HALT Our biological instincts are so strong that we sometimes underestimate their ability to overtake our judgment. Errors happen when we overestimate our willpower which gets depleted. Alcoholics Anonymous which helps people recover from addiction reminds their members of HALT. which is an acronym for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These are the four common …
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A note of gratitude Gratitude can be life changing. I have been recipient of many people’s kindness and generosity over the years. One fine day, I started to acknowledge and express my gratitude and appreciation over email. I learned something beautiful from the whole experience.1) I was reliving the joy of having received the kindness2) …
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Essence of education In a discussion with a seasoned educator, who passionately taught design thinking through arts, I learned that the focus of teaching is not on the subject but on the student who is becoming someone in the process of learning the subject. It reminded me of my Math teacher who took an interest …
Essence of education | When to quit a job | Safe experiments Read More »
Seeing beings It is human nature to notice and register the most distinguishing aspect of someone. This has its own drawbacks as we tend to make snap judgements about others. These are rapid automatic associations that are in a way unconscious and also isolating us from others. Neuroscientist Rick Hanson teaches a mindfulness practice called …
Reappraisal It is human nature to make our meaning and interpretations out of events. Our interpretation is not fact-based but based on assumptions and our habitual thinking. Sometimes, these can be self-limiting and self-defeating. Reappraisal is a way to break patterns of interpretation. It requires us to notice the self-defeating interpretations and replace them with …
Reappraisal | Personal branding 101 | Overcoming progress blindness Read More »
Being unconventional Srinivasan Ramanujan, the world’s renowned Mathematician did not rely on formal education to make his mathematical discoveries. He followed his intuition along the way to work out on what interested him. We love to be in a well-charted territory or a well-trodden path. A big drawback is that we perceive only what is …
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Mimesis of ambitions French philosopher René Girard stated that human desires are mimetic, or imitative. It meant that what we covet is pure imitation of others’ desires, not based on personal preferences. It leads to conflict and rivalry. Our career ambitions may be mimetic in the corporate world, especially in the early and mid stages. …
Mimesis of ambitions | Calm is contagious | Coaching the person Read More »
Accountability vs Blame When something wrong happens, the first tendency is to blame someone. It could be parents blaming their children, employers blaming their employees, or the public blaming the government. The blame game has prevailed in every aspect of our lives. Blaming is quick but holding someone accountable is difficult. Holding someone accountable means …
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Taming inner demons It is festival time in India. At this time of the year, Navrathri is the festival of nine nights celebrating the victory of the Goddess against a formidable demon. The celebration is resplendent with narratives, mythology, symbols, and rituals to gain the grace of the goddess. What fascinates me is the nine …
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Last responsible moment We tend to jump four or five steps ahead to make a decision. This happens when we are already biased towards something or anxious to conclude it in our head. The hurry leads to poor decision-making when sufficient facts have not been gathered. Here is valuable advice that someone shared with me …
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