Essays MBARENDEZVOUSNo one is wise by birth. Wisdom results from ones own effortsThe English thinker, John Locke used the term 'tabula rasa' to describe the mind of an infant. The concept of 'tabula rasa' suggests that at birth, the mind is a blank slate. Corresponding to each level of growth and development, an individual learns new things and gains knowledge. Using the faculties of insight and perception, the individual makes sense of that knowledge and executes that knowledge to make sense of the world around him/her.Clearly, birth does not guarantee wisdom. It requires conscious effort from the individual. Also, it is fair to say that the more effort an individual makes, the more knowledge/ wisdom he/ she will gain.Wisdom can be variously described as knowledge gained by having many experiences in life or knowledge of what is proper or reasonable or the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding and common sense. Whichever way wisdom is interpreted, fundamental to the idea of wisdom is that it takes time and comes with experience and development of the ability to think, analyse, judge and act.It is not something that one is born with but acquires over time. A person not willing to seek knowledge, make sense of people, things, events, apply perception, judgment and action can never gain wisdom and be called wise. People renowned for their wisdom such as Plato, Aristotle, Siddhartha and Chanakya and others weren't born wise but gained wisdom over time and with a lot of effort.Just as birth cannot guarantee wisdom, it can also not be inherited. After birth, every individual needs to develop those faculties within himself/ herself that enable him/ her to be receptive and perspective to new experiences, learning and hence wisdom. A wise person distinguishes himself/ herself from the crowd by his/ her proper sense of judgment, considered opinion, common sense and insights, all developed as a result of great effort.However, an individual can, certainly, benefit from the wisdom of ages passed on in the form of legends, stories, books and so on and learn from them. In such a scenario too, the wisdom of ages can only act as a guiding light. It is up to the individual to decode the wisdom to suit his/her position and gain from it.Oscar Wilde said, " With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone. This implies that wisdom is not a necessary by-product of age. One may grow old and yet remain unwise or foolish. This is because wisdom requires effort. Patience, discernment, sound judgment and understanding are some of the essential ingredients of wisdom. Wisdom comes only to those who make a conscientious effort to avoid the path of foolishness and walk the path of enlightenment.Wisdom is the result of one's experiences and cannot be taught. The transmission of knowledge or learning can in itself not result in a person gaining wisdom. Only if the person takes the pains to make sense of that knowledge or learning or only if that knowledge or learning shapes his understanding of fundamentals and influences his action positively, can he be called a wise person.Goodwill is the only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy.Goodwill is that invisible force which is difficult to earn and takes years to build but once earned, its benefits can be reaped for several years and generations. The significance of goodwill transcends the limited scope of a business and indeed pervades an individual's life.In business terminology, goodwill is the amount of value that a company's good reputation adds to its overall value. The sum total of what a business has done in the past, the actions it takes in the present and plans for the future together help in building goodwill. A company's reputation hinges primarily on its conduct with clients, society and environment, development of trust in its brand, transparency in its processes and the ethical conduct of the company. If a business manages to have all this, it will automatically earn goodwill for the company or the brand.The goodwill or the reputation that the company or the brand earns for itself would, in turn, help build a devoted clientele and attract more customers willing to put their trust in it. This will immune the company or the brand from competition as the goodwill that it has earned will give it an edge over its rivals.The effect of goodwill cannot be seen so much in immediate tangible terms, such as buildings, profits and so on but in intangible gains such as trust, employee and customer loyalty, brand image, expanding networks and so on. The intangible benefits are crucial as they ensure long-term sustenance of the business. Particularly, when the company is losing ground to its competitors and falls on hard times, the goodwill it has earned over the years plays a major role in keeping the company afloat.That goodwill is important is evident from the fact that it is shown as a separate head in the accounts books of any company. It is an asset that never depreciates and, in fact, is always valued at a premium. Every business today is conscious of the image that it portrays of itself to the outside world and makes an extra effort to earn goodwill in the society. For instance, corporate houses have begun to allocate separate funds as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).These funds are employed to benefit the society in various ways-constructing hospitals, schools, old age homes, welfare programmes and so on. They realize that by doing so they will build goodwill for the company in the society which will add great value to their businesses and differentiate them from their competitors. The high investments made by the business houses in such programmes are offset by the high rate of return, both tangible and intangible, that the business is likely to earn over several years in the future and thus, makes for a good business decision.

At an individual level, goodwill is created over a period of time by being a trustworthy, reliable and kind person. Such a person will be respected wherever he/she goes and is more likely to be offered help if needed than a person with no goodwill or a bad reputation. The peculiar feature of goodwill is that it spreads rapidly through word-of-mouth. The reputation or the goodwill that the person has in the society will influence the societys perspective and behaviour towards the individual.

Therefore, Marshall Field has rightly said that, Goodwill is the one and only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy. It affects the prospects of both the business and the individual and should, therefore, be an important consideration.

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courageAnais Nin, an American author, once made this statement, Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage. It is short and simple yet it is completely true.When you are fearless, the possibilities in life seem endless and your life automatically expands; on the other hand, once you become scared of failure or rejections, you limit the number of possibilities and automatically, your life shrinks drastically.Children are fearless, which is why they dream big. They are unaware of rejections and failures and as such, their dreams and possibilities seem endless.As we grow up, we witness lifes challenges and come to terms with our limitations, be it in our skill-set, finances, or abilities. Many people view their limitations as obstacles they cannot overcome and as such, they become risk-averse and fearful of life.This leads to the shrinking of their dreams and goals. On the other hand, there are some people, who despite their limitations are willing to go the extra mile to make their dreams a reality.Instead of shrinking their possibilities, they rise to the challenge and are determined to overcome any obstacle that may come their way. These are the people, whose courage allows them to reach the hardest and most challenging of goals.So, the quality of life that we lead, which is made up of dreams and goals, is dependent on our determination, dedication and perseverance. Life is neither a bed of roses nor a bed of thorns it has its share of successes and failures.And it is up to us to make the most of our lives. If we choose to live our lives as cowards, we will lose the opportunity to enhance our capabilities and attain self-satisfaction. On the other hand, if we choose to live our lives in a courageous manner, without thinking about failures, we will reap success and become confident of our abilities, and ultimately broaden our lives horizons."Peace begins with a smile"Mother Teresa once said, Peace begins with a smile. Smile five times a day at someone you really dont want to smile at; do it for peace. Is it true that love and compassion comes rushing to one person once he smiles? Not necessarily.However, one can reduce the level of hatred he has towards the other person by smiling. Smiling is contagious. Once you smile at a person, it results in the other person smiling back at you.So, at least at that instance, there are no moments of hatred, and momentarily, you dont have negative feelings towards the other person. This is how the journey towards peace begins.When there is love and compassion, there is no room for hatred. Today, countries fight with each other for power and resources. However, they dont work on internal problems that are affecting the citizens of the country.If, instead of promoting hatred for other countries, a nation provides food and shelter for its citizens and eradicates poverty, the world would be a better and a happier place to be in.Smiling is powerful. It can change millions of lives for the better. Instead of using weapons, countries should have peaceful talks and they should show love and concern for other nations by smiling with their hearts.A smile is not a superficial gesture that starts and ends on the face; it comes from the heart and touches the heart of the recipient. Love and peace can work wonders.Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi, two advocates of peace, have proven to the world that a smile goes a long way. And a smile has never hurt anyone. When you smile, you embrace the other person with open arms, and you are one step closer to establishing and maintaining cordial ties."Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes"Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American essayist and poet, once said, Common sense is genius dressed in its working clothes. There are many people in the world who are smart and intelligent. However, not all have common sense.In fact, ordinary people and those with an average Intelligence Quotient (IQ) may have more sense of the real world than someone with a degree or a PhD. Those who are well-educated are bookish may not necessarily be street smart.For example, it is common sense that drunk driving is dangerous and that one should never engage in such an activity. But why is it that majority of the people caught for drunk driving are those who are educated? It is because there is no correlation between the level of education and common sense. Just because one is educated does not mean that he has common sense.And on the other hand, just because one is not educated does not mean that he lacks common sense. To survive in the world, we need people skills and we should be street smart. Knowledge that is vested in books may come in handy at the workplace or at schools, but to be a genius in the real-world setting, common sense is essential.The definition of common sense is simple sound judgment based on the observation and perception of surroundings and facts. Only those who keep their eyes and ears open during their daily interactions have the ability to make sound judgments.So, it is true that common sense is after all, not so common. Many people, especially those who are educated, take common sense for granted as they believe that the world runs based on the concepts found in their encyclopedias and books. Sadly, this is not the way of life."You may delay, but time will not"You may have heard of the famous saying, Time and tide wait for no man. So, it is important to make the most of your time instead of procrastinating.In universities, we are taught time management skills because our life is essentially a race against time. We have so many tasks at hand but very little time. This is why prioritization of work is important so that no time is wasted along the way.Procrastination is common in the field of education. Students neglect their studies during their school term and wait till the last minute to prepare for examinations. They spend so much time playing games and chatting with friends that they eventually lose track of time and start panicking at the last moment a few days before the examinations. These are the students that do not perform to their optimum level in the examinations.Toppers, on the other hand, are consistent in their studies and strike the right balance between education and play. They never panic at the last moment because they are already well-prepared for their examinations.Time is just like a river; it keeps flowing forward and never turns back. You may delay your work and wait for the last minute to complete your tasks at hand, but time will continue to move forward.Farmers have to keep a close watch of time because they follow strict schedules for planting and harvesting. Their farming schedules are based on the weather and if they delay their planting or harvesting time by even a day, it will spell disaster for them because time will not wait for them.We should have respect for time and not misuse it. You may have heard of this famous saying, To realize the value of one year, ask a student who failed an examination. To realize the value of one month, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby. To realize the value of one minute, ask a person who just missed his train.To realize the value of one second, ask someone who just avoided an accident. Time is precious; even one second of your life is valuable. So, do not waste it. Let us have respect for time and time will show the same respect to us."There is no 'I' in Teamwork"Teamwork is an important buzzword in schools, universities and at offices today. We are slowly moving away from individual projects to team-based projects in an attempt to boost growth and innovation.An individual has his set of strengths and weaknesses, but when a group of individuals come together, they are able to eliminate their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. This is the power of teamwork.By combining the strengths of team members, new heights of success can be reached. When people work together, they dont think about their individual gains; they think about the welfare of the group.Teamwork is a fusion of three elements collaboration, compromise and cooperation. When a group of individuals work together, there is bound to be friction because of differing viewpoints.However, people come to a compromise to prevent the downfall of a group. In team-based sports such as football, hockey and cricket, we witness team members leaving their differences behind and working towards a common goal to defeat the opponents.We dont see competition between the members of the same team because there is no I in teamwork. It is true that no one can break a bundle of sticks but one can break single sticks if they are no longer part of a bundle. Similarly, it will be difficult to defeat a team because unity is strength.It is true that united we stand, divided we fall. So, it is only when individuals leave their differences behind and work towards a common goal can they achieve success. In a war, we notice the same phenomenon.Soldiers do not think of their glory and fame when fighting for their country. They put the nation before self. In history books and in reality, we have always seen the victory of teams and the downfall of individuals. This is the beauty of teamwork."Competition is a rude yet effective motivation"Toba Beta, author of Master of Stupidity, once said, Competition is a rude yet effective motivation. Competition brings out the best in products and services, and the worst in people.Everyone wants to be the best and stand out in a competition. So, competitors, be it firms or individuals, try to outperform other entities to gain recognition. Competition is rude because it brings out negative qualities in people.Friends become enemies, colleagues become competitors, and families get torn apart for materialistic gains of success. In addition, some people who are thirsty for success resort to illegal means of gaining fame. This is the negative side of competition, which is seen by many as being offensive and rude.One of the famous sibling rivalries we have witnessed in the last decade in the Indian business environment is that of Mukesh and Anil Ambani. After the demise of their father, both the siblings fought in the business space to gain a lions share of their family business.Business competition led to weakening of family ties and created turmoil in many sectors of the economy the two siblings operated in.Although competition brings out negative qualities in an individual, it also enhances growth and creativity. Without competition, organizations will not be keen on improving their products. People will become lazy and take things for granted.Competition motivates people to work harder and reap the sweet fruits of success. In the education sector in India, competition is fierce, which is why students burn the midnight oil, go for coaching classes, and work hard to excel.So, competition is a double-edged sword, with both positive and negative aspects. It is up to the individual to balance these two forces, to ensure that competition remains healthy.Competition makes an individual more creative and hardworking. We should embrace healthy competition instead of creating tension amongst competitors and friends."Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star"William Clement Stone, an American businessman and an advocate of Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) once said, Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star. It is important for set high goals in life so that even if you dont reach those goals, you will fall somewhere near those goals.For those who aim for the moon, nothing is impossible to achieve. Only those who are determined and persistent will be able to think big and try their best to reach the peak of success.People who aim for the moon do not put any restriction on themselves. They dont feel constrained by their abilities. This is what differentiates successful people from ordinary people. People who are focused and think big get resources together to ensure that things are in their favour.Sir Edmund Percival Hillary was the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the worlds highest mountain. Hillary was successful because he thought big, was ambitious and determined. He was not satisfied with climbing small mountains and hills. Because his dream was huge, he went on many expeditions to build his stamina and prepare his body for adversities and challenges he may face while scaling tall mountains.Since Hillary was always focused on his goal the Mount Everest, he did not give up along the way. Hypothetically, if Hillary had failed to climb Mount Everest, he could have gained fame and success for climbing the second highest mountain. Thats the beauty of thinking big even if you cant reach your goal, you will not fall too deep.Never underestimate your capabilities. People who are afraid to aim high have self-doubt, are complacent and scared of failures. Only those who take risks in life become successful in the future.One should stretch his limits, step out of his comfort zone, and work day and night to transform his dreams into reality.There is a famous saying, When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Success is not for the weak-hearted. It is only for those with strong hearts, who are determined to aim high and reap success in life."A quitter never wins and a winner never quits"Vince Lombardi, a famous American football coach, once said, A quitter never wins and a winner never quits. We have heard of this saying at least once in our lives. And we all have had the opportunity to apply the saying to a part of our lives, be it in a sports team, in academics, at work or even at relationships.A winner is someone who is determined to reach his goals, no matter how arduous the journey may be. A winner is ready to face challenges and obstacles that may come in between him and his goals. On the other hand, a quitter gets perturbed by challenges, and in the midst, gives up. Because he is not determined to face the difficulties, he never reaches his goal and is declared a quitter.Most of us are not born with talent and skills. We develop them over time. Pandit Ravi Shankar was a world renowned composer and musician who played the sitar. He was so passionate about music that he did not stop learning the sitar. Although he faced difficulties initially, he did not lose hope. He was determined to succeed, and he practised day and night to attain a high position in the international music industry.Similarly, scientists like Issac Newton and Albert Einstein never gave up pursuing their dreams and interests just because some of their experiments failed. They strived hard to reach their goals and only rested when success touched their feet.To give up midway is easy but to continue despite challenges is difficult. That is why only winners are remembered for a long time. They are our role models, who teach us that it pays to never quit. Success only knocks on the doors of winners because they are determined in life. On the other hand, a quitter lives most of his life in regret because of his lack of motivation and dedication."Management is nothing more than motivating people"Lee Iacocca, an American businessman, once said, Management is nothing more than motivating other people. Management, another term for leadership, is all about supervising employees. Through supervision, a manager ensures that employees under him are productive and results-oriented.Without a manager, employees of an organization lose direction. To ensure that people are focused on specific tasks for the benefit of the organization, a leader is essential. So, management does involve motivating people to get work done.In the course of a project, managers guide people in the right direction. Life is full of ups and downs, so is working in an organization. People tend to get frustrated with colleagues or with mounting work pressures. Here, the management team plays an important role.To ensure that projects run smoothly, a manager has to take up the role of a counselor. By having a one to one discussion or by having group discussions on issues that are acting as obstacles, managers can nip the problem in the bud.Managers motivate people to work harder and reach their goals by providing incentives. Some companies organize outings and parties for employees upon successful completion of projects.However, it is unfair to state that management is only about motivating people. Managers also ensure that employees work output is of high quality. In order to supervise employees and provide suggestions on improvement, it is important that managers are proficient in technical matters too.So, a manager, apart from motivating people, decodes complex issues of employees, ensures that employees are working towards the common goal of the organization, and looks into the quality of work being produced by his team members. Since a manager wears many hats, it is fair to say that his role is pivotal to the success of an organization."Think like a man of action"Henri Bergson, a French author and philosopher, once said, Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. One should always think before taking an action. When one plans to take an action, he should think of the consequences of doing so, instead of regretting later. In addition, one should convert ideas into action, instead of preaching about ideal values. Only when you say what you mean and mean what you say will people have faith in you and your words.A man of action is always in an active state, solving problems, instead of staying idle. So, his energy is always flowing. When someone acts like a man of thought, it means that he does not get carried away by emotions. In fact, he analyses deeply and ensures that his actions are justifiable and aligned with the desired outcome. It is important to think and act simultaneously. If one simply thinks without taking actions, he cannot achieve anything in life.If Mother Teresa had spent days and months thinking of eradicating poverty in India, without going to the streets to help people, the society would not have benefitted. On the other hand, if one only acts, without thinking of an action plan, he may end up regretting from thought-less actions. Drink-driving is an activity where perpetrators do not think before acting, which leads to disastrous consequences for them and other road users.Hence, to lead meaningful lives, it is important to think before taking any action. By thinking, one analyses pros and cons of an action before jumping into a task. This way, his path to success becomes less bumpy. However, one should not procrastinate by thinking too much because time and tide wait for no man. So, it is important to grab opportunities by thinking and acting appropriately."Right mental attitude will help one to achieve one's goal"The secret to achieving goals is by having the right mental attitude by cultivating good habits. One needs to understand that life is full of ups and downs. So, just because one has not attained success a couple of times does not mean that he is a failure. Even though one may not be successful at times, he needs to learn from his mistakes and be optimistic in life.One should be patient when goals appear challenging or daunting. If an individual feels that his goals are unattainable, he should reduce them into smaller actions which are easier to be carried out. If a mountaineers goal is to climb Mount Everest, he cannot attempt to scale the mountain in his first attempt. He should take one step at a time. By training hard and climbing hills and smaller mountains, he will gain confidence and slowly, he will be able to climb the worlds tallest mountain. This requires discipline and determination. One should never give up and lose hope in the midst of achieving his goals.Apart from discipline and determination, one needs to work hard to achieve his goals. For example, if an individual is keen on clearing the Civil Service Examination or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), he needs to burn the midnight oil and go for additional coaching and training sessions to hone his skills. In addition, he needs to have confidence in himself. Many hardworking students fail to achieve their goals because they dont believe in themselves. Only when a person has faith in himself will he be able to see his dreams come true.So, to achieve goals, one needs to consider the three Ps Positivity, Possibility, and Proactiveness. An individual needs to have a positive attitude, with the belief that he can achieve his set goals. In addition, he needs to work hard towards achieving his goals. Only then will he be successful in life."Dreaming big is the first step to success"Les Brown, a well-renowned motivational speaker, once said, Shoot for the moon. Even if a person misses, he will land among the stars. In reality, we have many dreams, but we may not achieve all our goals because of certain constraints. So, it is important to dream big so that even if we dont achieve our goal, we will fall somewhere near our goal. When one dreams big, he does not put any restriction on himself. There are no limits to ones dreams. Dreams are what differentiate great people from ordinary people. Ordinary people only dream about what they can achieve. Hence, they can never carry out extraordinary tasks.Successful people dream big, even if the goal may seem extremely difficult to achieve. Mahatma Gandhi dreamt big about an independent India. At that time, people did not believe in his dream because it seemed unachievable. However, he was determined and never gave up. Because he dreamt big, he managed to reach his goal.Successful businessmen also think and dream big. The founder of Infosys, Narayanamurthy, had humble beginnings. He was not born with a silver spoon, yet he dreamt big of being the CEO of Indias largest software company. Although he did not have funds to establish a business initially, he and his family worked hard to make his dream a reality. This is the power of big dreams. As the saying goes, When there is a will, there is a way, similarly, once an individual sets a big goal, he is bound to gather his resources and work hard to attain success.Even though the world may laugh at people who dream big, it is not an excuse for staying within ones comfort zone. To be successful, one needs to take risks. Only when the stakes are high do people work tirelessly to make their dreams a reality."True humility is intelligent self respect"Ralph Washington Sockman, senior pastor of Christ Church in New York, once said, True humility is intelligent self respect which keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves. It makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be. It is true that once someone achieves great things in life, he becomes self confident because his morale is boosted. Having confidence in oneself is important but having too much self confidence can ruin a person. A person with immense self confidence thinks too highly of himself and becomes egoistic. He feels that he has achieved all his objectives and does not have the motivation to strive harder.Humility keeps a person firm on the ground and makes him aware of future goals that are pending. As individuals, we have a number of goals in life. So, it is important that we do not lose focus once we achieve a goal. Many people have the misconception that humility and modesty have a negative impact on a persons confidence level. This is not true. In fact, studies have shown that humility is not equivalent to low self esteem. In fact, humility is about focusing on the unknown instead of the known. So, a modest person, instead of gloating and boasting of his past achievements, will focus on tasks he needs to complete in the future, of which the outcome is unknown.Many people find it difficult to practice humility. One way to be humble is by acknowledging that you may not have the answers to all the questions and that you have a lot to learn. By doing so, you automatically open the doors of knowledge and are on a road of lifelong learning. By gaining more knowledge, you gain confidence and self respect. This is why true humility is intelligent self respect."Handwriting is a reflection of personality"Handwriting speaks volumes of an individual. So, next time you are hard pressed for time in analysing an individual, just look at his handwriting and you will understand his personality, temperament, and behaviour. Handwriting is a personal expression, and reflects who the person is on the inside. Everybodys handwriting is unique, just like ones fingerprint. Since there is so much of science behind a persons handwriting, researchers have come up with a term called graphology, which is indeed the study of handwriting.First and foremost, when analysing a persons handwriting, it is important to look at the slant of his writing. If a persons writing is slant towards the left, it means that he does not express his emotions well. If there is a lack of slant in a persons writing, it means that he thinks with his heart and mind; he uses both emotions and logic to understand a situation. On the other hand, people who write with a forward slant, or a right slant, are more caring and emotional.A signature of a person is an aspect of handwriting too. Elaine Ness, a professional handwriting analyst, believes that a signature reflects a persons communication skills, and how he wants to be perceived by the public. If a persons signature is legible, it means that he is comfortable with what he has expressed. An illegible signature implies that an individual is not interested in gaining public recognition.Graphology is complicated. Handwriting is made up of many elements including line levels, slant of writing, spacing, and the size of writing that it takes hours to analyse a person completely. Handwriting analysis occurs at many levels, including job hiring. When you take a written examination at a job interview, apart from testing your knowledge, employers also look at your handwriting to determine your personality and if you blend well with the corporate culture. So, before you step into an examination hall, analyse your own handwriting before hitting the global spotlight."Secret of all triumphs is perseverance"John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States, once said, Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. When a task seems difficult, you need to gather strength, work hard and be persistent. Instead of becoming panicky and impulsive, it is important to stay calm and focused. Although eradication of poverty is close to impossible, Mother Teresa did not lose hope and faith. She worked hard despite all the difficulties in Calcutta, India, to help the homeless, poor, refugees, alcoholics, the aged and the sick.By 1996, Mother Teresa had opened 517 missionaries in 100 countries, with the objective of helping those living in poverty. If Mother Teresa was not persistent and focused, poverty levels all around the world would have been at a devastating level. According to Indias Planning Commission, the poverty level between 2009 and 2010 stood at 29.8%, a decline from 37.2% between 2004 and 2005. India would not have been able to eradicate poverty if not for the foundation laid by Mother Teresa and her followers.Similarly, successful businessmen in India did not become powerful overnight. Narayanamurthy, founder of Infosys, had humble beginnings. From a young age, he was thirsty for knowledge and had a passion for studies. He had a vision of establishing Indias largest software company but he did not have the capital to do so. Slowly, he and his wife worked hard to save money to make their dream a reality. Although they faced many setbacks in the beginning of their lives, they continued to work hard. It is because of their persistent nature that Infosys is one of the leading IT companies in the world today.Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, a minister and a progenitor of positive thinking, once said, There is nothing in life that so difficult that it cannot be overcome. Faith and perseverance can move mountains; it can change people and the world. With perseverance, one can survive greatest storms and difficulties too. So, the secret ingredient to success is perseverance. Without determination and hard work, one cannot taste the nectar of success."Dreams do not become reality through magic"Colin Powell, an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army, once said, A dream does not become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination and hard work. It is true that the price of success is hard work and determination. If one takes a look at the successful men and women in the world, he/she will realise that they climbed the stairs of success after years of hard work. Successful businessmen, including Azim Premji, Mukesh Ambani and Kumar Mangalam Birla did not become famous overnight. They burnt the midnight oil to master their skills and become competent in their trade.Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an independent India when the British set foot in our motherland. If he had believed in magic, we would not be free from the shackles of British today. Instead of building castles in the air, Mahatma Gandhi fought for the country. He treaded the path of Satyagraha, which by any standard is not easy. Apart from fighting for freedom, Mahatma Gandhi preached unity among Indians. Today, we celebrate Independence Day, thanks to the dedication, determination and hard work of Mahatma Gandhi. Apart from this figure, Bhagat Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose also worked day and night to improve the lives of their fellowmen. Their dreams of India became a reality because they were confident of their abilities and were certain that their sincere efforts will pay off one day.People who are focused and determined to be successful do not believe in the world of magic. The magical world is for people who are lazy. One who follows the path of magic is ignorant and oblivious to the key to success, which does not fall from the sky.Success comes to those who believe in themselves and not in futile ways like magic. It is important to dream so that there is a purpose in life. However, one should be able to distinguish between dreams and reality. In order to make ones dreams a reality, one should be diligent, confident and hardworking."Political class is living in its own silos"A great man once said, Effective leaders always destroy silos. In fact, silos are perfect for storing items but are destructive to societies and organizations. Sadly, the political class in each country lives in its own silo. Politicians are more concerned about defeating their opponents than looking into the welfare of the public. In India, politicians look at their own gains instead of putting the nation before self. In fact, they build such high walls around them to safeguard their interests that they form a barrier between the public and the government. When this happens, the government fails to understand the plights of the citizens and the problems of a country.Last year, a female physiotherapy student was gang raped and beaten in Delhi. If the public had not protested on the streets, the government would have ignored the issue or taken the case very lightly. In India, unless the public protests or speaks up against the government, justice is denied. Last year, a policeman refused to file a rape case, resulting in a victims suicide. Those with power are so bent on maintaining their status and becoming richer that they forget their reason for being elected and being a part of the government.Politicians who live in their own silos are self-centered, without self-confidence. They are unsure of their capabilities, which is why they refuse to step out of their comfort zone to address social problems, economic crisis, political turmoil and environmental degradation.To be a successful nation, politicians have to come out of their comfort zone by abandoning their silos. They need to understand the problems that the citizens are facing. Today, most of the countries in the world abide by democratic ideologies, where power lies in the people. So, only by meeting the needs of the people can politicians hope to keep their power and position."By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail"Benjamin Franklin was known for the following saying, By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. It is true that if you do not set goals beforehand or plan ahead in life, you cannot succeed in life.Success only comes to those with determination, who set concrete goals in life. Successful people have short term, medium term and long term goals.Since long term goals are the most difficult to achieve, people come up with short term goals, which will slowly but surely help them to move in the right direction.This way, one is organized and well-planned. With so much preparation, one does not lose focus of his goals and objectives even when the going gets tough.People who fail to prepare goals beforehand lose their way easily. Since they are not clear about their goals, they give up when they are unable to face challenges in life.They forget the big picture (long term goals) and get overwhelmed by difficult tasks along the way. A budding entrepreneur who is well-prepared will ensure that he has all the necessary resources to help him reach his goal. With his elaborate structure and support system, he rarely gets panicky because he has thought through the setbacks that may come his way.A budding entrepreneurs journey is full of challenges and someone who is not mentally prepared for hard work and struggles that come with the job will collapse mid-way. Success does not come to people easily; a lot of hard work, dedication and planning are required.Charles Dickens once said, I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, diligence, and the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time. These are the key ingredients for the success recipe.Aam Admi should have a bigger say in how the country may runAs a democratic nation, every individual has the right to voice out his/her opinion on how the country should be run. Sadly, in India, this is not the case. Although we are the largest democracy in the world, the practices of the country say otherwise. Most of the policies formulated by the government are for the benefit of the wealthy, elite and the powerful.The government comes up with regulations to get votes just before the elections and once the election period is over, the regulations are either scraped or amended to suit the politicians needs.Even though India is a democratic nation on paper, in reality, it practises authoritarian rule, where politicians act as dictators and the entire population follows the rules dictated by the powerful.For example, in the Union Budget as well as the Railway Budget, the government has listed policies to appease the public just before the elections. In the Railway Budget, it is stated that there will be no changes in the passenger fares and that 22 new railway lines will be added to the existing railway network.The government has been promising the addition of new railway lines for the last two years, and until now, it has not managed to implement them successfully. In addition, the government claims it will provide free Wi-Fi to passengers on certain trains.Without even consulting the public, the government has come up with such policies. How many people really want to use the Internet on trains? And if the government plans to provide such facilities, it is sure to increase the taxes of the citizens. Are citizens willing to pay more taxes just to enjoy such benefits?These are the questions the government needs to ask the citizens. Without understanding the need for certain facilities, the government should not establish structures and features that will be redundant for the general public. For this matter, the government should open avenues through which the public can communicate with government officials on the policies that suit their needs.One country that India can learn from is Singapore, where town councils have been established for the citizens to communicate their needs and requirements to politicians, who will then escalate them to higher authorities for implemention."We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us"Justice William J Brennan Jr, former Associate Justice of the US Court, once said, We must meet the challenge rather than wish it were not before us. Challenges make us stronger and wiser, and without challenges, life becomes meaningless and boring.Everyone comes across problems in life; in fact, nobodys life is free of challenges and problems. So, it is better to tackle a problem when it comes to us instead of wishing it were not before us.We dont gain anything by avoiding problems. In fact, we become timid and fearful when we take the easy path. The hard journeys that we go through help to build our character and prepare us for difficult times that may lie ahead of us. For example, if a child had stage fright and his parents always shielded him from public speaking, the child would grow up to be afraid of social interactions.Instead of making a problem grow on us, we should nip it in the bud. If public speaking is a challenge, one should tackle it by going for training in verbal skills. Only by facing our fears will we be able to move forward in life. Otherwise, the fear will continue to haunt us for the rest of our lives.The journey of life is not easy and by avoiding challenges, we add barriers to our progress. Obstacles can either break us or give us the determination to fight even harder.Challenges will always be present in life, whether we like it or not. But the outcome is dependent on how we tackle those challenges. To succeed in life, we must be determined and focused. Success does not knock on the doors of the weak-hearted. So, dont give up when the going gets tough. That is the time to put your skills and determination to test.Norman Vincent Peale, progenitor of the theory of positive thinking, once said, The tests of life are not meant to break you, but to make you. And this is how we should view challenges in life."A winner never quits"According to Vince Lombardi, an American football coach, Winners never quit and quitters never win. A winner is someone who is determined to achieve his goals and be successful in life. So, a winner never loses hope even when the journey becomes tough. We all face difficulties in our lives but the important thing is to learn at every step and move forward in life. It is true that quitters never win. People who are afraid of difficulties and are not willing to face challenges in life dont have confidence in themselves. They dont believe in themselves and their capabilities. Hence, they succumb to quitting, which never makes them winners.Every mountaineers dream is to climb the Mount Everest. But are all mountaineers successful in their mission? No. Thats because climbing the highest mountain in the world requires determination and perseverance. It is important for mountaineers to build their stamina and try scaling hills and smaller mountains before attempting to climb the highest mountain in the world. Since it is a long and an arduous chain of tasks, many people quit in between. Only those who have the courage and the strength to stand up after falling down are the one who are successful in their mission.A winner never settles for anything less than the best. So, he never accepts defeat and works hard to be the best. A winner is dedicated to his task and is passionate about doing the job right. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, similarly, winners are strong enough to face any difficulty and challenge in life. How can a sprinter win a race if he quits halfway through a race? Life is like a long running race. One needs to continue sprinting until he reaches the finishing line. Else, he will not be considered a winner."Right mental attitude will help one achieve his goals"The secret to achieving goals is by having the right mental attitude by cultivating good habits. One needs to understand that life is full of ups and downs. So, just because one has not attained success a couple of times does not mean that he is a failure. Even though one may not be successful at times, he needs to learn from his mistakes and be optimistic in life.One should be patient when goals appear challenging or daunting. If an individual feels that his goals are unattainable, he should reduce them into smaller actions which are easier to be carried out. If a mountaineers goal is to climb Mount Everest, he cannot attempt to scale the mountain in his first attempt. He should take one step at a time. By training hard and climbing hills and smaller mountains, he will gain confidence and slowly, he will be able to climb the worlds tallest mountain. This requires discipline and determination. One should never give up and lose hope in the midst of achieving his goals.Apart from discipline and determination, one needs to work hard to achieve his goals. For example, if an individual is keen on clearing the Civil Service Examination or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), he needs to burn the midnight oil and go for additional coaching and training sessions to hone his skills. In addition, he needs to have confidence in himself. Many hardworking students fail to achieve their goals because they dont believe in themselves. Only when a person has faith in himself will he be able to see his dreams come true.So, to achieve goals, one needs to consider the three Ps Positivity, Possibility, and Proactiveness. An individual needs to have a positive attitude, with the belief that he can achieve his set goals. In addition, he needs to work hard towards achieving his goals. Only then will he be successful in life.Post MBA exam results, MBA aspirants will be tested in Essay writing and in absence of any fixed format it is essential for you to read variety of topics so that you should feel confident. Idea is to develop thinking process. Today you will read Essay Topic:"Opportunities knock once only"A great man once said, Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on the doorbell. It is true that opportunities dont come to us every day. After working hard, we may be entitled to an opportunity. But one has to be aware of opportunities that may come his/her way. Today, many people are too involved in their own work that they miss many opportunities.Opportunities may come in various forms in the form of a scholarship, a raise in the salary, promotion at work, and a chance to spend quality time with family and friends. So, it is important to keep ones eyes and ears open so that these opportunities dont slip by. Once these opportunities slip through our fingers, it may take a long time before they come knocking on our doors again.For example, if there is a possibility of a promotion at work, and if one chooses to ignore this call, this opportunity will automatically go to another person. So, apart from working hard, one has to work smartly too. Often, we get carried away by temptations that keep lingering around us. Temptations tend to distract us. Often, we get distracted by short-term goals that we lose track of long-term goals. This leads us astray and prevents us from reaching the peak of success.It is true that even though an opportunity may knock at your door, you have to get up and open the door. You have to put in your share of hard work instead of waiting endlessly for opportunities. Only when people are confident of your abilities, they will send opportunities your way. So, even if opportunities do knock on your door, it is important to stay humble and continue working hard and stay determined.We continuously come face to face with great opportunities that are brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. Once we solve these problems, doors with opportunities automatically get unlocked. Only when we are able to prove to people around us that we are capable of making the most of an opportunity, we will be on the path of success. Blue RevolutionWater is a precious and finite resource and population is on the increase. Rain-fed and irrigated agriculture play a key role in ensuring food security for everybody and it will be an enormous challenge to provide enough water for global food production, especially in those regions and countries where water is already scarce.Water touches all aspects of peoples lives and plays a central role in every countrys development. Its availability impacts food production and nutrition, city development and growth, income generation and livelihood, and human health and hygiene. Its management reflects the strengths and weaknesses of local, national and international governance systems and the relationships between countries that share water resources.It is also an important mean for those people who earn their livelihood through small water bodies like small farmers and fisherman. To ensure the safe and protected livelihood of all the people dependent on water bodies, we need a revolution in this direction and there has been one which we called the Blue Revolution.Blue Revolution is the water equivalent of the green revolution and primarily refers to the management of water resources that can steer humanity to achieve drinking water and crop irrigation security. The aim of the ongoing Blue Revolution is to rapidly increase fish production in small ponds and water bodies, a boon to small farmers, the nation's nutrition and its gross domestic product.The Indian fisheries sector, which 50 years ago produced only 60,0000 tonnes of fish, today produces 5 million tonnes, including 1.6 million tonnes from freshwater aquaculture. Although the yield from marine fisheries has stagnated, freshwater aquaculture is growing at a healthy 6 percent a year.The Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), India's largest center of its kind has been the source of much of the science that has driven the growth of Indian inland aquaculture. The institute began the challenging task of turning what was a minor village tradition into a science that not only could increase the tonnage of fish per volume of water but also cope with inevitable problems that come with more intensive production, such as how to feed fish economically and how to deal with sudden outbreaks of disease brought on by crowded conditions.India farms 1.6 million tonnes of freshwater fish per year compared to the estimated domestic demand of 4.5 million tonnes. Of the 2.2 million hectares of freshwater bodies, only 8,00,000 hectares are currently utilized. Even India's vast distances, hot climate and vegetarian tradition do not place insurmountable obstacles in the way of expansion.Blue Revolution is not only about fishery though. According to United States Agency for International Development (USAID)s Asia and Near East(ANE) region, water management is very essential for future water security. Their aim is to achieve increased access to, and effective use of, safe water and sanitation. They are a revolutionary platform who has launched a Blue Revolution Initiative to promote water security, prosperity and health in Asia and the Middle East.They believe that to avert conflict and meet the basic human needs for water will require bold, concerted action by governments, water users, donors, and the private sector working in partnership to transform water management. Given the magnitude of the challenge, achieving success requires a veritable blue revolution. This Blue Revolution Initiative (BRI) provides a framework to guide USAIDs future water-related investments in the ANE region, and facilitate coordination and partnership with other donors, non-government organizations and the private sector as USAID teams with countries to overcome these significant challenges.Blue Revolution Initiative Objectives:The objectives of the Blue Revolution Initiative are to:Mitigate tensions associated with the use and management of shared water;Identifying and mitigating water conflicts at the local, national and regional/trans-boundary levels. Conflicts are expected to emerge from water shortages and declining water quality in many countries across the region. Their mitigation demands that countries approach the management of surface and ground waters from a more integrated perspective. USAID will provide support to regional institutions that support trans-boundary water management and build their capacity to engage in regional cooperation, conflict mitigation, and improved management of waters at the river basin level. Improve environmental management and economic productivity of water resources;Because fresh water is a finite resource, its protection from pollution and inefficient use are complementary solutions to its conservation and to poverty reduction. USAID, in coordination with BRI partners, will support watershed-based approaches by national and local government to protect fresh water supplies, and improve the productivity of water used in agriculture(more crop per drop). This broad objective encompasses many of USAIDs ongoing programs in the Near East and Asia. Improve access to, and effective use of, safe water and basic sanitation.Under this objective, USAID will work with national governments, other donors, the private sector and NGOs to expand access to safe water and basic sanitation across the ANE region. USAID will focus its efforts on: improving access to financing for expanding water and sanitation infrastructure, improving the effectiveness of utility operations, working through public-private partnerships to improve household hygiene and sanitation, and expanding sanitation services in the underserved pier-urban and urban areas in selected countries. Thus, Blue Revolution in any case, will improve the health condition, living standard and economic situation of each and every individual related or not related to it directly. It will also help in bringing many developing and under developed countries of the world on same platform. We hope that Blue Revolution, like Green and White Revolution, will be a super success in India as well as in other parts of the world."Self Confidence is Must for Being Successful

Talent is always desirable to be a highly successful and recognized personality. Without quality and diligence, no man on earth can ever expect to succeed in life. But together with the possession of true talent and potential, one needs to have the requisite confidence to deliver ones qualitative performance that will mark the very foundation of an appreciable and successful career.Without a having a minimum level of confidence, a person simply cannot expect to achieve the true heights of glory and triumph, no matter how much skillful he or she is or how much hard work is put in by the person concerned.The primary cause of such a situation is that even if the person is capable of achieving great heights in life, he or she will definitely yield to the pressure and competition which have always been a dominating factor in any form of test or contest.It is at this particular juncture that the person needs to hold his or her nerves without getting nervous and give his or her best with the required confidence and coolness.It is often said that practice makes a man perfect but being confident at the right time is equally significant to fulfill ones objective and serve the purpose successfully. History bears the sole witness of many such daring, valiant and treacherous tasks none of which could have been perfectly implemented without a reasonable amount of confidence and positivity.For instance, all of us regard the Mughal emperor, Akbar, to be a great ruler and a courageous fighter. But if he did not have the confidence of succeeding his father, Humayun who met a pre- mature death, at a tender age of seventeen years not only to take care of a massive kingdom but also to fight out an extremely powerful and shrewd enemy, Sher Shah Suri, who was both experienced and fierce as an invader, he could have never gone on to become one of the most efficient rulers in the history of India.Yet another striking example is that of the Queen of Jhansi, Rani Laxmi Bai, who had single handedly shaken up the very platform of the British rulers in her province by waging a deadly battle against them and that too, with her baby tightly tied around her back. But she never seemed to lack the confidence and courage to strike into the very den of the foreign intruders.Hence, one always needs to think positively and be optimistic in ones approach in order to achieve ones goal successfully and for this; one really has to develop the required level of confidence. Thus, self confidence is must for being successful." Grey Revolution in IndiaGrey Revolution in India is something which we can compare with the two sides of the same coin. There is a community in the country which believes Grey Revolution is the nothing but the sad story of Indian agriculture and farmers whereas the other community relates Grey Revolution with the fastest growing infrastructure of the country. Who can decide which community is right or wrong?Well, it is better to leave such decisive mattersto individual opinions and we could discuss here the main argument behind Grey revolution in India.Few people in our country believe that we are moving from green revolution to grey revolution. Through green revolution, we achieved food security and self-sufficiency. It taught how to use high yielding pesticides for better crop growth but as we all know, excess of anything is dangerous, the excessive use of pesticides have also created much more harm than the good we achieved through green revolution.The state of Punjab and Haryana, which were awarded for the best adaption of green revolution are now fast heading towards desertification a process that leads to the inability of the lands to sustain the production levels achieved at the height of the green revolution era. Same is the case with states like western Uttar Pradesh, parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, whereagriculture faces a severe crisis in sustainability from the second-generation environmental impacts. Intensive farming has destroyed the ability of the lands to produce enough food, and the mining of ground water has pushed the water table to a precarious level. The green revolution has already turned sour.The changing color of agricultural land from green to gray, due to the deteriorating level of inland water needs a new revolution to turn the table round and nothing but the title Grey Revolution suits the situation. And to control this situation, groundwater depletion should be made an essential parameter for any meaningful agriculture reforms. At this point of time when excessive pump-out of underground water has already become a major political issue, the cropping pattern continues to play havoc with the irrigation potential.Even the lessons that we learnt from the other contract farming models are proving to be too expensive in terms of water. For instance, the rose cultivation that was introduced in Karnataka a few years back required 212 inches of groundwater consumption in every hectare. Contract farming will, therefore, further exploit whatever remains of the groundwater resources and is no alternative for now.Thus, agriculture has not only become un-remunerative but also unproductive. To top of it, the process towards corporate control of agriculture is destroying the ability of our land to sustain the crop harvests.Thus, the new agricultural reforms on the anvil will encourage migration from rural to urban centers where the farmers abandon agriculture and start searching menial jobs in cities and end up as rickshaw pullers or daily wage laborers.On the other hand, we have a segment that describes Gray Revolution as the advancement in the infrastructure due to heavy investments which has led to an upswing in the Indian Economy. With the largest highways construction programin the world, the mushrooming of suburbs, a boom in the retailing and construction industry, and a surge in the demand for homes, no doubt a Grey Revolution is gathering momentum in India. The supporters of this infrastructural revolution advocate the migration of rural unskilled laborers to the cities as they believe they get a better life standard in cities compared to the villages and the source of income for maintaining that standard comes from the same infrastructural grey revolution as projects like these are the lifeline for job creation in a country like India, because they absorb rural labor and unskilled workers and give them a much desired life with better living standard and education facility.Infrastructural growth like construction of roads, housing projects, developments of public groundwork, etc. have not only boosted our infrastructure growth but our economic development as well. It is a well-known fact that fast growing economies like China is investing tremendously in making roads, railways, ports, etc. and India's investment in these areas is like a small drop compared to Chinese ocean. But still, we have been doing well and have the capacity of doing much better.Supporters of Infrastructural Revolution or Gray Revolution say that India did have green revolution which catapulted our food grain production and made itself self-sufficient and that also to an extent that we started exporting our agro-based products to other countries. Similarly we had white revolution which made us self-sufficient in milk production. Now we are experiencing a grey(cement color) revolution which will boost our infrastructure and will make us really a strong economy.Thus, we could see how two arguments which are essentially different from each other on fundamental grounds, still lead to the same conclusion that in the end it is the development of our country and country people that matters the most.

"Body Language"Before the start of the Second World War, Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, who wanted to build a strong German empire dominating mainland Europe, was seeing a football match between Germany and Great Britain. During the match Hitler walked off in between and spoke to his close confidante, his Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels that it would be very difficult to defeat Britain in the Second World War. Hitler remarked that the body language of the England team revealed the character, the do-or-die spirit and the aggressiveness of the English nation and hence it wont be a child's play to defeat them.Seeing the above instance must have surely explained to you the importance of Body Language, which is an important aspect of human personality and a very powerful tool. Body language shows the strength and vulnerability of a person.A man in the Arm Forces and a civilian, both in their casual clothes, can be distinctly marked. The upright posture, the confidence coupled with the walking style makes an army officer stand apart from the rest just because of the body language.It is true that human beings cannot live without each other as we are social beings. As soon as we come into contact with another person we start communicating. For this we can make use of spoken and written language. Through this we put our message across very clearly. However we can also communicate without words. To make the meaning of our words clear we use body language. Thus, this is where the body language comes into foreplay.Body language is a form of non-verbal communication, which consists of body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements. Humans send and interpret such signals almost entirely subconsciously. Body language may provide clues as to the attitude or state of mind of a person.For example, while speaking in a gathering or one-on-one basis the body language reveals a mans personality in regards to his:ConfidenceTruthfulnessLiarTimidityAggressivenessAttentivenessBoredomRelaxed statePleasure or amusementIntoxicationWhether he means businessCan an individual reach his goalIt is an accepted fact that body language occurs unconsciously. Yet the body language we use decides to a large extent the quality of our communication. Our body language can attract as well as repulse a person. Therefore it would be good to become conscious of our own and others' body language. We can learn to use our body language for a purpose.Body language has different meanings in different cultures. How we can interpret body language depends on the situation, the culture, the relationship we have with the person as well as the gender of the other. This means that there is not one signal that has the same meaning all over the world. If you do not take this into account you may get yourself in some serious trouble. Body language is also interlinked with spoken language and a whole pattern of behavior from a person.Having a positive body language is not only restricted to attending job interviews but how you fare well in your workplace. Understanding the body language of your colleagues and clients makes things easier for you.To leave a good impression behind, it is important that we know, and to a certain extent can control, our body language. Let's say you're all set for your big interview. But before you even open your mouth, the rest of your body has already spoken volumes.Only a small percentage of communication involves actual words: 7%, to be exact. In fact, 55% of communication is visual (body language, eye contact) and 38% is vocal (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice).When we communicate with others, we express our thoughts and feelings not only through the words we choose, but also through our tone of voice, facial expression and body language. In fact, many communications experts believe that far more information is communicated non-verbally (without words) than verbally (with words).Body language includes many different aspects of our every day physical behaviour: the way we greet one another; how we stand, how we sit or walk; the way we position our arms and legs or use our hands and eyes are some of the most basic traits.Body language plays a big role in intuition as it gives us messages about the other person that we can interpret at an intuitive level. It is therefore necessary to get to know our own body language first. We should learn about it so that we can recognize it in others as well as in ourselves.For CAT aspirants and graduates who will be making their foray into the corporate world a controlled and positive body language is a must. However it is not an overnight achievement and one needs to work hard to attain a positive body language that remains calm and composed at every point of time.The knowledge of non-verbal communication helps a manager understand the behaviour of others and thus manage his workforce effectively. It is also a useful and powerful tool for handling serious and sensitive situations tactfully. Non-verbal behaviour is more reliable than verbal expressions since it is the language of the subconscious and is therefore difficult to manipulate.Experienced managers are alert to notice harmony or dissent in gestures (non-verbal messages sent through body language) in a group. One kinetic signal which is of tremendous importance for those in marketing and advertising is the dilation of pupils. The pupil size unconsciously increases when you see a thing of great interesta sign to the marketing man that the product has been liked.Counselors, therapists and recruitment consultants can use kinesics to their advantage while conducting interviews. There are many giveaways: fall of face, change of facial expression (guilt); sucking thumb, biting nails, chewing or sucking the end of a pen or piece of paper (insecurity, stress, lack of confidence); looking away while talking (unsure); touching fingertips and forming an inverted 'V' (self-confidence); maintaining eye contact while talking (confidence).Gesture interpretation is, however, not meant to infer your intrinsic nature or personality. It should be used only to understand the behaviour, feelings or emotions of a person at a particular time. Gestures should be read in clusters of signals being received from various parts of the body.So, if you want to know more about what people around you are really thinking here are some of the body language traits you need to know:During a meeting or presentation, you are being listened to intently if the listener is keeping his left hand over the right one, with his palms down. However, if the right hand covers the left one, the person is probably disagreeing with what is being said and is waiting for an opportunity to interrupt.In a presentation a person may also pull his earlobe at the time he is just about to interrupt.Unblinking eyes, looking fixedly, feet flat on floor, body tense but vertical are some gestures that show an inattentive listener who is trying to feign attention.Rubbing behind the ear or touching (or rubbing) the nose gently with the index finger shows dislike, doubt, uncertainty or the inability to avoid or answer a question.By nodding his head, the listener conveys that he is listening and encourages the speaker to go on. Rapid nods of the head, or a gentle, rhythmic tapping of the head or stomach or any other thing within his approach with the hand may mean that the listener wants the speaker to finish quickly.The stroking of chin or nose or pulling of beard, accompanied by an occasional narrowing down of eyes as if looking at a distance, may indicate that the person is evaluating in order to make a wise decision.Keeping your hands stiffly by your side or stuck in your pockets can give the impression that you're insecurewhether you are or not.Avoiding looking at people maybe simply because you're too busy can lead people to think you're being less than honest with them. You may be slouching because you're tired, but people may read it as a sign that you're not interested.People want to feel as though you are speaking to them directly or that they are the most important person in the room during your conversation. Breaking eye contact is a surefire way to break the connection.Don't let anything come between you and your listeners. Crossing your arms, standing behind a podium or chair, or talking to someone from behind a computer monitor is examples of blocking, which prevents a real connection from taking place.Stand or sit tall. Poor posture is often associated with a lack of confidence or a lack of engagement or interest. Leaning back in your chair can give the impression that you're lazy, unmotivated, or dispassionate about the position.Animate while you speak. This means let your hands do some of the talking. Great speakers use hand gestures more than on average.Unbuttoning of coat during an important discussion is a sign of openness, friendliness or willingness to reach an agreement.The world's best business communicators have strong body language: a commanding presence that reflects confidence, competence, and charisma. They punctuate nearly every sentence with a hand gesture which showcases the importance of effective hand gestures.Infact, dignitaries all over the world are studied on the basis of their body language. For instance: US President Barack Obamas visit to India along with his wife Michelle Obama showcased his willingness to foster good relations with India and also his perfect chemistry with his wife during the three day visit.A large number of people are starting to attend special sessions on controlled body behavior and take advice from expert sociologists. Learning good body language, such as living styles of people of foreign people, is important during interaction in any sort of global community.Due to this body language experts are gaining worldwide recognition. Understanding body language is a vast subject and a book by itself. It has become a science. But it's all learnable. So work on your body language. Pay as much attention to it as the words you use, and gauge your influence."Management of Failure The bitter taste of failure is much bitterer than the sweet taste of victory can ever be. This is perhaps one of the biggest reasons why failure scares people much more than victory inspires them. The truth is that there are not many people; rather there are none, who say that they wish to taste failure in life. Everybody wishes to succeed. However, the irony is that the success and failure are not always guaranteed by our efforts or our desires. Sometimes, even when people give their best shot, they fail at what they do and this is what pushes them into tasting the dreaded. How do people deal with failure when this happens? Is some kind of people more successful at dealing with failure than some other kind of people? Does dealing with failure leads to anything positive?There are much kind of people in these world- optimists, pessimists, impatient, determined and dedicated, stubborn and obstinate etc. The way a person deals with his failure depends largely on the kind of person that they are. For instance, an optimist will see something good in his failure and make it to be his stepping stone to success.On the contrary, a pessimist will essentially become more wary and stop taking risks all together. An impatient man will cry and whine for a while and then either, simply give up or get back on his feet soon again and give the whole thing another try. Likewise, a stubborn and obstinate man will deny the mistake that he made and perhaps, blame someone else for his own failure.A determined and dedicated man might take some time to deal with his failure but when they bounce back, they come back with a firm mind to achieve success. The truth of the matter is that each person has a different way of dealing with their failure. However, the question that needs to be asked is- Is there any best way of management of failure?Though every persons interpretation of management of failure remains different, there are certain things that a person can do to manage failure or deal with it in a much better way. The first thing to do when one fails is to look back in retrospect and analyze the point where one went wrong. This is important to ensure that the mistake that the person made in the past, stays in the past and does not get repeated again ever in the present or the future.Once a person knows where they went wrong, it is also important to embrace the mistake that they made. Until and unless, a person accepts that they actually made mistakes, they can never find any room for correction or betterment. Lastly, one should always remember the statement that Henry Ford, one of the greatest businessmen of our times made, Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Often, failure creates a kind of dread in the minds of people which pulls them back from endeavoring or aspiring high.The biggest task in the management of failure is to not to let this dread or skepticism rule our minds. If a person is not able to submerse the doubt in ones capabilities that often arises out of failure, the chances are that the failure will have a more deepening effect on the person. The only way to manage failure is to make further attempts. Giving up or choosing to never take the plunge wont serve any good purpose instead will only provide prominence to the depressing effects of failure.Thomas Edison, one the greatest inventors of our times, the man who created the electric bulb, phonograph and the motion picture cinema, had to often deal with failure while making his inventions. The only thing that kept him going was his willingness to achieve, his faith in self and the determination that never allowed him to give up. Thomas Edison, when questioned about the failures he experienced while on his way to success, said, I have not failed. I have learned 9,999 ways that wont work.The life of this great man tells us that our ability to manage the failure depends very largely on the way we choose to look at things and the perspective that we create. The truth is that the failure as well as the success is more in the mind than they are in reality. To be able to manage failure or for that matter, even success, what a person needs to manage first is his own mind."Role of Opposition Is Viewed As Negative In Indian PolityAlthough Opposition has the key role to play in the democratic setup of governance its responsibility is most often seen in the negative perspective when it comes to define that in the Indian political system. There are so many factors associated with this understanding of the negative role of the Opposition in terms of Indian political system. It is mainly due to the immature approach of the politicians and their least concern about the prime step of serving the nation. Regional approaches often dominate on the national issues are other key elements hence the situation go so ineffective. This is an important factor that India still lacks for a politically mature class that could guarantee that both the ruling and opposition parties offer the desired inputs when the issue is to serve the nation with the political vision for its sustainable growth. It is ironical though that although India remains one of the leading democracies in the world with best of sophistication applied for electoral exercise today but its parliament has hardly seen any practical involvement and activeness of the Opposition members especially when it is to join hands for some constructive approach.The world media has witnessed many a times that the Opposition in the Indian polity is always in a destructive mode hence the approach is not so appealing and politics has hardly been brought into the rational use for a realistically effective role of those sitting against the ruling members. Circumstances differ in India due to many regional parties often dominating the national ones.The localized issues and lack of consistency in the Opposition parties fails to bring an effective outcome of such wonderfully defined political system. The realm of political life in India therefore requires best redefining of its role because Opposition always has equal role to play in democracy like any ruling party do for the decisions taken for the sake of a brighter future of the nation.Opposition parties could dissolve the governments on various issues concerned if they fail to address the national interest. They can even make the ruling parties understand whether they deserve to rule the country or not. As they are equally powerful political leaders with their status of being the elected members of the parliament they must lead and reflect the society from where they have been elected. It is their key responsibility to ensure that the political ills are rectified with the additional role of watching the government for the peoples interest.The problem with the Indian Opposition politics is that it often becomes the advocates of cheap and no nonsense gimmicks so that they achieve mean benefits. They have literally reduced their own roles in the democratic setup. Their roles are always seen in the negative perspective because they have failed to complete their basic duties as the leaders representing their respective constituencies. How can one think of expecting more from them when they couldnt realize their existing roles?An unfortunate aspect is that although India is world's largest democracy but there is still not the desired transparency in its democratic functioning, say for example the ineffective role of an Opposition party as well as the monopolizing characteristics of ruling parties which often showcase through bossism of them being in the majorityand ruling the country. When such is the scenario then most political decisions would be taken without the thorough observation or assessment which otherwise make it impossible to offer any room to the reforms.Democracy always seeks reforms. Being honest individual in politics is questioned in the present political scene of India. No matter one represents the ruling parties or the opposition the questions arises on the credibility aspect. The hoodwinking done on various stages is a common scene in the democratic setup of this country. The strategies an Opposition party often makes for the anti-incumbency of ruling party might enhance their own winning prospect but the country as a whole moves towards the path which is bleak, politically immature and economically unsustainable hence there is nothing to bring progress. The Indian Opposition leaders are still not so much outspoken which is the primary need of the political system in which it is assured that unbiased decisions are taken for smooth functioning of government and keeping everything right in order. As such zeal is hardly seen in their role it is still assumed that they are least productive so negated for political aspiration. The political pundits hardly see in the Opposition anything constructive in India. The irony of the fate is that an outspoken ruling party turns a pessimist once fail to remain in the government and told to perform the role of an Opposition leader.There is ample scope to realize the role of Opposition in the Indian polity and crosscheck various defects concerned. It would prove helpful to ensure a sustainable democratic government runs the country. The role of the fourth estatemedia and judiciary remain pivotal to bring everything right in order so that desired change can be expected and steps are taken to help Indian democracy play its role effectively. Most often Opposition parties show lack of interest when they see that their participation might impact negatively on the parties concerned. They wont be able to take the bold step and look for the overall advantage which the country may get by supporting the ruling parties. The Opposition parties in the Indian democratic setup only presume that they should keep opposing to fulfill their duties keenly.Such steps cause lack of integrity hence they raise finger on political farsightedness of Opposition that can minimize democracy. Situation often turns so bad that no decision is the best decision scenario arises as ruling parties fail to convince the no-nonsense opposition that they must observe and support or negate anything initiated by them on the basis of reasoning rather than just being in the opposition to oppose as and when such situations are beforehand."First Impression is the last impressionWilliam Hazlitt, the British Writer once said, First Impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible professions or studied actions. A man's look is the work of years; it is stamped on his countenance by the events of his whole life, nay, more, by the hand of nature, and it is not to be got rid of easily. The truth of the matter is that the first impression can actually play a pivotal role in the way a person perceives you or continue to perceive you in future.To say that the first impression is the last would perhaps be an exaggeration because like everything else, one can actually correct their mistake. However, one will have to make strong efforts and waste a lot of time, to be able to correct the mistake that they made in the first place. Thus, it is best that a person takes much caution and lays much emphasis on making the first impression prim and proper.The question is- Why is the first impression so important? How does the first impression play an important role in creating an impression that can last for a very long time or for that matter, forever? The answer is simple. When we meet someone, we have never met before; they do not have any clue about who we are. Since they do not know us or have never met us before, they do not have absolutely any knowledge about the person that we are. So, they judge us on the basis of what they see and hear. Everything else becomes secondary. The things that we say, the way in which we act and everything that indicates anything about our personality lays the foundation on which the other person builds an idea about our character or personality.Once the foundation has been made, it becomes very difficult to change it. Thus, the first impression is extremely important because it creates the granite foundation for the way in which people perceive us. It provides people with the glasses through which they see us. This is precisely the reason why people should make every effort to create a good first impression.How can one create a good first impression? Or, what are the things that a person should keep in mind when they go to meet someone important for the first time? To start with, one of the things to remember always is that a persons state of mind can make a huge difference. If you are nervous and feeling unconfident about yourself, the chances are that you will be unable to present yourself well and smartly. Thus, before you walk in for your first meeting, make sure that you have done your homework well.Prepare yourself mentally and physically so that you rebound with confidence and appeal. The second thing that is noticed about a person in the first meeting is the things that he says. What a person says reflects the way he thinks and the opinion he has on things. The words that come out of your mouth are a mirror to your personality. Thus, one should always take time and think twice before they say something that comes across as totally absurd, foolish or wrong. On your first meeting, keep your best manners, charms, confidence and intellect with you as they will help you a lot.How does creating the right first impression help a person in his corporate professional life? We live in an age where competition is not only high, it is cut throat. If you want to get ahead, you will have to present yourself as nothing but the very best. A good first impression will bring you out in the eyes of the top most important people and from there, you can work your way to the top through hard work and labor. The first impression will help you in establishing yourself as someone who can be trusted and is worthy of attention.One does not get a second chance to create a first impression. Everyone gets just a single chance and they have to make the best out of it. If you spoil your chance, you will have to work very hard and for a very long time to reconstruct your image. However, if you hit the bulls eye in your first chance, it is quite likely that you will still be forgiven if you mess up once or twice. In profession life, a good first impression can open to doors to many other things.Thus, on your first meeting, make sure that you put your best step forward. Let people know that you understand what you are doing and