Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Spiritual laws

Spirituality does not depend upon the environment; it depends upon the attitude of the man towards life. The christian life is a life doing God's will under the guidance of Holy Spirit. God had a plan."If You abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done." John 15:7 Every human is a complex bundle of  thoughts, feelings, attitudes, desires, images, fears, hopes, doubts, opinions and ambitions. Our entire life is the result of the intertwining and interconnecting of these factors. Our thoughts trigger images and pictures and the emotions that go with them. These images and emotions trigger attitudes and actions. Our actions then have consequences and results that determine what happens to us. Denis Waitly said,"Life is about choices: There are two primary choices in life: to accept the conditions as they exist or accept the responsibility  for changing it." Reinhold Neibuhr quotes a serenity prayer, "god grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
Live simply, love generously, care deeply and speak kindly. 



Interpersonal Skills



Interpersonal skill is concerned with is the ability to function harmoniously with multiple individuals (social intelligence) and building relationships within groups and organization. These skills usually encompass communication skills, listening skills, attitude and deportment. Good interpersonal skills are essential for any position in an organization. It includes our tolerance to not-so –pleasant situations and differences in opinions of people, our ability to manage others by mapping their mood and our willingness to make things  work in our personal and professional life.
Interpersonal skills is a combination of both one’s intellectual (cognitive) and non-cognitive skills.

 Characteristics  of Social or community quotient

1.       Humility – understanding oneself as a vital part of a whole. Humility naturally kills competition and consumption mind sets and encourages collaboration and giving.
2.       Purpose – an individual’s commitment to life, community and family. Purpose naturally kills apathy, laziness and depression.
3.       Empathy – understands oneself in a community mindset. Empathy kills individualism, destructive – competition and careless pain.
4.       Grace – empathy is a soil from which grace emerges.
5.       Service – mindedness – service naturally kills selfishness.





Theories of  interpersonal relationship

Social Exchange Theory was proposed by George Casper Homans in 1958. According to Social Exchange Theory “give and take” forms the basis of almost all relationships though their proportions might vary as per the intensity of the relationship.
Uncertainty Reductions Theory (URT)
Uncertainty Reductions Theory ( Berger and Calabrese,1975) explains the relationship between individuals who do not know each other much or are complete strangers. According to Uncertainty Reductions Theory, two unknown individuals meeting for the first time go through various stages to reduce the level of uncertainty between them and come closer to each other. Strangers must communicate well to know each other better and find out their compatibility level. This theory presumes that “the beginning of personal relationships are fraught with uncertainties” and that the  people want to reduce uncertainty in relationships through knowledge and understanding.
Social Penetration Theory (SPT) 
 This theory is about the development of “relational closeness.” Relational closeness can progress from superficial to intimate. Closeness develops through self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is sharing with someone information which helps him or her understand you.
Equity theory 
 The theory  attempts to explain relational satisfaction in terms of perceptions of fair/unfair distributions of resources within interpersonal relationships. The equity theory was first developed in 1963 by John Stacey Adams.


People Skills


 People skills / Interpersonal skills /Social skills 

Definition 

People skill is any skill facilitating interaction and communication with others.It is the ability to communicate, persuade and interact with other members of the society, without undue conflict or disharmony.


Characteristics

Influence - tactics of persuasion
Communication - sending clear and convincing messages.
Conflict management - negotiating and resolving disagreements.
Leadership - inspiring and guiding others.
Change catalysts - initiating' promoting or managing change.


 Social competencies 

Understanding others -sensing others feelings and perspectives.
Service orientation -anticipating, recognizing and meeting others needs.
Developing others - team based.
Leveraging diversity - listening and communication skills.
political awareness.



"The most useful person in the world today is the man or woman
  who knows how to get along with other people.
  Human relations is the most important science in living."
                                                                                        - Stanley C. Allyn.

"If civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships...
  The ability of all people, of all kinds to live together in the same
  world at peace."                                                           - Franklin D. Roosevelt.
  

10 - Core Life Skills

The purpose of life is growth, just as the purpose of life for trees and plants is growth. Trees and plants grow automatically and along fixed lines; man can grow as he will. Life , in a sense, is a long succession of choices and decisions. Life is a paradox of smiles and tears. Life is a continuous collection of changes. Life is a lesson we learn day after day. 


William Arthur Ward said, "Real optimism is aware of problems, 
but recognizes the solutions,Knows about difficulties, 
but believes they can be overcome,
Sees the negatives but accentuates the positives,
is exposed to the worst, but expects the best,
has reason to complain, but chooses to smile."

Quotes for reflection


"Every man dies, NOT every man really lives." -William Wallace,
in the movie Brave heart.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling,
but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."-Nelson Mandela.

7-Tips for Better Life Style


Life is a journey. It has been told that everyone is on a road to somewhere.Life is linear. "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." said Marie Curie. Be bold when you loose and be calm when you win. Things in life rarely, if ever turn out as we plan them. Everything happens for good. Feed your mind with a positive mental images and thoughts. Find ways of motivating yourself and believe in perseverance. Take care of the small things and the bigger picture will take care of itself. Your fruits in your life are solely based upon the roots that have been developed by the seeds that you have planted.

Quotes for Personal reflection

"In life, you get what you plan to get." - Laurie Hyde.

"For man plans, but God arranges." -Thomas a Kempis(c.1380-1471).

"What is this life, if full of care,
  We have no time to stand and stare." -William Henry Davies.

"Great effort from great motives is the best
  definition of a happy life."  -William Cillery Chenning.

"There is a powerful driving force inside
  every human being that once unleashed
  can make any vision, dream or desire a reality." -Antony Robbins.