SIMPLE

One of the challenges people in general and teachers in particular grapple with is to make their communciation SIMPLE. The key here is to ensure that Something Informative is Made Plain Lucid and Easy. No doubt it is easier said than done for it takes a special effort to ensure that things can be made simple. However if we have closely studied the more popular teachers in school or some of the exceptional tuition teachers in coaching classes, we would observe that it is their ability to simplify the complicated, the difficult made to look easy and their lucid explanations that endear them to us.

We must take a cue from them and develop our own style to ensure that our communication, interaction, explanations are SIMPLE, for then it can be quickly grasped, understood and acted upon by the receiver. One of the difficulties that impede our ability to be simple is our obsessive need to sound intelligent and articulate. In this process, we end up using jargon, buzzwords and acronyms to show off our superiority. Most times we end up alienating our audience, confusing them and making them feel inadequate, which ultimately leads them to abandon the interaction lest they make a fool of themselves.

The most common problem in simplifying matters is our own lack of preparation and effort. If we want to ensure understanding, it is critical that we understand our audience their abilities and their grasp of the subject. This understanding should be put in perspective when we draw up our communication so as to ensure that we do not alienate them during the process of communication. All this takes effort and we need to ask ourselves if we have that kind of zeal and motivation. Our inability to put the receiver of the communication first, invariably leads to a situation where we assume too much about the receiver. Consequentially we alienate them because they find us too high flown and perhaps a wee bit too intellectual for their tastes.

Using all the forms of communication available appropriately, be it visual, audio, verbal, non verbal, olfactory will ensure simple and effective communication. Equally important is the use of appropriate words and visuals to reinforce the communication and ensure it is understood in the correct context. Thus simplifying communication is quite a challenge but there is great sense of satisfaction when Something Informative is Made Plain Lucid and Easy and they respond with enthusiasm and glee.

Action Points:

1. Identify the various words in this write up that you are not familiar with and look up their meanings in the dictionary. Also try to find out the synonyms of those words. This will be one way you can improve your vocabulary.
2. Make a team of 3 persons. Now attempt to play a game called ‘What is the right word?’ The rules are simple. Person 1 will write a word on a chit and give it to Person 2, who will then get three chances to say a word that is closest in meaning to the word on the chit. Person 3 has to guess the word on the chit using the hints given by Person 2. You can decide how many clues Person 2 can give. Ideally the word is to be identified in three tries. eg. Word given is RUSH. Clues could be Haste, Run, Urgent, Speed etc.

If you have more people then make teams of twos and nominate one person to be the person giving the original word to each team of two. 

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com /

CHANGE

The problem with change is two fold; it is constant and yet it is so variable. It may sound ironic but if you delve deeply into the subject of change you would realize that there is a change every moment and that is the constant factor while the type of change keeps varying each minute too. Unfortunately since most of us are creatures of habit, change is something we find hard to  accept, impossible to avoid and difficult to ignore. Yet if we just decide to objectively look at change we can with a Clear Head Accept New Growth Emerging.

Ideally we would like the status quo to continue except on the rare times when we are in pain or discomfort or if there is hope of getting something better, enjoyable or enviable. In real life change often brings about these positive benefits, but in our skewed and concocted way of seeing things we focus on the short term compromises that change will necessitate in our lives rather than seeing the long term benefits of change. With a clear head if one tries to appreciate the need for change you will realize that in most cases the beneficiary is us, albeit the fact that we may have to pay a small price for it. Look at the concept of an express highway, which may charge us a toll and it could possibly be a few kilometers longer but the drive is smother , more pleasurable and we reach our destination faster too.

Change in personal life is not so clear cut. Age brings about changes that we may not like; wrinkles, aches and pains, baldness etc but these are gradual so we reconcile to it with a sigh. Marriage brings about a big change for we are no longer one but two in one. The adjustments that come with it stress us out once the honeymoon is over, the starry lovers dreams suddenly become a distant dream and the chores of family life suddenly overwhelm us. Most of us adjust well to these changes because we are mentally prepared for it and we have examples before us to follow. However the change that strangles you suddenly, like the loss of a spouse or child is much more harder to bear. It is not only hard to accept but it is near impossible to see the benefit of that drastic change brought about by fate.

There may not be any rationale for change and yet we have to believe that by accepting the change we can be long term beneficiaries. Death of a loved one is classic case in point. Some changes are extremely tough to accept because it may run completely counter to your point of view. Abolishment of the death penalty or reservations for the less privileged could possibly fall under this category.  Some changes are so subtle that by the time we realize that there has been a change we are either forced to accept it or forced to wring our hands in despair for it is too late to counter it. The ill effects of climate change, depletion of the ozone layer, garbage disposal problems, depleting water resource etc. are some pointers to the malaise of change.

Since change has to be accepted as a way of life, it is best we anticipate the changes, prepare for changes likely to come and accept change and adopt or adapt to it.  It is also imperative for us to realize that all change signifies opportunities for improvement, benefit and growth. However it is only a Clear Head that Accepts New Growth Emerging. 

Action Points:

1. Can you list out 3-5 changes that you know will definitely come your way in the next few years?  How are you going to cope with it? Eg. You could fall sick. I will have an insurance cover for it.
2. Being creatures of habit we find it hard to easily accept change. Hence we shall attempt to do a few exercises to appreciate this.

• Attempt to write with the other hand than the one you normally use. (Does this make you more responsive to the difficulty of a small child trying to write for the first time ).
• You might be used to having a fixed style of putting your wallet and handkerchief in your trouser pockets. For a week change the pockets in which you keep these paraphelia. (See how disturbed you get.)
• For a week, change the road that you normally take to work. Did you make any new discoveries like a new eatery or lovely tree on this road? (You won’t discover wonders till you are prepared to change.)

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/ is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

DOUBTS

Almost every day each of us is guilty of harboring DOUBTS which in effect means Dicey Opinion Uncertain Belief Truth Suspect. Doubts can be both external and internal in nature. While external doubts are all about our own suspicion about the intent, credibility and motives of people and situations we are exposed to, internal doubts are a result of lack of self belief, fear of consequences and inability to cope with pressures of life. Either way, we end up being uncomfortable, wary and untrusting which obviously leads us to living with a feeling of inadequacy and insecurity.

Those who have a compulsive feeling of insecurity, fear and suspicion are prone to harbor doubts far too often in all their interactions. While some of these negative traits are a result of unpleasant experiences most of it could be due to inappropriate scripting in the formative years either by parents, teachers or authoritative influencers. When doubts overshadow our relationships, trust is the first victim. Imagine being hauled up for cheating in an exam when you definitely did not do it. It violates your sense of fairness. If in addition you are penalized and your family does not support you, then the humiliation is complete and worse still you mistrust of those closest to you is fueled. Random events that may have shades of such injustice can then pummel you on to the path of extreme doubt and suspicion.

Similarly, when you have experienced some sort of failure; perhaps messing up your lines in a school play or being publicly reprimanded for a minor misdemeanor, in which you accidentally happen to be caught up, can flare angst at authorities and dent your confidence. Thereafter, doubts dominate your psyche and you tend to cover all your bases before making commitments and it can also include avoiding all forms of responsibilities. The down side of doubts is that we postpone, oscillate and avoid decisions. In effect we remain unsure, tend to be risk averse and lack the critical leadership skill of decision making. This in turn will reduce our effectiveness, truncate our growth professionally and personally and possibly limit our sphere of influence.

The fillip side of harboring doubts is that we become more careful, do not let prima-facie evidence sway our decisions and enable us to choose carefully reasoned outcomes with a much higher possibility of success. Doubts play a vital part in protecting us from impulsive, emotional and irrational acts but at the same time it should not become a weapon of self destruction when we fail to act on time simply because Dicey Opinion Uncertain Belief Truth Suspect becomes our daily mantra and we let our DOUBTS engulf our thought process.

Action Points:

1. Make a list of 5 people who you are uncomfortable with. Now ask if one of the reasons for you being uncomfortable is that you doubt their intentions, do not trust them to tell the truth, feel they are holding back information or doubt their actions and words are not congruent. Do you have any proof to back your feelings? For a month can you suspend judgment about them and try to remove all doubts about them and notice if your initial assessment about them is wrong.
2. Can you list out 3 events in your life where your doubts proved right and you went ahead and took action based on your hunch and so the unpleasant after effects were controlled. Also list 2 events where your doubts proved completely false and you were embarrassed or almost ruined a relationship because of your irrational doubts. Ask why did this happen and how or where did you go wrong.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com / is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our daily inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/

FRIEND

Look around and you will find plenty of people. However not all of them appeal to you and after interacting with some, you will definitely chose just a couple of people to spent more time with. As the interactions increase, there are threads of commonality and yawning chasms of differences between the individuals yet there is bonding with some individuals that defies logic and reason. Suddenly you have discovered a Fascinating Rare Individual Eternally Near & Dear whom you call a FRIEND.

No one goes around consciously identifying a friend, although it is possible that we are seeking company when amongst strangers. Take the first day of school or the first day in college or at work. There is need to interact, be accepted, have another person to lean on etc. all traits of the man being a social animal theory. In the ensuing search we seek someone with a friendly disposition, a familiar face if possible, a non threatening personality and hopefully someone we can gel with. Strangely enough the entire process of identifying such a person is largely visual, definitely perceptual and invariably fateful; some bond lifelong and most fizzle over time

It often transpires that when we see some combination of friends, we are dumbstruck as to how two diametrical opposite individuals can ever gel let alone be friends. There could be intimate friendships between people from completely divergent backgrounds culturally, financially, educationally or temperamentally. The beauty of friendship is that it transcends logic, rational and instead embraces mental bonding and emotional vibes. This can also be the reason why there are times when a friend’s friend is a complete antithesis to our expectations and we just can’t figure out how our friend can have a close friendship with a person we disapprove off or detest or loathe. Perhaps this also explains how friends become partners in crime. Somehow they seem to be in sync when it comes to their interests, passions, pleasures and they seem to believe that the end justifies the means.

It is empathy that is the corner stone of friendship. We may not approve of all that our friends do. We may in fact actively discourage them from what we perceive as illegal or undesirable activities. We may even threaten to cut of our friendship but we rarely do it except when the other party has in our view gone beyond redemption. We empathize when despite our greatest reservations, despite societal pressures and in spite of being let down by our friend, we still extend our hand of friendship simply because he/ she is a Fascinating Rare Individual Eternally Near & Dear whom you choose to call a FRIEND.

Action Points:

1. Can you remember the earliest friendships from school days? How many of them still remain your friends. What is it that binds your friendship? Can you reach out to some friends whom you have lost touch with but would cherish reconnecting with? Use social networking sites and the like to reconnect.
2. Do visit http://www.poweract.wordpress.com/  and go through the links on Friendship on the right of the blog. You will get more insights into friendship and a variety of other action points.

 Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/  

PRIDE

When we take PRIDE in any achievement we are giving ourselves Personal Recognition of Individual Development Everyday. Any achievement that involves us, makes us a shade better than what we were before the success, and it is but human for each one to feel nice about the success. Pride is essential to fuel the spirit, nourish the soul and invigorate the individual. A pat on the back for a job well done, a word of appreciation or a simple smile of recognition makes our hearts swell with pride, for we know that we stand out in the crowd.

It is important to realize that, we cannot let our success go to our heads or else we will swell with pride and like an over inflated balloon may burst at the slightest prick. An old adage states ‘Pride comes before a fall’; the obvious reference is to being so self centered about the success that we forget those who helped achieve it. While a medal winner in a competition can take pride at his/ her achievement, they have to temper that pride with the reality that, there are coaches and support staff who have worked almost as hard to ensure that success. Pride at a successful team effort is recognition of both the individual contribution and the collective team effort. It is important to realize that even the substitutes on the bench who may never have been part of a single game, take pride in being part of a team. This comes from the knowledge that it is their individual strength that made them an integral part of the team and if the opportunity had presented itself they would on the ground assisting in the victory.

Pride is not a momentry feeling or a feeling that overwhelms you at a momentous occasion. True pride is in the small achievements of every day living. When you dress up and look smart on your way to work, the little high that you get that makes you feel good and confident, is pride manifesting in you. The sense of doing good when you help someone in distress or the joy you get in wining a small prize in an impromptu event, gives your self worth a sense of recognition and triggers pride in you. It is imperative that we feel that sense of pride a number of times in a day, for that makes us more aware of the critical role we play in our daily life. It also makes us realize how each day that passes by has given us opportunities to grow physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually and PRIDE is this Personal Recognition of Individual Development Everyday.

Action Points:

1. For a week make an inventory of the varied forms of positive recognition that we get everyday. It could be in the form of thanks from someone, a good job done recognition, a personal sense of achievement maybe for a job well done or meeting a deadline or meeting a commitment. It could be in terms of lending an ear to someone in distress or offering support to some one trouble.
2. The next week make it a habit to seek out opportunities to invoke a sense of pride in others. The varied ways in which you recognized the pride in you will prove enough examples for you to return the favor. Be genuine in praise, objective in appreciation and liberal with your thanks. Ask yourself if you experienced a sense of pride when you invoke pride in others? 

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/   

TRUTH

When faced with a dilemma the simple solution is to tell the TRUTH for that is The Real Ultimate Test of Honesty. Unfortunately telling the truth is not an easy task though it is considered a prime virtue. When we attempt to tell the truth, it is often camouflaged with the mask of our personal perceptions, distorted by our compulsive urge to interpret the happenings and our tendency to be verbose, abets the misreporting of the plain facts.

While most of the above problems are the result of the human beings inability to communicate effectively, the bigger problem is when the communication is deliberately falsified either because of perceived threats, fear of retribution or to shield the guilty and occasionally the victim. The truth can also be very uncomfortable for many, for our indiscretions could be exposed, skeletons in our cupboard could come tumbling out, our carefully cultivated image can be scarred for life and the long arm of the law could catch up when the truth is out.

When the truth gets hidden, what sprouts is often a web of lies and more often than not, the people who spin this web of lies invariably get caught in their own web. The law of life will not let the truth be hidden for long and sooner or later the hard evidence will be laid bare and the bluff called. However lies are not the only way the truth gets hidden; sometimes the evidence is destroyed and it is near impossible to get to the truth. In other cases the facts are by passed and those pursuing the truth send up the wrong track. The most common method of destroying the truth which we are all guilty of is to look the other way and pretend that we never saw anything happening. This gives us the freedom to honestly state that we didn’t see anything while the TRUTH is we chose to close our eyes.

For the ordinary mortal, telling the truth saves him/ her the torturous mental tension of having to come face to face with the reality some day and in the interim, living a life in fear, shame and agony. When we are prepared to confront the TRUTH we are standing up to the challenge of facing boldly and squarely ‘The Real Ultimate Test of Honesty’

Action Points

1.  Read the book ‘My Experiments With Truth ‘ by Mahatma Gandhi
2. Play the card game ‘Bluff’ to get a feel of how tough it is to be dishonest with a straight face. Often it is your body language that gives you away when playing the game. Notice the tension you experience when you are bluffing. Also ask yourself what makes you like the game and if you don’t like it what makes you dislike the game.

Power Act - from http://www.actspot.com/  is focused on -

Powering your Spirit to ACT Now.

You are also invited to visit our DAILY inspirational and motivational blog http://www.actspot.wordpress.com/  

 

 

 

Puzzle

It is a ten letter word..

---d--a--s

Clue:
1.Lover loves it
2.Friends need it
3.Relationship starts with it
4.Life ends with it
      |
      | 
      |
And the answer starts with H 
and the last but one word is E
Now  the word looks like H--d--a-Es
don't give up now....fill up the blanks to get the word...which is within handshaking distance!