Blog Review : 1 : Mohan's Blog http://mohanbn.com/blog
I have subscribed to a number of blogs. Just out of sheer curiosity. So many people habitating the blagosphere and filling it with their thoughts and POVs. Looking at some of them and forming an opinion about some of them looks like a good thing to do. There are directories of top blogs. Top 10 blogs; 25 blogs and so on. But is there a good "blog review"? I couldn't see much of this. May be good blog reviews are out there somewhere. But, why not start one? If nothing else, I will end up educating myself!
OK. Let's start.
I am featuring today : Mohan's Blog. I don't know him I just chanced upon the blog. It looked interesting enough and caught my attention. I decided to subscribe the feed. I have decided to take that up for the first review as well.
The first thing which strikes me is that the blog does not concentrate on any particular 'topic' or 'niche'. Just like what I am doing with my blog here. It looks like a freewheeling dialogue and some of the posts look like straight from the news updates.
The look and the feel of the site is good. It has a nice flow to it. The only irritating thing is the moving image of the ad on the right side bar - which distracted me from reading the content. Being a marketing person myself, I guess it will always be a problem balancing the content and the ads. Because of so many widgets being features, the blog did look a little crowded. But I guess, that is ok. Nowadays, it is better to have the widgets out there than not to have them at all.
In terms of content, only a few posts were original content. Everything else, seemed to be 'news' content. There were a few 'Nano' related content I found in the recent entries. However, the politics related content seems to be fresh and original and made interesting reading.
The other noticeable thing is the activity level. It is pretty regularly updated, even if it is updated with 'news' value posts. Every 2 or 3 days, I could see posts there. There were a few comments also. Comments were in fact talking positively about the news value posts. I must say that!
I did enjoy the most recent post : Redefining the Electoral Rules
The author makes a clear case for why politicians should not be allowed to contest in multiple constituencies. I couldn't agree more with him.
All in all, a decent blog. I would give a 3 out of 5 for it. (My own blog would come much lower!!)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
THINK DIFFERENT!
1. To use in the toilet (toilet paper!)
2. To wipe the board (still on the same principle as the toilet paper - wiping something - as in previous example)
3. To make aeroplanes
4. To make a ball (still on the same principle of a toy as in the previous example)
5. Fold and use as marker in books
6. Cut and use as ornament
Think Different" is all about practising to think differently.
Let us start.
Can you think of 10 different uses of paper other than for writing?
I know.
If I had just asked you "10 different uses of paper", you might have rattled off. However, I gave you an example as if that is the only thing paper is used for - and now for 7 out of 10 people, that becomes the stumbling block.
OK. Now, I have told you the secret of the block, can you 'forget' the example for a while and rattle off?
Don't go down any further. Simply complete your list. I have provided a list below!!
Here is my list :
1. To use in the toilet (toilet paper!)
2. To wipe the board (still on the same principle as the toilet paper - wiping something - as in previous example)
3. To make aeroplanes
4. To make a ball (still on the same principle of a toy as in the previous example)
5. Fold and use as marker in books
6. Cut and use as ornament7. Use it as a balancing weight to balance overhead projector
8. Cover your face to sleep in a room with lots of light
9. Use it to draw something on (we should not use it only for writing!!)
10. Use it for print something (same principle of putting some image on it as in previous one)
Can you add to this list? Try! All the best!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Anger Management
Life is not all that difficult. Except when it gets muddled like when one gets really angry.
Tell me.
I used to get angry all the time. Smallest of things used to tick me of. People slightly out of line got my goat.I read all kinds of books on anger management. I also practised all kinds of 'patience' related skills. The only visible result was that I got angry now knowing fully well that I was getting angry!
Then I started reflecting upon what was happening. I also reflected upon what I had to do. The results have been really amazing. Now, I have cut down the instances that I get angry by about 75% !!
Not that I don't get angry now. I do. And, I feel silly whenever I ge angry. But, I am able to come out of the mood pretty fast. I am able to cool down pretty fast. I am also able to delay my anger reaction so that I am able to pass over that instant that I am really boiling.Now, I am going to share with you what little I have learnt over the years on myself, on why I was getting angry and how I am able to control these days:
1) You need to fully understand what is happening to you: The 'patience' tricks do help - but only to delay the moment when you get angry. Unless you fully understand what is happening to you, these tricks only delay the inevitable moment of getting angry.We have all been taught to practise different things when we get angry or when we get really annoyed : a) count upto ten b) drink water c) take a walk and so on and on.They are all very useful. But only upto a point. That point is merely postponing the moment when you really explode.
2) Start focussing on your inner feelings: I started focussing on what was happening when I really 'postponed' the moment of anger : that is where the real benefit lies : I could buy time to rationally look at the moment. On why is that I was getting so mightily annoyed. What was making me getting so pissed off.
3) Don't build up your counter arguments inside yourself : I also realised that if instead of focussing on 'why I was getting angry' if I started thinking about "how good would be to just shout at that idiot", then I was only postponing the moment of getting angry - in fact, building even more momentum towards that particular moment of explosion!
4) Now, buy time: So, when I get angry, I refuse to think about the person. I think about the issu
e on hand. If I am already boiling over, then I simply cannot think about the problem on hand. That is when I go for a walk. Count upto ten. Drink water. Whatever. Just buy time. Buy enough time so that I stop shaking with anger. My breathing to become normal.
5) Postpone : At times, when it is impossible to think ratinally about the problem on hand, I simply postpone. Nothing like age old time to really heal things! I refuse to talk. I walk away.
6) Play "If I were him...": At times, when I have to take a call and cannot buy any more time, I go back to thinking about the person. Only, this time around, I 'become' that person. Suppose if I were that person, why would I do like this? Why would I say something like this? I try to figure out from where this person is coming from. What would be that person's motives.
7) Laugh at the situation : There are times when I know it is pointless. That I am dealing with an absolute idiot. And that there is no point even explaining things. Then I try to look at the funny side of the impossible situation that I find myself in. How come I have come about dealing with this person? Can there be anything funnier than this?
8) Don't give in to provocation : There are times when I tell myself : Hey! This person is trying to get under my skin. He / she is trying to provoke me. I am not going to get provoked. I am simply going to grin and bear this. I am not going to get into one shouting war.
9) Play - "How would Jesus handle this...": There times when I try to imagine myself to be Jesus or Gandhi or Buddha. How would they have dealt with this situation? With this person? Would they have done anything differently? Would mother Theresa done anything differently? Would my wife or my mother have handled this situation any differently?
10) Pray for patience : There are times when I simply pray. I ask God to give a little more patience. A little more time to come out of this situation.
There are plenty of times I still get angry. And, feel very very silly after wards. Not that one should not get angry. But, more often than not, it is so unproductive. So damaging for one's own health that it is simply not worth getting worked up. Of course, there are more situations where one cannot afford to become angry - like when dealing with one's boss. Or spouse for that matter. Or with children.More often than not, I have felt - and this seems a universal feeling - that 'if only I was a little more patient', I could have saved the day.
If only I held my tongue a little bit... ; If only I listened for a few minutes more...; If only I postponed that decision that I took in anger... all to be regretted in leisure later...So, 9 out of 10 times, it is much better to control anger. The boiling rage that builds up and spews forth.The trick is to buy us some more time - but buying time by itself helps only a little.
Try the steps outlined above.They have really helped me.They will definitely help you.If you notice, I have NOT listed 'punching a pillow' or 'punching something' as a method. My own feeling is that the 'punching' method is lot more harmful than useful.Let us talk about that another time!
I used to get angry all the time. Smallest of things used to tick me of. People slightly out of line got my goat.I read all kinds of books on anger management. I also practised all kinds of 'patience' related skills. The only visible result was that I got angry now knowing fully well that I was getting angry!
Then I started reflecting upon what was happening. I also reflected upon what I had to do. The results have been really amazing. Now, I have cut down the instances that I get angry by about 75% !!
Not that I don't get angry now. I do. And, I feel silly whenever I ge angry. But, I am able to come out of the mood pretty fast. I am able to cool down pretty fast. I am also able to delay my anger reaction so that I am able to pass over that instant that I am really boiling.Now, I am going to share with you what little I have learnt over the years on myself, on why I was getting angry and how I am able to control these days:
1) You need to fully understand what is happening to you: The 'patience' tricks do help - but only to delay the moment when you get angry. Unless you fully understand what is happening to you, these tricks only delay the inevitable moment of getting angry.We have all been taught to practise different things when we get angry or when we get really annoyed : a) count upto ten b) drink water c) take a walk and so on and on.They are all very useful. But only upto a point. That point is merely postponing the moment when you really explode.
2) Start focussing on your inner feelings: I started focussing on what was happening when I really 'postponed' the moment of anger : that is where the real benefit lies : I could buy time to rationally look at the moment. On why is that I was getting so mightily annoyed. What was making me getting so pissed off.
3) Don't build up your counter arguments inside yourself : I also realised that if instead of focussing on 'why I was getting angry' if I started thinking about "how good would be to just shout at that idiot", then I was only postponing the moment of getting angry - in fact, building even more momentum towards that particular moment of explosion!
4) Now, buy time: So, when I get angry, I refuse to think about the person. I think about the issu
e on hand. If I am already boiling over, then I simply cannot think about the problem on hand. That is when I go for a walk. Count upto ten. Drink water. Whatever. Just buy time. Buy enough time so that I stop shaking with anger. My breathing to become normal.
5) Postpone : At times, when it is impossible to think ratinally about the problem on hand, I simply postpone. Nothing like age old time to really heal things! I refuse to talk. I walk away.
6) Play "If I were him...": At times, when I have to take a call and cannot buy any more time, I go back to thinking about the person. Only, this time around, I 'become' that person. Suppose if I were that person, why would I do like this? Why would I say something like this? I try to figure out from where this person is coming from. What would be that person's motives.
7) Laugh at the situation : There are times when I know it is pointless. That I am dealing with an absolute idiot. And that there is no point even explaining things. Then I try to look at the funny side of the impossible situation that I find myself in. How come I have come about dealing with this person? Can there be anything funnier than this?
8) Don't give in to provocation : There are times when I tell myself : Hey! This person is trying to get under my skin. He / she is trying to provoke me. I am not going to get provoked. I am simply going to grin and bear this. I am not going to get into one shouting war.
9) Play - "How would Jesus handle this...": There times when I try to imagine myself to be Jesus or Gandhi or Buddha. How would they have dealt with this situation? With this person? Would they have done anything differently? Would mother Theresa done anything differently? Would my wife or my mother have handled this situation any differently?
10) Pray for patience : There are times when I simply pray. I ask God to give a little more patience. A little more time to come out of this situation.
There are plenty of times I still get angry. And, feel very very silly after wards. Not that one should not get angry. But, more often than not, it is so unproductive. So damaging for one's own health that it is simply not worth getting worked up. Of course, there are more situations where one cannot afford to become angry - like when dealing with one's boss. Or spouse for that matter. Or with children.More often than not, I have felt - and this seems a universal feeling - that 'if only I was a little more patient', I could have saved the day.
If only I held my tongue a little bit... ; If only I listened for a few minutes more...; If only I postponed that decision that I took in anger... all to be regretted in leisure later...So, 9 out of 10 times, it is much better to control anger. The boiling rage that builds up and spews forth.The trick is to buy us some more time - but buying time by itself helps only a little.Try the steps outlined above.They have really helped me.They will definitely help you.If you notice, I have NOT listed 'punching a pillow' or 'punching something' as a method. My own feeling is that the 'punching' method is lot more harmful than useful.Let us talk about that another time!
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