The EDGE method

 A couple of weeks back, I attended the IOLS training (Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Skills) training as a BSA adult leader. What I liked is the EDGE method of teaching Outdoor Ethics during a campout with the boy scouts.

EDGE stands for: Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Enable

Explain what you want to teach - a skill, a concept etc.. use questions to gauge understanding

Demonstrate how to do it - use actual materials

Let the scout try it out, Guide them as they do it themselves. Have patience as this step usually takes time! Give feedback as to the effectiveness of their actions and any improvement that is needed.

Then Enable the scout to do it themselves without Intervention and provide opportunities for the Scout to demonstrate the outdoor ethics and skills learnt at a campout or outing.

We were taught different skills: Knots and Lashings, different styles of cooking, tools soldiers use/used, identifying poisonous plants, looking out for nature, what to take when camping out, how to make a fire and basics of first aid.

Do read this article from Scouting Magazine if you have the time and patience:

https://scoutingmagazine.org/2016/12/use-edge-method-outdoors/

7 habits

A friend gifted me this book "Seven habits of highly effective people" on my 18th birthday and I will be ever so grateful to him for this.
This book has had a huge impact on my life. Now, after 2 decades I realize that it has not only helped me find my potential but it has made me mindful of others emotions. It has taught me to see goodness in others and appreciate their talent! I read it time and again and each time I realize what could have possibly gone wrong..with my own thinking and with my understanding of others.
Recently when googling on the internet, I foun a nice, visual overview of the book. Here it is. Hope it helps you too! :)

The dark side of a woman

We worship the 9 avatars of a woman during Navratri. As women we all strive to achieve what we desire while maintaining a balance between family, work and health. And while we all strive to "Do good and be good", one can only hope to 'let go' of the anger within.
Incidently, on the occasion of Dusshera, i happened to read an article which interestingly puts light on the dark side of a woman. Do read at leisure: The dark side of female rivalry

Semantic Barriers in Effective Communication

As humans living in a community, we need to interact with other people. However, a person may have different types of interactions and as a result has different experiences(and therefore relationships) with different people.  
In my pursuit of understanding what i call "Why misunderstandings occur" :) , i happened to come across some articles on the internet which sort of gave me a scientific explanation of why things work out with some and don't with others.
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Semantic barriers are the misunderstandings that occur when people try to communicate an idea, but simultaneously having completely different meanings in mind for the words.

These barriers or misunderstandings come from differences in language, education, and culture. Obviously if the sender is speaking in English and the receiver doesn't understand English, there's a problem. But even if the sender and receiver speak English, they may not speak the same dialect. The words they use may not mean the same thing.
Personal factors like difference in judgment, social values, inferiority complex, bias attitude, time pressure, communication inability, etc. broaden the psychological distance between the sender and the receiver.

For example: 
1) If we order a soda in Washington, DC, we'll get a soft drink. If we order a soda in Detroit, we'll get a drink made of soda water and flavored syrup with ice cream floating in it. 

2) If one is from the United States and he is speaking to a Scot from Glasgow, the American may have a hard time simply understanding his pronunciation. And his accent may be incomprehensible to the person from Scot. The receiver may use complicated words or phrases that the sender doesn't understand, such as "to ratiocinate" instead of "to reason," or "I am extremely appreciative of your efforts in my behalf" instead of "Thank you." 

3) In some cultures, the use of titles before names is extremely important as a sign of respect, while greeting someone we've just met using his or her first name (as many Americans do) would be considered quite rude.

4) We say "Dhanyavad" which means in Hindi 'Thank you,' but the same word in Guajarati means 'congratulations'. 
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Normally, people understand the message in terms of their own behavior and experience.  Well, as the saying goes "Everyone is right from his/her own perspective"! :)

How to not be hard on yourself

Nice thoughts depicted in pictures! :)

StrengthsFinder 2.0

Recently, my husband had a day-long training in office. They were given the book "StrengthsFinder 2.0" which he brought back home and suggested that i read it. 
This is unlike any other self-help book. Based on some thorough research, it comes with a code for an online assessment to gauge what your top 5 stengths are. The core philosophy is this : "you are more likely to excel when you invest your energy in developing your strengths instead of correcting your weakness". 

Our Society is so obsessed with focussing on people's shortcomings. Our books, movies and folklore are filled with stories of the underdog who beats one-in-a-million odds. We celebrate those who triumph over their lack of natural ability more that we recognize those who capitalize on their innate talents. In every culture, we have this fixation for 'weakness' in a person, nicely put, 'areas of improvement'. What we do not realize is that each person has a greater potential for success in specific areas...so the key for human development is building on who you already are.

The book lists and details out 34 most common talents. On going through each of these talents, one realizes what his/her strengths and 'lack of talent' are. The book then lists out what you can do to further sharpen this strength (10 ideas for action), or if there is a weakness, to partner with someone who has more talent in something that you are lacking.

For me, the book came closest to evaluating my strengths. Knowing one's strengths can really make a difference in not only in one's career but also can build confidence in one's personal life. Do read! :)

Asians!! :)

A good comparision...

http://www.shootfirsteatlater.com/2009/07/difference-between-westerners-and.html#.T8kYJ9UoRSQ