome is uncertain.

“Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction” by Philip E. Tetlock and Dan M. Gardner

This book explores the skills and strategies used by superforecasters—individuals who are exceptionally good at predicting future events. It provides valuable lessons on improving forecasting accuracy and decision-making.

How to develop Courage and Fortitude?

What is courage and how to develop it?

Physical Courage: Facing physical danger, pain, or hardship. For example, a firefighter entering a burning building to save someone.

Moral Courage: Standing up for what is right, ethical, or just, even in the face of opposition, criticism, or social pressure. This includes whistleblowers exposing wrongdoing or individuals advocating for human rights.

Emotional Courage: The strength to face emotional pain, grief, or personal loss. This involves being vulnerable, expressing one’s true feelings, or seeking help when needed.

Intellectual Courage: Challenging conventional wisdom, questioning accepted beliefs, and being open to new ideas, even when they are unpopular or controversial.

Developing courage involves building mental and emotional strength to face fears, challenges, and uncertainties. Here are several strategies to help cultivate courage:
1. Self-Awareness and Understanding
Identify Fears: Understand what you are afraid of and why. This helps in addressing the root causes.
Self-Reflection: Regularly reflect on your thoughts and feelings. Journaling can be an effective tool.

2. Small Steps
Start Small: Begin by facing smaller fears or taking minor risks. This helps build confidence gradually.
Set Achievable Goals: Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable steps.

3. Positive Mindset
Positive Self-Talk: Replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations.Visualize Success: Imagine yourself successfully facing your fears. Visualization can strengthen your resolve.

What is Fortitude and how to develop it?

Fortitude is a virtue that involves the mental and emotional strength to face adversity, danger, or pain with courage and resilience. It is often associated with enduring hardship and maintaining moral integrity despite challenges. Fortitude can be broken down into several key components:

Courage: The ability to confront fear, pain, danger, or uncertainty. Courage allows individuals to take action in difficult situations, even when they are afraid.

Perseverance: The capacity to persist in the face of setbacks and obstacles. Perseverance involves sustained effort and determination over time, despite difficulties.

Resilience: The ability to recover quickly from setbacks, adapt to change, and keep going in the face of adversity. Resilience is about bouncing back and maintaining a positive outlook despite challenges.

Endurance: The ability to withstand prolonged stress, hardship, or pain. Endurance involves both physical and mental stamina.

Developing fortitude, or mental and emotional strength in facing adversity, challenges, and difficulties, involves cultivating resilience, persistence, and a positive mindset. Here are some practical steps to help you develop fortitude:

1. Set Clear Goals
Identify your objectives: Clearly define what you want to achieve in both the short-term and long-term.
Break them down: Divide larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks to make them less overwhelming.

2. Develop a Growth Mindset
Embrace challenges: View obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow.
Learn from failure: See failures and setbacks as valuable learning experiences rather than as defeats.
Seek feedback: Actively seek and apply constructive criticism to improve.

3. Build Resilience
Practice mindfulness: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and yoga can help you stay present and manage stress.

Develop coping strategies: Find healthy ways to cope with stress, such as exercising, journaling, or talking to a trusted friend or counselor.

4. Strengthen Emotional Regulation

Self-awareness: Understand your emotions and triggers. Regular self-reflection can help you manage your reactions better.

Stress management: Develop skills to manage stress effectively, such as time management, prioritization, and relaxation techniques.

Healthy habits: Maintain a balanced lifestyle with regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and a healthy diet.

5. Cultivate Positive Relationships

Support system: Surround yourself with supportive and positive people who encourage and inspire you.
Empathy: Practice empathy and understanding in your relationships to build strong, mutually supportive connections.
Seek mentorship: Learn from those who have demonstrated fortitude in their own lives.

What are the advantages of courage and fortitude?

Courage and fortitude are closely related virtues that play a crucial role in personal development, resilience, and success. Here are some of the key advantages of these qualities:

Advantages of Courage

Overcoming Fear: Courage helps individuals confront and overcome their fears, whether they are physical, emotional, or psychological. This enables people to take necessary actions despite feeling afraid.
Pursuing Goals:  Courage allows individuals to pursue their goals and dreams, even when faced with significant challenges and obstacles. It promotes persistence and determination.
Growth and Development: Stepping out of one’s comfort zone requires courage. This often leads to personal growth, as new experiences and challenges foster learning and development.
Inspiring Others: Courageous actions can inspire and motivate others to also act bravely, creating a ripple effect of positive change.
Ethical Behavior: Courage often involves standing up for what is right, even in the face of opposition. This moral bravery is essential for maintaining integrity and ethical standards.
Leadership: Effective leaders often demonstrate courage by making tough decisions, taking responsibility, and leading by example. This can build trust and respect among followers.

Advantages of Fortitude

Resilience: Fortitude is the ability to endure adversity and remain steadfast. This resilience helps individuals cope with difficult situations and bounce back from setbacks.
Long-term Success: Fortitude involves sustained effort and perseverance. It is crucial for achieving long-term goals and success, especially when progress is slow or obstacles are numerous.
Mental Toughness: Fortitude builds mental toughness, enabling individuals to maintain focus, discipline, and motivation even in challenging circumstances.
Stress Management: With fortitude, individuals are better equipped to handle stress and pressure, maintaining their composure and making rational decisions.
Adaptability: Fortitude helps people adapt to changing conditions and remain flexible. This adaptability is key to navigating the uncertainties of life and work.

Why weakness and faintheartedness is a curse?

Weakness and faintheartedness are often considered a curse because they can significantly impede personal growth, achievement, and overall well-being. Here are several reasons why these traits are seen in such a negative light:

Limited Opportunities:

Personal Growth: Weakness and faintheartedness can prevent individuals from taking on challenges, pursuing goals, and stepping out of their comfort zones, which are essential for personal development.
Career Advancement: In professional settings, these traits can hinder career progression as they may lead to missed opportunities for leadership roles, promotions, and recognition.

Mental Health Impacts:
Anxiety and Depression: Persistent feelings of weakness and faintheartedness can contribute to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, due to a lack of self-confidence and self-efficacy. Stress: The fear of failure or inability to cope with challenges can result in chronic stress, impacting both mental and physical health.

Social Consequences:
Isolation: Fainthearted individuals may avoid social interactions or challenging social situations, leading to loneliness and isolation.
Dependence: They might become overly dependent on others for support, leading to unhealthy relationships and a lack of self-reliance.

Decision-Making and Problem-Solving:
Indecisiveness: Weakness and faintheartedness can lead to indecision and procrastination, impairing effective problem-solving and timely decision-making.
Avoidance: Individuals may avoid confronting problems altogether, leading to unresolved issues and escalating complications.

Self-Perception:
Low Self-Esteem: Constantly feeling weak or fainthearted can erode self-esteem and self-worth, creating a negative feedback loop that reinforces these feelings.
Lack of Fulfillment: A sense of weakness can prevent individuals from achieving their full potential, leading to feelings of unfulfillment and regret. However, it’s essential to recognize that these traits are not permanent and can be addressed through various strategies, including:
Building Resilience: Engaging in activities that gradually build confidence and resilience.
Positive Thinking: Practicing positive self-talk and visualization techniques to combat negative thoughts.

How so called friends and even close relatives take advantage when they find you are very weak?

Friends and close relatives might take advantage of someone they perceive as weak in various ways, often motivated by personal gain, power dynamics, or unintentional neglect of boundaries. Here are some common scenarios:

1. Emotional Manipulation

Guilt Tripping: They might make you feel guilty for not meeting their needs or expectations, leveraging your emotional state to control you.
Gaslighting: Manipulating you into questioning your reality or self-worth to make you more dependent on their version of the truth.

2. Financial Exploitation
Borrowing Money: Continuously asking for money, knowing you have a hard time saying no.
Using Resources: Taking advantage of your assets (like your home, car, or possessions) without fair compensation or appreciation.

3. Time and Energy Drain
Over-reliance: Expecting you to always be available to help with their problems, projects, or tasks, draining your time and energy.Unfair Expectations: Imposing unreasonable demands on your time or expecting you to prioritize their needs over your own.

6. Social and Personal Exploitation
Social Leverage: Using your social status or connections to their advantage without reciprocating or giving you credit.
Personal Gains: Leveraging your weaknesses to elevate their own status or to fulfill their personal agendas.

Coping Strategies
Set Clear Boundaries: Clearly define what is acceptable and what is not in your relationships. Communicate these boundaries firmly and consistently.

Seek Support: Surround yourself with people who respect and support you. Consider professional help if needed to strengthen your emotional resilience.

Practice Self-Care: Focus on activities and practices that reinforce your self-worth and well-being, ensuring you have the strength to stand up for yourself.

Develop Assertiveness: Learn to say no and to assert your needs and rights in a calm and confident manner.

Educate Yourself: Understand common manipulation tactics so you can recognize and address them when they occur.


Thanks for reading.

What are Six elements of character & their role in creating a PowerPacked Personality?

1) What is Courage  & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. It involves making bold choices, taking risks, and facing uncertainties or challenges head-on, even when these situations are intimidating or uncomfortable. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to act in spite of it.

Role of Courage in Creating a Power-Packed Personality:

Self-Confidence:
Courage helps in building self-confidence by encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones. When people take courageous actions, they gain confidence in their abilities and potential, enhancing their overall self-esteem.

Resilience:
Courage fosters resilience. Facing fears and overcoming obstacles build mental and emotional strength. Resilient individuals can recover from setbacks and maintain their resolve in the face of adversity.

Leadership:
Courage is a crucial trait for effective leadership. Leaders often need to make tough decisions, stand by their values, and inspire others. Courageous leaders earn respect and loyalty from their followers.

Authenticity:
Courage allows individuals to be true to themselves. When people are courageous, they are more likely to express their true thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, leading to a more authentic and genuine personality.

Innovation and Creativity:
Courage is essential for innovation and creativity. Trying new things and thinking outside the box requires the willingness to take risks and possibly fail. Courageous people are more likely to experiment and come up with novel ideas.

Empowerment:
Courage empowers individuals to stand up for themselves and others. It enables people to advocate for their rights, challenge injustices, and create positive changes in their communities and workplaces.

Emotional Intelligence:

Courage contributes to emotional intelligence by encouraging individuals to confront their emotions, understand them, and manage them effectively. It helps in developing empathy and building stronger interpersonal relationships.

Goal Achievement:
Courage is essential for setting and achieving goals. It drives individuals to pursue their ambitions despite obstacles or failures. Courageous people are persistent and determined, leading to greater success and fulfillment.

Personal Growth:
Personal growth often involves facing fears and stepping into the unknown. Courage is the driving force behind personal development and self-improvement, enabling individuals to reach their full potential. In summary, courage plays a pivotal role in creating a power-packed personality by fostering self-confidence, resilience, leadership, authenticity, innovation, empowerment, emotional intelligence, goal achievement, and personal growth. It is the backbone of many other virtues and is essential for leading a fulfilling and impactful life.


2) What is Commitment & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Commitment refers to the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, or goal. It involves a strong determination and unwavering dedication to follow through on promises, decisions, and goals, regardless of challenges or obstacles. Commitment is about persistence, reliability, and maintaining focus over the long term.

Role of Commitment in Creating a Power-Packed Personality

Foundation of Trust and Integrity:

Consistency: People who are committed demonstrate reliability and consistency in their actions, which builds trust among peers, colleagues, and superiors.

Dependability: When you honor your commitments, others perceive you as dependable and responsible, which enhances your credibility and reputation.

Driving Force for Achievement:

Goal Achievement: Commitment provides the motivation and drive to achieve long-term goals. It helps in maintaining focus and overcoming obstacles that might derail less determined individuals.

Resilience: A committed individual is more likely to persevere through difficulties and setbacks, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and learning.

Enhancing Self-Discipline:

Focus: Commitment requires self-discipline, which helps in prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively. It encourages individuals to stay focused on their goals and avoid distractions.

Accountability: Committed individuals hold themselves accountable for their actions and outcomes, leading to continuous self-improvement and personal development.

Boosting Confidence and Self-Esteem:

Accomplishments: Following through on commitments leads to a series of accomplishments, which in turn boosts confidence and self-esteem.

Positive Reinforcement: Every fulfilled commitment serves as a positive reinforcement, encouraging further commitment and effort in future endeavors.

Influencing Others Positively:

Leadership: A committed person often becomes a role model for others, inspiring and motivating them to also commit to their goals and responsibilities.

Team Dynamics: In a team setting, commitment fosters a sense of unity and shared purpose. It ensures that everyone is aligned towards common objectives, enhancing overall team performance.

Personal Satisfaction and Fulfillment:

Purpose: Commitment provides a sense of purpose and direction in life. It aligns actions with values and beliefs, leading to greater personal satisfaction.

Fulfillment: Achieving goals and honoring commitments brings a deep sense of fulfillment and joy, contributing to overall well-being and happiness.

Building Commitment

To develop a strong sense of commitment, consider the following strategies:

Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.

Develop a Plan: Create a detailed plan outlining the steps needed to achieve your goals.


3) What is Mindfulness & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the current moment, aware of your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and surroundings without judgment. It involves a deliberate focus on the present, which can be cultivated through various techniques such as meditation, breathing exercises, and mindful observation.

Components of Mindfulness

Attention: Paying attention to the present moment, acknowledging whatever arises without trying to change it.

Awareness: Being aware of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations as they happen.

Non-judgment: Accepting experiences without labeling them as good or bad.

Acceptance: Embracing the present moment as it is, without resistance.

Techniques to Cultivate Mindfulness

Meditation
: Regular practice of sitting quietly and focusing on the breath or a mantra.

Breathing Exercises: Deep, intentional breathing to center the mind and body.

Body Scan: Focusing on different parts of the body to develop awareness and relaxation.

Mindful Observation: Paying close attention to the details of your environment or an object.

Role of Mindfulness in Creating a Power-Packed Personality

A power-packed personality is often characterized by confidence, resilience, emotional intelligence, and the ability to handle stress effectively. Mindfulness contributes to these traits in several ways:

Enhanced Self-Awareness: By being mindful, you become more aware of your nhanced Self-Awarenessthoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This self-awareness is crucial for personal growth and understanding your strengths and weaknesses.

4) What is Humility & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Humility: Definition and Importance

Humility is a quality characterized by a modest and respectful view of one’s own importance and abilities. It involves recognizing one’s limitations, being open to feedback, and valuing others’ contributions. A humble person does not seek to dominate or control others but instead focuses on mutual respect and collaboration.

Components of Humility:

Self-awareness: Understanding and acknowledging one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Openness to feedback: Willingness to listen and learn from others.

Respect for others: Valuing other people’s opinions, experiences, and abilities.

Modesty: Avoiding excessive pride or arrogance in one’s achievements.

Empathy: Being considerate and understanding of others’ feelings and perspectives.

Role of Humility in Creating a PowerPacked Personality

Enhanced Learning and Growth: Humble individuals are more open to feedback and new ideas, which fosters continuous personal and professional development. They are willing to admit mistakes and learn from them, leading to improvement and innovation.

Building Strong Relationships: Humility fosters trust and respect in relationships. People are more likely to connect with, support, and follow someone who values their input and treats them with respect. This leads to stronger, more collaborative teams and networks.

Effective Leadership: Humble leaders are seen as approachable and relatable. They lead by example, inspiring loyalty and dedication from their teams. Their willingness to share credit and acknowledge others’ contributions enhances team morale and productivity.


5) What is Honesty  & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Honesty is the quality of being truthful, sincere, and straightforward in one’s actions, words, and intentions. It involves being genuine, transparent, and accountable in all aspects of life, whether it’s in personal relationships, professional endeavors, or interactions with oneself.

In the context of creating a power-packed personality, honesty plays a crucial role in several ways:

Building Trust: Honest individuals are perceived as trustworthy because they consistently convey truthfulness and integrity. Trust is the foundation of strong relationships, both personal and professional, and it is essential for effective communication and collaboration.

Authenticity: Honesty allows individuals to be authentic and true to themselves. When you’re honest about your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, you project confidence and self-assurance. Authenticity attracts others and fosters genuine connections.

Respect and Integrity: Honesty demonstrates respect for others and oneself. It shows that you value the truth and hold yourself to high moral and ethical standards. Integrity, which is closely linked to honesty, is a key component of a strong character and is highly regarded by others.

Problem-Solving and Decision Making: Honest individuals are more likely to confront challenges and address issues head-on. They are not afraid to acknowledge mistakes or admit when they don’t know something. This openness leads to better problem-solving and decision-making processes, as it encourages collaboration and feedback.

Personal Growth and Development: Embracing honesty means being open to self-reflection and constructive criticism. By acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses honestly, you can identify areas for improvement and strive for personal growth and development.


6) What is Gratitude & what is its role for creating PowerPacked Personality?

Gratitude is a deeply felt sense of appreciation and thankfulness for the blessings, experiences, and people in our lives. It involves recognizing and acknowledging the good things we have, both big and small, and being thankful for them. It’s more than just saying “thank you”; it’s about cultivating a mindset of appreciation and positivity.

Gratitude plays a significant role in creating a power-packed personality in several ways:

Positive mindset: Gratitude shifts your focus from what you lack to what you have. By acknowledging the good things in your life, you develop a more positive outlook, which can improve your overall attitude and demeanor.

Resilience: Practicing gratitude can help build resilience by helping you see challenges as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles. When you’re grateful for the lessons learned from difficult experiences, you’re better equipped to bounce back from setbacks.

Empathy and connection: Expressing gratitude fosters stronger interpersonal connections. When you show appreciation for others, you strengthen your relationships and build trust. This sense of connection can enhance your charisma and influence.

Self-confidence: Gratitude helps you recognize your own worth and strengths. When you appreciate yourself and your accomplishments, you develop greater self-confidence and self-assurance, which are key components of a power-packed personality.


Thanks for reading.

How to Implement Assertiveness for Developing your PowerPacked Personality?

Hurdles that come in the way

Overcoming hurdles, whether they are personal, professional, or social, is a common challenge everyone faces. Here are some of the main types of hurdles and strategies to address them:

1. Personal Hurdles

Emotional Challenges: Dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem.

  • Strategies: Seeking therapy or counseling, practicing mindfulness and meditation, engaging in physical activities, and building a support network.

Health Issues: Chronic illnesses or sudden health problems.

  • Strategies: Following medical advice, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and seeking support from family and friends.

Lack of Motivation: Feeling unmotivated or facing burnout.

  • Strategies: Setting small, achievable goals, celebrating small wins, finding purpose in tasks, and taking breaks to recharge.

2. Professional Hurdles

Career Stagnation: Lack of growth opportunities or feeling stuck in a job.

  • Strategies: Seeking additional training or education, networking, setting career goals, and exploring new job opportunities.

Workplace Conflict: Issues with colleagues or supervisors.

  • Strategies: Effective communication, seeking mediation, maintaining professionalism, and finding common ground.

Work-life Balance: Difficulty managing work and personal life.

  • Strategies: Prioritizing tasks, setting boundaries, delegating when possible, and taking time for self-care.

3. Social Hurdles

Relationship Problems: Conflicts or misunderstandings with family, friends, or partners.

  • Strategies: Open and honest communication, empathy, seeking counseling, and spending quality time together.

Social Anxiety: Fear of social situations or interactions.

  • Strategies: Gradual exposure to social situations, practicing social skills, seeking therapy, and joining social groups or clubs.

4. Educational Hurdles

Learning Difficulties: Struggling with certain subjects or concepts.

  • Strategies: Seeking tutoring, using different learning methods, breaking down complex topics, and practicing regularly.

Time Management: Balancing studies with other responsibilities.

  • Strategies: Creating a schedule, prioritizing tasks, avoiding procrastination, and using time management tools.

5. Financial Hurdles

Debt and Financial Stress: Managing debt, living paycheck to paycheck, or financial emergencies.

  • Strategies: Creating a budget, seeking financial advice, prioritizing debt repayment, and exploring additional income sources.

Unemployment: Losing a job or difficulty finding employment.

  • Strategies: Updating your resume, improving job search skills, networking, and considering temporary or part-time work.

6. External Hurdles

Discrimination or Bias: Facing unfair treatment based on race, gender, age, or other factors.

  • Strategies: Reporting incidents, seeking support from advocacy groups, staying informed about rights, and fostering inclusive environments.

Environmental Factors: Natural disasters, lack of resources, or unstable living conditions.

  • Strategies: Preparing emergency plans, seeking assistance from organizations, and advocating for better conditions.

Benefits of being assertive

Being assertive is a core communication skill. Assertiveness can help you express yourself effectively and stand up for your point of view. It can also help you do this while respecting the rights and beliefs of others.

Being assertive can also help boost your self-esteem and earn others’ respect. This can help with stress management. It may especially help you reduce stress if you tend to take on too many responsibilities because you have a hard time saying no. Some people seem to be naturally assertive. But if you’re not assertive, you can learn to be.

Four steps of being assertive

1. THE SITUATION

The situation is the antecedent.  When you refer to the precipitating event, think of it as verbally holding up a mirror to the other person so he or she can see his or her reflection.  In order to do this, you need to be specific.  If it is something the other person has done, you need to describe the behavior exactly.  If it is something the other person has said, you need to quote it as precisely as possible.

2. THE FEELING

Next, you will want to say how you feel in reaction to the situation.  This is the most important part of the formula.  This is the part that will encourage the listener to hear what you are saying. A simple demonstration is to start a sentence with “You.”  If you say, “You . . .” it really does not matter what you say after that.  The other person will be building a defense and not listening. However, if you start with “I feel,” most likely the other person will be curious enough to listen.  Note that saying, “I feel that you,” still is a you statement.

3. THE EXPLANATION

That is why the third part of the formula is necessary. It is the bridge or connection between the event and your feeling. It always is the thought process that led to the feeling.  What was your thought that led to feeling sad about being tapped on the arm? If you thought being tapped on the arm was rude, that would not explain being sad.  If you remember your mother telling you that if someone treats you rudely, that person is not a real friend and you conclude that the person who tapped you on the arm must not be a real friend, that would explain why you felt sad. By way of explanation, it is necessary to divulge the whole truth of your thought process and not just a portion of it.  Part three is the part most people find difficult because they do not make the entire explanation.

4. THE REQUEST

At this point, the listener understands what you are feeling and why.  However, the reaction is something along the lines of “So?”  You need to give the listener something to which he or she can respond.  You need to make a request. Do you want an apology?  Do you want the listener to explain his or her behavior?  Do you want a hug?  By the time you make your request, it is clear what is behind your request. You need to make the request in the affirmative.  Say what it is you want rather than what you do not want. This is the step that distinguishes assertiveness from aggression and non-assertiveness. The difference is one of choices.  Aggression is taking all the choices for yourself and not giving the other person a choice.  Non-assertiveness is not taking a choice, but neither giving the other person a choice.  Assertiveness is taking a choice for yourself and giving the other person a choice as well.

Learning to be more assertive

Being assertive is a crucial communication skill that helps you express your thoughts, feelings, and needs in a clear, direct, and respectful manner. Here are some steps and tips to help you become more assertive:

1. Understand Assertiveness

  • Definition: Assertiveness is about standing up for yourself while respecting others. It’s different from being aggressive (which disregards others’ feelings) and being passive (which disregards your own feelings).
  • Benefits: Improved self-esteem, better relationships, and reduced stress.

2. Assess Your Assertiveness

  • Reflect on your current communication style. Are you often passive, aggressive, or passive-aggressive?
  • Identify situations where you find it hard to be assertive.

3. Learn to Say No

  • Practice saying no in a firm but polite manner.
  • Use statements like “I can’t take on that task right now” or “I’m not comfortable with this situation.”

4. Use “I” Statements

  • Express your feelings and needs using “I” statements to take ownership of your emotions without blaming others.
  • Example: “I feel frustrated when meetings start late because it disrupts my schedule.”

5. Practice Active Listening

  • Show that you are listening by nodding, maintaining eye contact, and summarizing what the other person said.
  • This helps build mutual respect and understanding.

6. Maintain Positive Body Language

  • Keep an open posture, make eye contact, and use a calm, clear voice.
  • Avoid crossing your arms or appearing closed off.

7. Manage Your Emotions

  • Stay calm and composed, especially in stressful situations.
  • Practice deep breathing or other relaxation techniques to keep your emotions in check.

8. Practice Assertive Communication

  • Role-play with a friend or use a mirror to practice your responses.
  • Start with less challenging situations and gradually move to more difficult ones.


    Thanks for reading.

What are the Skills required for Developing PowerPacked Personality?

Communication skills

Communication skills are crucial abilities that enable individuals to convey information effectively, express thoughts and ideas clearly, and understand others’ messages. These skills encompass various aspects, including verbal, non-verbal, written, and interpersonal communication. Here’s a breakdown of key communication skills:

Verbal Communication: The ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly through spoken words. This includes tone of voice, clarity, and coherence in speech.

Non-Verbal Communication: Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and eye contact play a significant role in conveying messages. Being aware of and using non-verbal cues effectively can enhance understanding and rapport in communication.

Listening Skills: Actively listening to others without interruption, demonstrating empathy, and understanding their perspectives are essential components of effective communication.

Written Communication: Strong writing skills are vital for conveying information clearly and professionally through emails, reports, memos, or other written documents. This includes grammar, punctuation, and formatting.

Interpersonal Skills: Building and maintaining relationships through effective communication is crucial in both personal and professional settings. This involves empathy, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and the ability to adapt communication style to different audiences.

Presentation Skills: Delivering engaging and informative presentations involves structuring content logically, using visual aids effectively, and engaging the audience through confident delivery

Negotiation and Persuasion: Being able to negotiate effectively and persuade others to accept your viewpoint requires strong communication skills, including the ability to articulate arguments convincingly and understand the other party’s perspective.

Clarity and Conciseness: Communicating ideas in a clear and concise manner helps avoid confusion and ensures that the message is easily understood by the audience.

Feedback: Providing constructive feedback and receiving feedback gracefully are essential aspects of effective communication. This involves being specific, actionable, and respectful in delivering feedback.

Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respecting cultural differences in communication styles and norms is crucial in diverse environments to avoid misunderstandings and foster inclusivity.

Improving communication skills involves practice, feedback, and continuous learning. Whether in personal relationships, professional settings, or public interactions, honing these skills can lead to more meaningful connections and successful outcomes.

Leadership Skills

Leadership is the art and science of guiding, motivating, and inspiring individuals or groups to achieve a common goal. It involves a variety of skills and attributes, including effective communication, decision-making, and the ability to build and maintain relationships. There are several key aspects of leadership:

1. Vision and Strategy

Vision: A clear, compelling vision provides direction and inspiration. Great leaders articulate a vision that motivates and aligns their team.

Strategy: Leaders develop strategies to achieve the vision. This involves setting goals, planning, and allocating resources effectively.

2. Communication

Clarity: Leaders must communicate their vision, goals, and expectations clearly.

Listening: Effective leaders listen to their team members, fostering an environment of open dialogue and feedback.

3. Influence and Inspiration

Influence: Leaders influence others through persuasion, example, and interpersonal skills rather than through coercion.

Inspiration: Leaders inspire their teams by demonstrating passion, commitment, and enthusiasm.

4. Decision-Making

Critical Thinking: Leaders need to assess situations, consider alternatives, and make informed decisions.

Risk Management: Effective leaders are willing to take calculated risks and learn from failures.

5. Emotional Intelligence

Self-Awareness: Leaders understand their own emotions and how they affect their behavior and decisions.

Empathy: Recognizing and understanding the emotions of others helps leaders to connect with their team and address their needs.

6. Adaptability

Flexibility: Leaders must be adaptable to changing circumstances and open to new ideas.

Resilience: Effective leaders remain steady and composed in the face of challenges and setbacks.

7. Integrity and Ethics

Honesty: Leaders demonstrate integrity by being truthful and transparent.

Ethical Behavior: Upholding ethical standards builds trust and credibility.

8. Empowerment and Development

Delegation: Leaders empower others by delegating tasks and responsibilities.

Mentorship: Developing and mentoring team members helps them grow and enhances the overall capability of the team.

9. Collaboration and Team Building

Team Dynamics: Understanding and managing team dynamics fosters collaboration and a sense of belonging.

Conflict Resolution: Leaders address and resolve conflicts constructively to maintain a harmonious team environment.

10. Innovation and Creativity

Encouragement: Leaders foster an environment that encourages innovation and creative thinking. Support: Providing the necessary resources and support allows team members to experiment and innovate.

Adaptability Skills

Of the many skills you can develop to improve your career advancement opportunities, adaptability is one of the best. Knowing what adaptability is and how to use it to your professional advantage is a worthwhile skill. Take the time to understand this quality to improve your professional skill set. In this article, we explain what adaptability means, describe specific adaptability skills, outline adaptability in the workplace, offer examples of adaptability, show how to demonstrate adaptability, highlight the importance of adaptability and outline how to list adaptability on your resume.


Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are the abilities that enable effective communication and interaction with other people. These skills are crucial for navigating social situations, building relationships, and collaborating with others in various contexts, whether it’s personal or professional. Examples of interpersonal skills include:

Communication: The ability to convey information clearly and effectively, both verbally and non-verbally.

Active listening: Paying full attention to what others are saying, understanding their perspective, and responding appropriately.

Empathy: Being able to understand and share the feelings of others, showing compassion and sensitivity.

Conflict resolution: Managing and resolving disagreements or conflicts in a constructive and respectful manner.

Collaboration: Working effectively with others toward a common goal, being able to compromise and cooperate.

Leadership: Inspiring and guiding others, delegating tasks, and motivating team members.

Emotional intelligence: Understanding and managing one’s own emotions as well as those of others.

Flexibility: Adapting to different personalities, situations, and environments.

Assertiveness: Expressing one’s thoughts, feelings, and needs openly and honestly while respecting others.

Networking: Building and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of people to exchange information and opportunities. Developing strong interpersonal skills can enhance personal relationships, improve teamwork, and increase success in various areas of life, including career advancement and leadership roles.


Thanks for reading.

POWERPACKED PUBLIC SPEECH

THE POWER OF PURPOSEFUL SPEECH

A Tale of Fulfillment: The Power of Purposeful Speech

In a bustling city, renowned for its diverse populace and vibrant culture, lived a young woman named Maya. She was passionate about social justice and believed in the power of community. For years, Maya had been actively involved in various local initiatives, advocating for the rights of marginalized groups. Yet, despite her fervent efforts, she often felt that her voice was lost in the noise of the city.

One day, an opportunity presented itself that could change everything. The city council announced an open forum where citizens could voice their concerns and propose solutions for pressing social issues. This forum would be attended by influential community leaders, policymakers, and the media. Maya saw this as her chance to make a significant impact.

Determined to seize this opportunity, Maya dedicated herself to preparing a speech that would not only articulate her concerns but also inspire action. She spent weeks researching, gathering data, and listening to the stories of those affected by the issues she cared about. Maya knew that for her speech to be effective, it needed to fulfill three key purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to mobilize.

Inform

On the day of the forum, the grand hall was filled with an attentive audience. When it was her turn to speak, Maya began by providing a clear and concise overview of the issues at hand. She presented statistics on homelessness, stories of discrimination, and evidence of the systemic inequalities plaguing their city. Her aim was to inform the audience, ensuring they understood the gravity of the situation.

Persuade

With the foundation of facts laid out, Maya transitioned to the next purpose of her speech: persuasion. She spoke with passion and conviction, highlighting the moral imperative to act. Maya shared personal anecdotes, recounting her experiences with individuals whose lives had been devastated by injustice. She appealed to the audience’s empathy, urging them to recognize their shared humanity and the importance of standing together against oppression.

Mobilize

Finally, Maya focused on mobilization. She outlined a clear, actionable plan that included policy changes, community programs, and volunteer opportunities. Maya encouraged everyone present to take part in these initiatives, emphasizing that real change required collective effort. She made it easy for people to get involved, distributing pamphlets with information on how to join the movement and offering to connect interested individuals with relevant organizations.

The Outcome

Maya’s speech resonated deeply with the audience. Her ability to inform, persuade, and mobilize left a lasting impression on everyone in attendance. The media coverage brought widespread attention to the issues she highlighted, and community leaders began discussing her proposals in earnest.

In the weeks that followed, a wave of change swept through the city. New policies were implemented to address homelessness, anti-discrimination programs were funded, and community outreach initiatives flourished. Maya’s speech had fulfilled its purpose in every sense, transforming awareness into action and inspiring a city to unite for a common cause.

Through her purposeful speech, Maya demonstrated that words, when used effectively, have the power to change the world. Her story became a testament to the impact that a single, well-crafted message can have when it is designed to inform, persuade, and mobilize.


DELIVERING THE SPEECH OF YOUR LIFE

The transformation was in focus and intention. At first, my focus was all on me: “I’m going to screw this up so bad.” “I have nothing intelligent to say, and this guy will see through me in about three seconds.” “I’m Italian. I’m dumb. I can’t compete with these smart people.”

But over time I decided I wanted to win. And to win I was going to have to convince the judge — to move him or her somehow. And then it became fun. Because it was no longer about me. It was about my audience: getting listeners from here to there — changing their mind — actually having them leave the room thinking differently than when they entered. And that’s powerful.

It’s been a blast ever since.

Here’s some of what I’ve learned in my years of public speaking. If you have to knock it out of the park, follow these basic rules:

  1. Know your goal. When the speech is over, what do you want the audience saying about it and you? What difference do you want to make? Most speakers never ask this of themselves.
  2. Memorize your speech. That’s right. Memorize every word of it. Deliver it in front of a mirror five times, six times, ten times. Then deliver it while your kid is screaming in the background, to develop the confidence that you can recite it no matter what distraction pops up. Why memorize it? Because nothing will put an audience to sleep faster than someone reading from a prepared text. Because when you memorize it, it stops being about getting the words right and starts being about getting the feeling right. Imagine if Andrea Bocelli didn’t memorize the words to the songs in his repertoire. How much room do you think there would be for him to feel them?
  3. If you don’t want to knock it out of the park, don’t follow rule 2.
  4. Practice the transitions. What will get you from one point to the next? Is it “if,” or “when,” or “then I.” Know and memorize the precise construction of each transitional sentence. It’s in uncertainty about transitions from one point to the next that people lose their grace in public and start saying “aaahhhh.”
  5. Don’t fear silence. You want to silence a room? Don’t talk. Be silent and look at the audience. Five seconds. Seven seconds. Just taking them in. Connecting with them. But never do it for effect. Do it to get intimate with your audience. It silences a room like you wouldn’t believe. Why? Because it’s not normal. Audiences are used to speakers filling every nanosecond with the sound of their own voice, leaving zero time for reflection. Audiences are used to being avoided, not appreciated. When they come upon someone who can command their own silence, they understand, “This person is serious.”
  6. Never, ever, ever use PowerPoint as your speech notes. The slides are for your audience, not for you. The moment they see you rattling through a list of bullets that you should have had the courtesy to memorize, they put you in a category with every other boring presenter they’ve ever seen and you’ve lost them.
  7. Give something of yourself. Don’t be afraid to feel something in front of an audience. Don’t be afraid to say something that will make you feel something, and that will make the audience feel something.
  8. Be yourself. Don’t feel you need to mimic the testosterone level of a motivational speaker. You will look and feel fake. Robert Kennedy never tried to copy Martin Luther King’s rhetorical skills. RFK was soft-spoken. He owned that. And as a result, was every bit as affecting as King.

The Power of Body Language

Body language is part of non-verbal communication. It is the combination of movements, gestures, and postures. This includes the way a speaker talks, moves and looks on stage. Body language is part of the message a speaker wants to give.

Many people only think body language is only about the way you position yourself on stage. This is a big part of it, but there is much more. Body language shows your confidence. The right attitude on stage gives you an air of authority, which supports your story.

The importance of body language in public speaking

Why is body language important? You can say that having the wrong body language makes that your talk almost can’t be a success. You need a lot of talent on other elements to make up for bad body language.

Some examples of bad body language include: turning your back to the audience, moving around too much or hiding behind a desk. Gesturing also can have a bad influence on your talk. Being too aggressive in your gestures, drumming your fingers or even biting your nails are also bad examples.

But even when you aren’t doing a bad job, improving your body language can have a big effect. Especially on the way, the audience receives your talk. It can make a difference between a nice talk and actually persuading people. This is why it is important for everyone to pay attention to.

What to pay attention to

Good body language means you are paying attention to different elements. For example, you have to know how to move, where to look, where to stand and what gestures to make.

Looking at your audience

Are you looking towards your audience? Or are you one of those speakers who have a tendency to look behind you at the screen? Are you giving your entire audience the attention and not just a happy few?

Where are you on stage?

As a speaker, you always have to be aware of where you are on stage. It means you have to think about where you will sit in a panel discussion and where to (not) move to when walking around.


Importance of facial expressions: are you smiling?

Did you know for example that smiling makes people more comfortable with you as a speaker? Your facial expressions are extremely important in public speaking. The way you look says a lot about how you feel and about your message. At the same time, you don’t want to be smiling through a very serious story. Your facial expressions should be in line with the story.


COMMUNICATION SKILLS :

My life’s work is centered around communication. Doing more of it, more effectively and illustrating how communication is more than a “soft skill”, but one that leads to real, meaningful business results. But at no other time in my life have I learned more about the practical application of communication than I have in the last year.

1st stop: Courage

In most families, there’s some element of stifling what needs to be said for the sake of cohesion and peace. But, when is it too much? Within the first hour of the road trip, my husband, children and I began a lively conversation of current events.

At some point, my daughter said “gee Mom, you’re sounding salty today!” I replied “I’ve spent the first half of my life quieting my voice for the sake of harmony, and all it got me was the increased volume of the voice inside my head!” She called that “salty” – I call that being “authentic.”

Now having said that, there are some key companions to having the courage to be salty and authentic. Respect and safety are non-negotiable, but it begs the question –how courageous are you being when it comes to cultivating communication in your organization?

Next stop: Generosity

When you’re traveling in a total of three cars, it’s critical to agree on the preferred mode of communication before beginning the journey. Someone will need to use the bathroom and someone else will need a snack and rather than relying on hand gestures and “smoke signals”, we saved ourselves a lot of confusion by agreeing on how we would communicate between cars before we departed.

Not long into the journey, we received a call from the car behind us, requesting more reliable use of our turn signals – a critical instrument in good driver communication. Being generous with these strategies dramatically improved our ability to stay connected and signal our intentions.

What tools do you have at your fingertips that could improve the quality of your team communication with more generous and consistent use?


3rd stop: Adaptability

The trick to remaining adaptable is staying flexible in the face of friction. Never was this clearer than when I found myself on the back of a horse. My horse had a reputation for taking a leisurely pace and taking every opportunity to graze on the nearby brush. Perhaps you have team members prone to similar distractions?

The wranglers taught me how to use my reins and my legs to communicate with my horse, and I found myself incorporating favorite techniques as well – verbal cues and encouraging behaviors.

Some techniques worked better for the horse and some worked better for me, but as the week progressed, we both managed to adapt and find common ground. My horse also like to trot when it suited him and I wasn’t quite ready for that.

At first, I resisted and endured a very bumpy ride. But the more I leaned in to the rhythm and began anticipating what he would do next, the smoother and more fun the rides became.

Final stop: Curiosity

When you are on vacation with eight very different people, asking questions and listening skills need to rule the day! I can’t think of an occasion where one needs to be the smartest person in the room and especially not on vacation with family.

Being curious, assuming positive intent and seeking to understand are all skills that served me well on this trip and maintained and enhanced very important relationships in my life. Which relationships on your team or in your organization could benefit from a renewed sense of curiosity?



ACTIVE LISTENING SKILLS

In today’s world of high tech and high stress, communication is more important than ever, however we spend less and less time really listening to each other. Genuine, attentive listening has become rare.

Active listening skills can help build relationships, solve problems, ensure understanding and avoid conflict. By becoming a better listener, you’ll improve your workplace productivity, as well as your ability to lead a team, persuade and negotiate.

Active listening definition

Active listening requires the listener to fully concentrate, understand, respond and then remember what is being said. You make a conscious effort to hear and understand the complete message being spoken, rather than just passively hearing the message of the speaker.

In this article, we’ll cover the following:

  1. Why is listening important?
  2. Benefits of active listening
  3. What makes a good listener?
  4. Verbal and non-verbal signs of active listening
  5. Four different listening styles
  6. Examples of active listening
  7. Barriers to effective listening
  8. Tips to becoming an effective listener
  9. Listening exercises

Why is listening important?

Listening is the most fundamental component of communication skills. Listening is not something that just happens, listening is an active process in which a conscious decision is made to listen to and understand the messages of the speaker.

Active listening is also about patience, listeners should not interrupt with questions or comments. Active listening involves giving the other person time to explore their thoughts and feelings, they should be given adequate time for that.


Benefits of active listening

There are many important benefits of active listening, these include:

  • Builds deep trust – As you cultivate the habit of listening sincerely, you invite people to open up. They can sense that you will not be jumping to conclusions based on superficial details. They also realise that you care enough about them to listen attentively. While building trust takes time, it leads to great benefits such as lifelong friendships and a promise of help in difficult times.
  • Broadens your perspective – Your own perspective in life is not the complete truth or how everyone else sees it. The way you understand life from your beliefs and thinking is only one way to look at it – listening to other people’s perspectives allows you to look at life from different perspectives, some of which you may not have thought of before.
  • Strengthens your patience – The ability to be a good listener takes time and you need to develop it with regular efforts over time. But as you gradually get better and better at listening, an automatic benefit is that you develop patience. Patience to let the other person express his or her feelings and thoughts honestly while you don’t judge.
  • Makes you approachable – As you present yourself as a patient listener, people feel more naturally inclined to communicate with you. By being there for them, you give them the freedom to express their feelings.


  • WHAT MAKES A GOOD LISTENER?

  • Good listeners actively endeavour to understand what others are really trying to say, regardless of how unclear the messages might be. Listening involves not only the effort to decode verbal messages, but also to interpret non-verbal cues such as facial expressions and physical posture.
  • Effective listeners make sure to let others know that they have been heard, and encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings fully.
  • You also need to show to the person speaking that you’re listening through non-verbal cues, such as maintaining eye contact, nodding your head and smiling, agreeing by saying ‘Yes’. By providing this feedback the person speaking will usually feel more at ease and communicates more easily, openly and honestly.


    Thanks for reading.

Attitude Is Everything-Here’s How to Keep It Positive

Even if –at any given time–your choices of action are limited, your choices regarding your attitude are not. Always choose a positive attitude.

A positive attitude makes you happier and more resilient, it improves your relationships, and it even increases your chances of success in any endeavor. In addition, having a positive attitude makes you more creative and it can help you to make better decisions. To top it all off, there are studies that show that people with a positive attitude live longer than their sourpuss counterparts.

There are people who seem perpetually perky and whose good nature appears as innate as their eye color. But attitude is not a fixed state. Whether you are 15 years old or 50, your outlook toward life is always under construction. It’s never too late to change it. If your attitude is deflating you, here’s how to pump it up.

What if there was a way you could easily expand your mind and see greater possibilities in life? What if you could develop better skills naturally?

When people think of having a positive attitude, they probably think it’s little more than plastering a smile on their face and trying to think happy thoughts.

But it’s more than that.

A positive attitude is something that goes deeper and has an effect beyond surface cheer. Negative attitudes promote fear, and a narrowing of focus and the mind, while positive attitudes do the opposite. No one should live in a constant state of “fight or flight”, but negative attitudes create exactly that scenario.

Studies have also shown that having a true positive attitude makes your view of life seem broad, full of possibilities. That view leads to actually living your life in a way that makes it natural to be exposed to and acquire new skills.

1. Evaluate your current attitude.

This is the hardest step in the process. You need to detach from yourself and take a hard look at how you respond to situations.

  • Identify your problem feelings. What attitudes make you feel most negative about yourself?
  • Identify your problem behaviors. What actions create conflict between you and others?
  • Identify your problem thinking. What thoughts cloud or control your mind?

2. Write a statement of purpose.

If your biggest flaw is impatience with others, for example, vow to take a deep breath, listen to them more carefully and develop empathy—an ability to see situations through other people’s eyes. If your downfall is complaining, learn to smile, speak positive words, or if all else fails, silence yourself entirely.

3. Find new words.

If you were trying to motivate other people, you’d pump them up, wouldn’t you? You’d offer words of support, encouragement and inspiration.

Do you do the same for yourself? So many people I’ve met—people with tremendous potential—shortchange themselves with a self-defeating internal voice. I can’t. I doubt. I don’t think. I don’t have the time. I’m afraid. I don’t believe.

This self-doubt darkens our attitudes, limits our success and casts a shadow over our lives. The fix is easy: Change the language. I can. I expect the best. I know. I’ll make the time. I am confident. I believe.

4. Rewire your thought patterns.

Our feelings come from our thoughts. We can change them by changing our thought patterns.

It’s our thoughts, not our circumstances, that determine our happiness. Often, people are convinced they will be happy when they attain a certain goal. When they do, they are surprised and disappointed to discover that they don’t feel fulfilled. What they don’t realize is the act of filling one’s mind with good thoughts every day, regardless of what’s going on in their lives, will bring more overall satisfaction than the one-time high of a job well done.

5. Develop good habits.

An attitude is nothing more than a habit of thought. Habits aren’t instincts; they’re acquired actions. They don’t just happen; they are caused. Many people allow their habits to control them. That’s good if the habits enhance our quality of life. If not, well, life becomes cloudy indeed. You can change your habits. Here’s how:

  •  List your bad habits.
  •  Determine the root cause(s) behind them.
  •  Determine a positive habit to replace a bad one.
  •  Take action to develop that.
  •  Act upon this new habit daily.
  •  Reward yourself by noting one of the benefits of this new habit.

I see habit change as a process, so don’t dismay if you don’t see results overnight. The early stages will be the hardest. Those bad habits want to remain in control. In the middle stages, you’re on the proverbial fence, deciding whether to step fully onto the other side or tumble back into your old ways. In the late stage, you’ve successfully corrected a flaw and are enjoying the attitudinal shift that comes with it. But beware: Complacency is the enemy. Just ask anyone who has lost weight only to gain it back.

Back to that Gatorade commercial, where tennis great Serena Williams looks dead-on at the camera, steely-eyed. Her secret to victory was being “on the wrong side in the biggest upset of your sport,” a reference to her stunning fall in the 2015 U.S. Open to Roberta Vinci, an unseeded player from Italy.

Two years later, she became the only tennis player, man or woman, to win 23 singles Grand Slam titles in the Open era.

“I’ve had to learn to fight all my life—got to learn to keep smiling,” she says. “If you smile, things will work out.”

The Ultimate Guide to Confidence : Preparing Yourself for Success!

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From the quietly confident doctor whose advice we rely on, to the charismatic confidence of an inspiring speaker, self-confident people have qualities that everyone admires.

Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle: people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful.

After all, most people are reluctant to back a project that’s being pitched by someone who was nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic.

On the other hand, you might be persuaded by someone who speaks clearly, who holds his or her head high, who answers questions assuredly, and who readily admits when he or she does not know something.

Confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

The good news is that self-confidence really can be learned and built on. And, whether you’re working on your own confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well-worth the effort!

What Is Self-Confidence?

Two main things contribute to self-confidence: self-efficacy and self-esteem.

We gain a sense of self-efficacy when we see ourselves (and others similar to ourselves) mastering skills and achieving goals that matter in those skill areas. This is the confidence that, if we learn and work hard in a particular area, we’ll succeed; and it’s this type of confidence that leads people to accept difficult challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.

Lack of Confidence

First of fall we need to understand the reason for lack of confidence. Lack of confidence is due to a fear of one kind or another (mostly unfounded). As an American wrote, “my life was full of misfortunes which never happened”.

Of course, one need not be reckless. Yet, harboring fear never helps. We need to think rationally and pen down what makes us afraid and why. This process helps remove some of the fear and begins the path of building confidence.

A famous Management Guru one said that there are four ‘C’s which form the foundation of an individual’s growth and a Company’s progress. These four virtues are – Curiosity, Confidence, Courage and Consistency. The most important of these happen to be Confidence. If absence of confidence the other virtues will simply disappear.
It is said that “they conquer who believe they can”. Self-belief is thus the second important factor in building up confidence. Confidence emerging out of self-belief is necessary for any significant achievement. New opportunities always carry some incidence of chance. For taking any initiative you must be prepared to take calculated risk. In fact not taking any risk is the biggest risk of life.

Further, Confidence enables you to trust yourself. And if you don’t trust yourself, nobody else will. No one will feel secure in placing any responsibility on you. That will be the dead end. There is no further growth.

Lost Opportunities

Often we do not see opportunities because we are not interested. On the face of it, lack of desire acts as a strong handicap in our progress and growth. But, Confidence trains our mind to desire what the situation demands. It makes us alert enough to recognize and seize emerging opportunities. With desire created by confidence we look ahead, strive hard and succeed.

Confidence breeds courage

For taking risk of any kind one needs to have courage. If we have confidence; we will be able to rise up to the demands of the situation. So we must go ahead and take calculated risk. Courage enables us to move ahead! Yet, if there is no confidence it will be very difficult to harness courage.

Smile

Most people lack self-confidence. You can help them! Smile. Your smile will reassure them. You will be doing a great job helping them to gain confidence. This is particularly true when somebody is meeting a new group of people. We must also remember that the more we are helping others to gain confidence, the more we enhance our own self-confidence! We help ourselves too!!!

Your confidence depends on how you have been influenced by people around you till now. Be it your parents, your teachers, your friends and others you have been meeting. Some of the influences have created positive impact. ‘Yes, you can do it and you must try’. This motivates you to act even if there is some risk. ‘No, you can’t do it’, ‘it is not for you’ ‘what will others say when you fail’- these are some of the negative thoughts, instilled by people around you, or due to your own brooding. These hold you back.

Faith, Fear and Action are three most important ingredients of your self-confidence. Today, everyone realizes the importance of self-confidence. Your career, your relations with others, your progress in life or even your reputation- all depend on your self- confidence. Your ability to overcome fears and your determination to take action even in adverse circumstances give it a boost. Anyone who wants to grow in life must develop ability to take some risk. Of course, you must not be a dare-devil. No need to deliberately expose yourself to great risk just to show off. Nor is there a need to take risk without thinking about the results. But some calculated risk of taking action to move forward in life is necessary.

Life is not a straight line. Like the waves in the sea, it moves up and down. There is low tide and there is high tide. There could be storms like we have in the ocean. You have to accept the challenge and move forward. Your determined action further enhances your faith and allays your fears. Consider that your body is a ship. And your mind is the captain of your ship. Just as the captain of the ship has to take decisions and take action all the time- 24×7, you must do that too. This will generate the required self-confidence. And, you will start viewing the life differently. It will no longer be a burden that tires you. It will be an interesting journey that will keep you in good cheer.

Some other suggestions to build your confidence and conquer your fears are:

  1. Belief in yourself
  2. Associate with confidence people
  3. Keep motivating yourself by dwelling on positive thoughts
  4. Be the master of your ship of life.
  5. Never remain idle.

Ways to Improve Confidence

There are two sides to improving confidence. Although the ultimate aim is to feel more confident in yourself and your abilities it is also worth considering how you can appear more confident to other people. The following list has lots of ideas on how to achieve this.

Planning and Preparation

People often feel less confident about new or potentially difficult situations. Perhaps the most important factor in developing confidence is planning and preparing for the unknown.

If you are applying for a new job, for example, it would be a good idea to prepare for the interview. Plan what you would want to say and think about some of the questions that you may be asked.  Practice your answers with friends or colleagues and gain their feedback.

There are many other examples of planning for an interview. Perhaps you should visit the hairdresser before you go. How are you going to travel to the interview and how long will the journey take? What should you wear? Take control of unknown situations the best you can, break down tasks into smaller sub-tasks and plan as many as you can.

In some situations it may be necessary to also have contingency plans – backup plans if your main plan fails. If you had planned to travel to your interview by car but on the morning the car wouldn’t start how would you get there? Being able to react calmly to the unexpected is a sign of confidence.

Learning, Knowledge and Training

Knowing what to expect and how and why things are done will add to your awareness and usually make you feel more prepared and ultimately more confident.

However, learning and gaining knowledge can sometimes make us feel less confident about our abilities to perform roles and tasks, and when this happens we need to combine our knowledge with experience. By doing something we have learned a lot about we put theory to practice which develops confidence and adds to the learning and comprehension.

First-time parents to-be may well feel nervous and less than confident about having a baby. They are likely to buy books or visit websites which can offer advice and dispel some of the mysteries. They are also likely to talk to other parents to gain knowledge and understanding.

In the workplace, training may be provided for staff to teach them how to manage or work with new systems and procedures. During a period of organizational change this is particularly important as many people will naturally resist changes. However if those affected by the changes are given adequate information and training then such resistances can usually be minimized as the staff feel more prepared and therefore more confident with the new system.

Positive Thought

Positive thought can be a very powerful way of improving confidence.

If you believe that you can achieve something then you are likely to work hard to make sure you do if, however, you don’t believe that you can accomplish a task then you are more likely to approach it half-heartedly and therefore be more likely to fail. The trick is convincing yourself that you can do something – with the right help, support, preparedness and knowledge.a BA degree in the US.

There is a lot of information about positive thinking both online and in print. The basic rules of positive thinking are to highlight your strengths and successes and learn from your weaknesses and mistakes. This is a lot easier than it sounds, and we often dwell on things that we are not happy with from our past – making them into bigger issues than they need to be. These negative thoughts can be very damaging to confidence and your ability to achieve goals.

Know your strengths and weaknesses. Write a list of things that you are good at and things that you know need improvement. Discuss your list with friends and family as, inevitably, they will be able to add to the list. Celebrate and develop your strengths and find ways to improve or manage your weaknesses.

We all make mistakes. Don’t think of your mistakes as negatives but rather as learning opportunities.

Accept compliments and compliment yourself. When you receive a compliment from somebody else, thank them and ask for more details; what exactly did they like? Recognize your own achievements and celebrate them by rewarding yourself and telling friends and family about them.

Use criticism as a learning experience. Everybody sees the world differently, from their own perspective, and what works for one person may not work for another. Criticism is just the opinion of somebody else. Be assertive when receiving criticism, don’t reply in a defensive way or let criticism lower your self-esteem. Listen to the criticism and make sure that you understand what is being said so you can use criticism as a way to learn and improve. See our page: Dealing with Criticism for more information.

Try to stay generally cheerful and have a positive outlook on life. Only complain or criticize when necessary and, when you do, do so in a constructive way. Offer others compliments and congratulate them on their successes. You may find our page Offering Constructive Criticism helpful.

Find yourself a confidence role-model.

Ideally this will be someone that you see regularly, a work colleague, a family member or a friend – somebody with a lot of self-confidence who you’d like to mirror. Observe them and notice how they behave when they are being confident. How do they move, how do they speak, what do they say and when? How do they behave when faced with a problem or mistake? How do they interact with other people and how do others react to them?

If possible talk to them to learn more about how they think and what makes them tick.

Speaking to and being around people who are confident will usually help you to feel more confident. Learn from others who are successful in fulfilling the tasks and goals that you wish to achieve – let their confidence rub off on you.

As you become more confident then offer help and advice, become a role-model for somebody less confident.ince Lombardi – Successful American Football coach.

Generally people are attracted to confident people – confidence is one of the main characteristics of charisma. See our page: What is Charisma? for a full explanation.

Experience

As we successfully complete tasks and goals, our confidence that we can complete the same and similar tasks again increases.

A simple example of this is driving a car. Most people who have been driving for some time do so almost automatically – they don’t have to think about which peddle to push or how to handle a junction in the road, they just do it. This contrasts to a learner driver who will probably feel nervous and have to concentrate hard. The learner lacks experience and therefore confidence in their ability to drive.

Gaining experience and taking the first step can, however, be very difficult. Often the thought of starting something new is worse than actually doing it. This is where preparation, learning and thinking positively can help.

Break roles and tasks down into small achievable goals. Make each one of your goals fit SMART criteria. That is to make goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed. Our page Setting Personal Goals explains this in more detail.

Whatever you do, aim to become as good as you can. The better you are at doing something the more confident you become.

Be Assertive

Being assertive means standing up for what you believe in and sticking to your principles.

Being assertive also means that you can change your mind if you believe it is the right thing to do, not because you are under pressure from somebody else.

Assertiveness, confidence and self-esteem are all very closely linked – usually people become naturally more assertive as they develop their confidence.

See our Assertiveness section and Assertiveness Techniques page for more information.

Keep Calm

There is usually a correlation between confidence and calmness.

If you feel confident about a task then you will likely feel calm about doing it. When you feel less confident you are more likely to be stressed or nervous.

Trying to remain calm, even when you’re under stress and pressure, will tend to make you feel more confident.

To do this it is useful to learn how to relax. Learn at least one relaxation technique that works for you and that you can use if you’re feeling stressed. This may be as simple as taking some deliberate deep breaths both in and out. For more ideas see our page, Relaxation Techniques.

Avoid Arrogance

Arrogance is detrimental to interpersonal relationships.

As your confidence grows and you become successful, avoid feeling or acting superior to others. Remember – nobody is perfect and there is always more that you can learn. Celebrate your strengths and successes, and recognize your weaknesses and failures. Give others credit for their work – use compliments and praise sincerely. Be courteous and polite, show an interest in what others are doing, ask questions and get involved.

Don’t Let A Negative Attitude Ruin Your Life!

Image result for negative emotions

Attitude is everything, for better or worse. The way you perceive and explain the world has a powerful effect on the results you obtain. A negative attitude is almost a guarantee that life will be more difficult and less fulfilling than it should be. Further, a pessimistic outlook will adversely affect your health, relationships, and professional growth. Learn how a negative mindset develops and the steps you can take to transform it.

How Does a Negative Attitude Develop?

Image result for negative emotions

It is necessary to identify the negativity in your attitude. What is negative attitude? Negative attitude is when you start focusing on the problems that you might face during your efforts to achieve your goals. It is the lack of hope that things will happen to help you out in your mission. It is the feeling that people will not help you because on earlier occasions you met with rejections. Negative attitude is the lack of your conviction that you can overcome the hurdles that you might face during your journey. In a sense, negative attitude is also a lack of belief in you.

Attitude is your response to a situation, circumstance, person or an object.  But the detailed definition of attitude would be; a predisposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively to a situation, circumstance, person, idea or an object. It influences a person’s choice of action and response to challenges, incentives, rewards etc. These are called stimuli. Stimuli are challenges, incentives and rewards.

Life is a continuous interplay of problems and solutions. Every day comes with some kind of problems small, medium or large. It is our job to find a solution and resolve the same with our required action. Not finding a solution or alternative solutions is the biggest problem which needs to be avoided in any case. “It is said that every challenge offers new opportunities. No doubt it does. Then how is it that we are afraid of challenges. Two reasons. Our negative attitude and lack of courage. Then what should we do? How do we change? How should we develop a positive attitude? Certainly there is no quick fix. But the reward of bringing about this change i.e. from negative attitude to cultivating positive one, very well deserves, the efforts that we have to put in. And what are these efforts? How do we go about it?

Some more symptoms of negative attitude are enumerated below:

  1. Laziness: When you think you don’t have the energy to get up and do the work. Sometimes you don’t even think and realize that laziness is simply whiling away the time. It is not even procrastination which will be described separately.
  2. Low self-esteem: It is an extremely harmful attribute in your personality. You start thinking that you are good for nothing. You accept the situations in which you are because your self-esteem is so low that you think you can do nothing better.
  3. Low productivity: Work has a strange tendency of expanding as per the time available. Even worse is when no time is allotted for the completion of a task. This gives you a feeling of solving certain important problems whereas in fact you are just being satisfied in remaining busy. This approach will never allow you to increase your productivity. For doing more in a given time, you have to stretch yourself. Therefore is it necessary that you allot specific time duration for a task. In the beginning, the allocation may seem difficult, but once you form a habit it will become much easier. Difficult or easy, it is necessary.
  4. Lack of initiative: For any significant progress, initiative is necessary. What is initiative? Initiative is your first step for going ahead with a task. When it is something new, you have to creatively think and courageously take the first step, even if there is some risk. No risk is the biggest risk in life. Any significant initiative cannot be taken to move forward without accepting this reality. So don’t be afraid to take initiative.
  5. Not listening to understand: In the course of conversations, sometimes we tend to focus so much on what we have to say, that we stop listening to the other person. This is particularly so when the speaker has said something for which we have a ready argument to negate what he has said. Unfortunately, such a habit does not allow us to listen and assimilate what the speaker says after that. Evidently it leads to miscommunication and problems. The solution is first understand and then be understood.
  6. Faking: We feel envious of some people who are more successful in the material sense than we think that they deserve. Such a feeling leads us to a myth that it is their style which makes them successful and we try to imitate their conduct. This is a extremely bad situation. We lose belief in ourselves, and how can we expect that others will believe us.
  7. Not trying to express: When we have certain ideas, but either we do not want to express, or we are afraid to express, is also indicative of our negative attitude. It is necessary to develop an ability to express without hesitation. The fear of rejection which takes away your ability to act is one of the serious handicaps.
  8. Not learning lessons from mistakes: There is no one who does not commit mistakes. Whenever we undertake something new, mistakes may happen. This is normal. However, repeating the same mistake again and again, is neither normal, nor should be acceptable. Thus we must learn lessons from our past mistakes and use these lessons to direct our future efforts.
  9. Ego: Ego happens to be another aspect of personality which does not allow us to grow. Ego comes in the way of our approaching people to help us. It makes us believe that it is below our dignity to seek help. A success Guru had said that there are eleven principles of achieving success. And what are these eleven principles? These are, ask, ask, ask…. (Eleven times).
  10. Jealousy: Jealousy is a negative emotion which keeps sapping our creative energies. We gain nothing in the process. It makes us feel as victims of fate or poor destiny. Jealousy may even take away our sound sleep. The worst part is that sometimes it cannot be contained, it goes on swelling. Jealousy must be thwarted out of the personality.
  11. Avoiding hard work: There is only one way to success, and that is the hard way. If we habitually seek short cuts it will be very difficult for us to work hard. What is working hard? When you are fully devoted to completing the job and you forget even your surroundings, you continue to work even when you are tired because you want to complete. That aspect of work may be termed as hard work. Initially it may be very difficult, but then one can form a habit. For any significant progress, hard work is necessary.

Chisel this change with following measures:

Look for rose flower not the thorns. No doubt the rose plant is full of thorns. If you are afraid about the thorns you may never reach the rose. So focus only on the rose. Be careful about the thorns and get the rose. Rose is your reward. In fact that’s what you want- the rose. But the plant is full of problems. These are challenges. Don’t be scared about challenges and with careful efforts you will surely secure your results.

Procrastination is the bane of life. It doesn’t allow you to go ahead and take action. Procrastination pushes you into laziness and a maze of indecisive thinking. It is the worst enemy of positive attitude. So defeat it. Always believe in ‘doing it now!”

Anyone has the strengths and weaknesses. Rely on your strengths. Leverage these for productive work. Leverage these for overcoming your weaknesses. Identify the weaknesses and do all what it takes to overcome these. It will raise your self-esteem. It will develop your positive attitude.

Banish these four negative emotions that ruin your efforts to develop a positive attitude. These are: Indecision, Suspicious, Greed and Credulity. Actually each one of these emotions becomes the reason for tragedy of Shakespearean Heroes as under.

Hamlet was indecisive.

Othello was an embodiment or suspicious.

Macbeth moves to the tragic end because of unending Greed.

King Lear suffered because of credulity. Being credulity leads to people hoodwinking you. This leads to disillusionment & suffering. In turn, it makes you a negative thinker.

Breed Positive Assumptions about people and about situations. Often times, we do not reach out to people for help because we are afraid of rejection. Never be afraid of rejection. Even if it happens, take it in its stride. Often, you will be surprised that those very people regarding whom you harbored negative assumptions are happy to help you. I read a book which in the preface talked about success- Eleven important principles of success and what are these?                                                                                                                                                                                       Ask, Ask, Ask………..11 times.

Marry the spouse whom you love. Otherwise start loving earnestly whom you marry. Our likes and dislikes are not writings on the wall. They keep on changing like anything else. So you can start loving your job and you must. It will make your attitude positive.

Last but not the least. Avoid negative influences. Don’t have company of negative people, don’t read negative literature and don’t watch negative movies. All pleasure seekers end in pain. Those who lure you to undesirable stuff don’t deserve your attention or regard.

In the age of Information Technology and extensive use of computers, one way consider the human brain as a unique operating system capable of producing excellent solutions to all your problems all that you have to do is to keep on updating the system i.e. your brain with the lessons life teaches from day-to-day because
You come to this world with the balance sheet of the previous birth. A programmed of possibilities you call it ‘Samskara’.
You study the features of the program or you don’t.
You learn to use it or you don’t.
You strive to enhance it to bring out the newer better utilities or you don’t.
You are places in certain circumstances: you have a duty to perform. You carry out your duty or you don’t.
You crave out a life for yourself or you don’t.
If you decide your profession you define your duties, or you don’t. Own turn.  Even then, either you define your duties, or you don’t.
Whichever way you define your own duty, you perform your duty or you don’t.
If you perform your duty, utilize fully your operating systems inbuilt software – your ‘Sanskara’, keep on enhancing it, bringing out new, better versions and keep on utilizing your own operating systems; you are a yogi. Or the great Bill.
The important message is to keep on updating your wisdom the human ‘operating system’ for better decisions. And also to take good care of your thoughts because they have an important bearing on your life.
Think big, and think great School your thoughts, it is never late.
Thoughts are like the Seeds in earth; these condition the fruits before their birth. Good thoughts Make your decisions good Bring out the best as they should.
Thoughts of jealousy, malice and similar kind enter your mind, make you mad, and blind!
While your thoughts and a constant desire to develop a positive attitude will take care of your mental health, it is equally necessary if not more, to take good care of your body your physical health. A software engineer ensures that his computer is not only updated with latest technology in the field off his operation but also is free from any viruses and is technically sound. Likewise to get the best out of human life, it is essential to maintain excellent health both physical and mental. Human body is much more than a machine. So it requires much greater care as it is…
A unique body with priceless mind comprises Creator’s greatest gift to mankind in calculate good health Not for body alone
Money mends many things can surely contribute to good health money for its own sake is a wasteful wealth.
Your good health alone can give you a store house of energy that you always need. Besides, one must understand that to lead a meaningful and healthy life, abundant energy is a pre-requisite.
Energy is a life force your activity’s chief resources mind gives you direction Energy helps implementation action choose appropriate combination of the two according to your profession whatever you do
A rigorous regime need not be imposed regulate thought process. Devoid of stress get abundant energy, and be composed.
With a sound mind, a healthy body and a wonderful storehouse of energy good decision come easy. And you know.
When to act or to desist it’s a quality essential top on the list of people desiring success and they persist pursuing their goals with decision fast there’s little doubt that their success will last
Whenever you have decided to launch an important project some opposition from known or unknown quarters can always come. Often opposition comes from close quarters. Colleagues, friends and even relatives may criticize only for the sake of criticism. There may even be some latent motive. So be prepared and have conviction in what you do.
When you are convinced what you say is right when no other alternative is within your sight and for your right you are prepared to fight your conviction you let speak even strong opponent will act weak
There is so much in life and so much to do. However for anything new even within your existing project you must get used to taking initiative. Besides having ample initiative gives such a great confidence and makes every day more interesting. Pray to your God the Almighty, the way you visualize him saying.
Grant me an unending initiative to further my tasks and be creative indecision clarity may rule throughout
Risks may not, my mind, shatter completing tasks be my only matter Flexibility when required let always come so that my day’s battles are won
Rigidity of ideas must be never display democratic openness must come to play your grace may always shine brighter making me your devotee, a downright fighter
Whatever you my do, doing it well is of utmost importance for…
Aspiration to know even more, delving deep into matter core availing fully faculties of the mind Virtue this is, of a splendid kind let your imagination fly free awakening creativity to a finer degree pondering on the problem in hand solutions come with a magic wand
If you try to pay less heed searching shortcuts to successes you tend to loose you aim and enter another futile game virtue tells not of easy means strengthens your will; goals are easier seen.
Hindu philosophy suggests that life is a continues battle where we have to fight out against the implementing hurdles, difficulties created by others etc. if life is a battle ground, be always prepared to fight your battle well.
Most humans are fond of celebrating their victories without fighting their battles.
Don’t announce your victory without fighting the battle don’t celebrate the success don’t let reason rattle. Success does not always, come with effortless ease, as though you are the only person for her, to please. Hold yourself and give, your own mind, time to think nothing worthwhile is achieved in a fleeting moment, the time, it takes to blink.
Most off the conscious times, you are at your work. So if you can be happy while working you really feel that life worth living.
By following these simple hints and practices, you are well on your way to create a positive attitude and you must.
Row the boat of ‘duty’ sail safely across a sea. Search through your mind what your duty can be. Never is there a situation nor any circumstance that could ever effect your intention of duty; you want to perform.
Hindrances, hurdles even hurricane may hurt or shake your resolve. With devotion to your duty; Grater courage will evolve. Duty first, always in mind greater joy; you will never find.
Unfortunately, sometimes we develop a tendency to complain and even so bitterly about the fallacies that we come across in the system, in the organization we work or among the people we interact with.
But one must move on with life without complaining.
Why should you? Always make a fuss living in your static world rather catch life’s vibrant bus life moves on and so must you time will not wait whatever you may do!

6 Stages of Stage fright

Stage fright has been troubling people from the times armorial. One wants to speak to a group, to express himself or herself, they have the ideas and want to share knowledge but the stage fright scares them.
What is stage fright and how does it operate?
I’ll describe six stages of stage fright to explain in totality why and how it takes place. After understanding the root cause of the problem, I will also give suggestions as to how you can avoid stage fright. This video has been prepared for all those friends who are afflicted by the demon called stage fright, but do not know how to avoid, how to overcome or how to conquer this enemy of the human confidence.

Stage 1:  

It starts no sooner you accept the assignment of making a speech. After confirming, you start thinking why did you agree? You are not a public presentation. What if you tail to come up to the expectation of the audience? You will make a tool of yourself and for no reason. Instead of sitting downer and preparing, you harbor these negative thoughts unmil you get involved in your activities.

Stage 2:

These constant negative thoughts start scaring you. You feel something ominous is ahead of you, recollection of the previous occasions when you could not perform well bring a kind of misery. Efforts to prepare the speech even when you sit down to write do not bring positive results. What happens next? What does it lead to?

Stage 3:

Fear provoking thoughts make you anxious. The anxiety starts working. It breeds worry making it extremely difficult to prepare a proper speech. For sure, there are more negative thoughts. And that leads the stage 4.

Stage 4:  

You anxiety is increased with deepening fear and non-preparation. The problem grows and disturbs your logical thinking. But now it’s a point of no return. Some days have passed and there is no way you can come out of the predicament. Then it leads to stage5.

Stage 5:  

Focus on fears, anxiety and worry cause distraction. This makes the task even more difficult. But somehow you prepare the speech. It doesn’t even appeal to you. But you can do nothing. So you are ready but with a substandard speech.

Stage 6:  

You are on the stage. You are nervous. Whatever you had prepared, even that plays hide and seek with you. You start making the same mistakes which you had predicted. Your legs shake, hands shiver voice cracks. Instead of 15 minute speech you could last only for 5 to 6 minutes. Your enemy stage fright had the day of celebration. It had won. You come down as a defeated person.
Now, let me tell you how to tame this wild bull, your victor – the stage fright. I’ll briefly but clearly explain the five steps formula to beat your enemy down.

Step One:

The day you agree to speak, on the same day you should note down the points which you will like to project. Whatever you know is fine. Google out the rest. Having the points is just like collecting your ammunition.

Step Two:

Next day, you go through these points a number of times. You may find some of them not so lethal while you find others like dynamites. Retain the dynamites and throw away the weaklings. Don’t keep anything extra. Now, you are ready to wage a war. You have all the weapons.

Step Three:

Again you go through the points you have now collected. As you have slept over them for 2days, you will find it very easy to put them in proper order. One naturally will lead to another and you will have a good sketon for your speech. It is the framework of your final delivery. Just like a general of an army strategizes the attack and keep ready to wage a war against your abominable enemy stage fright. This done, you must visualize yourself as the victor in the mar. See yourself battling away all the enemies, big and small.

Step Four:

Just visualization will not help. It will inspire to put in all the hard work that lies ahead. Now, for balance days that you have, you must practice, practice and practice. Since it’s your first big battle no am omit of practice is too much. Practice as much as you can but also some more.

Step Five:

On the day of reckoning go to the appointed place at least ½ an hour early. Meet organizers and others who have come. Talk to them informally. You know your subject in and out. You have practiced your speech more number of times than anyone can imagine. You are sure to come out as a winner. Stage fright will be scared of you and you will rock the stage. Wherever there is applause allow people to have their way. Don’t limit their appreciation. Thank them with you facial expression and then centinue. At the end receive compliments grace fully and not sheepishly.
Now you are ready for the next expedition.
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