Tag: learning habits

Insecurity

Everyone feels a little unsure at times. As humans, we constantly think, and some of our thoughts can be filled with doubt. This can lead to thoughts of insecurity. Too much insecurity can lead to other problems — in relationships and in your everyday life. However, there are ways you can work through your insecure thoughts and live life more confidently.

What Is Insecurity?

Insecurity is a feeling of inadequacy (not being good enough) and uncertainty. It produces anxiety about your goals, relationships, and ability to handle certain situations. Everybody deals with insecurity from time to time. It can appear in all areas of life and come from a variety of causes. It might stem from a traumatic event, patterns of previous experience, social conditioning (learning rules by observing others), or local environments such as school, work, or home. It can also stem from general instability. People who experience unpredictable upsets in daily life are more likely to feel insecure about ordinary resources and routines.On the other hand, insecurity can have no definite, external cause. Instead, it can appear as a quirk of personality or brain chemistry. Understanding the nature of insecurities can help you manage your own and offer others the support they need.  

Types of Insecurity:

There are almost limitless areas of potential insecurity. Moreover, insecurity often bleeds over from one area of life into another. However, there are some types of insecurity that appear frequently.

Relationship Insecurity: One of the most common kinds of insecurity concerns relationships or “attachments.” Attachment theory originated out of a desire to connect the attachment patterns of early childhood to later relationship patterns and expectations. When a child’s “attachment figures”, often parents or guardians, aren’t reliably available and supportive, the child often feels insecure, forms a negative self-image and relationship models, and experiences greater emotional distress and maladjustment later in life. Relationship or attachment insecurities don’t need to begin in early childhood. They can arise wherever previous experience or personal insecurity undermines someone’s security in their closest relationships.

Job Insecurity: Job insecurity occurs when you are anxious about your continued employment or about the continuation of certain benefits attached to your employment. It can be triggered by anxiety over your own job performance or anxiety over factors beyond your control, such as the economy, industry trends, workplace conflict, or the danger of company restructuring or failure. High rates of unemployment and temporary work increase job insecurity on a national scale and contribute to widespread mental health problems.

Body Image Insecurity : A common source of insecurity is body image. Many people feel insecure about the way they look and question whether they measure up to an imposed ideal. There is no necessary connection between actual body health or appearance and body insecurity. People of all body types can experience this type of insecurity.

Social Insecurity/Anxiety : Another common type of insecurity surrounds the way we are perceived by our peers and the ease with which we interact with them. This insecurity can be a recurring, low-level problem or can blossom into full-blown social anxiety disorder or social phobia.

Signs of Insecurity:

Signs of insecurity are as variable as the condition itself, but there are some common tendencies you can look out for.

Low or Superficial Self-Esteem : One sign of insecurity is low self-esteem or negative self-image, particularly when that image seems to be inconsistent with external observation. Low self-esteem means you think badly about yourself or your abilities. It can lead to other problems, especially concerning mental health. Talk to a doctor if your self-esteem is very low.Because the measurement of self-esteem generally relies on self-report, insecurity can lead to superficial self-esteem. People with insecurity often want to appear secure, and their explicit comments may be at odds with their automatic responses to certain stimuli. Deliberate self-misrepresentation or false behavior/information on social media can also be a sign of social anxiety. The act of faking then reinforces the social insecurity.

Perfectionism : The inability to be satisfied with progress and need to control and refine projects until they’re perfect can be a sign of insecurity. It stems from the sensation that you or your performance is never enough. It can appear as a manifestation of insecurity in any area of life but is frequently found in cases of job insecurity and body insecurity. Eating disorders, for example, often appear along with both harmful perfectionism and attachment insecurities.

Self-Isolation : Social insecurity can lead people to avoid social interactions, isolating themselves. Sometimes these people prefer to interact virtually in internet situations they feel they can control.

Anxious or Avoidant Attachment Styles : Attachment insecurities often result in problematic attachment styles, or dysfunctional approaches to relationships. The two most common are anxious or avoidant attachments. Anxious attachment styles are characterized by emotional dependence (relying on someone else for your emotional well-being), a fear of being alone, and fantasies of perfect relationships that can never be fulfilled. Avoidant attachment styles also stem from insecurity but go in the other direction. People with this style tend to keep relationships superficial and disengage from more intimate connections.

Poor Job Performance : Job insecurity (not having a stable job) can work to motivate some people, but it more often results in poorer performances. It can lead to absenteeism (avoiding work), turnover intention (wanting to change jobs soon after starting), disengagement from colleagues and in group projects, and poor work attitudes.

Depression or Anxiety : All types of insecurity can lead to decreased mental wellness. Depressive or anxious behavior or thinking is often an effect of insecurity, particularly when that insecurity produces (or is accompanied by) erroneous beliefs and patterns of thought.

Dealing with Insecurity :

Occasional insecurity is a natural part of life. For deeper and more longer-lasting feelings of insecurity, however, professional therapists can help you sort through your emotions and develop strategies for everyday life. In dealing with insecurity, there are a couple of helpful tips to keep in mind.

Social Networks Matter : Broad and meaningful social networks — frinedships, relationships with coworkers, and more — help to lessen both insecurity and its negative effects. There’s an inverse correlation between healthy social networks and insecure attachment styles. Having a wide circle of friends and many close connections allows you to develop the tools and confidence to engage in deeper adult relationships.Developing good friendships both in and out of the workplace also has a proven record of success as a coping strategy that helps prevent job insecurity, depression, and general anxiety. People who disengage from colleagues in response to job insecurity more frequently suffer in their mental health and job performance.

Trust Takes Practice : While having an overly trusting behavior creates its own problems, ask yourself if you have any reason to distrust expressions of affection or liking from others. People with insecurities sometimes express doubt and perceive rejection in everything from partner relationships to new acquaintances. These expressions can be self-fulfilling. Practice taking displays of interest at face value, something that can be easier in more casual relationships. You can build up the confidence to accept deeper affection and intimacy.

All Addictions are Dangerous

Whenever the word ‘addiction’ pops up, people often connect it immediately to drugs, smoking or alcohol and deny to think further more. But getting used to anything beyond a limit, be it a coffee, food or shopping is an addiction and is equally dangerous.

While some of these addictions might appear more harmless on the surface, but in reality all of them limit your life in some way or the other. It’s important to try and quit if you recognize that a habit is taking over your life.

First, start by acknowledging the problem and then believe in yourself that with proper work you can overcome this problem. I am not telling that this would be easy, but surely it would be worth the effort. Take it day at a time. It can be intimidating in the start, but take baby steps to reach goal and don’t quit.

One day at a time….

Be optimistic, reach the root of the problem and take some time to truly understand where this habit comes from and how it is ruining your life and health. Sometimes contemplating on your mistakes can help you get rid of them once and for all.

Stay committed and do not leave mid-way. I promise you that your transformation will help you live a much more enriching, creative, free and empowering life.

Gig Economy

What Is the Gig Economy?

In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend to hire independent contractors and freelancers  instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who often focus on their career development.

Understanding the Gig Economy

In a gig economy, large numbers of people work in part-time or temporary positions or as independent contractors. The result of a gig economy is cheaper, more efficient services, such as Uber or Airbnb, for those willing to use them. People who don’t use technological services such as the Internet may be left behind by the benefits of the gig economy. Cities tend to have the most highly developed services and are the most entrenched in the gig economy. A wide variety of positions fall into the category of a gig. The work can range from driving for Lyft or delivering food to writing code or freelance articles. Adjunct and part-time professors, for example, are contracted employees as opposed to tenure-track or tenured professors. Colleges and universities can cut costs and match professors to their academic needs by hiring more adjunct and part-time professors.

The Factors Behind a Gig Economy

America is well on its way to establishing a gig economy, and estimates show as much as a third of the working population is already in some gig capacity. Experts expect this working number to rise, as these types of positions facilitate independent contracting work, with many of them not requiring a freelancer to come into an office. Gig workers are much more likely to be part-time workers and to work from home. Employers also have a wider range of applicants to choose from because they don’t have to hire someone based on their proximity. Additionally, computers have developed to the point that they can either take the place of the jobs people previously had or allow people to work just as efficiently from home as they could in person.

Economic reasons also factor into the development of a gig economy. Employers who cannot afford to hire full-time employees to do all the work that needs to be done will often hire part-time or temporary employees to take care of busier times or specific projects. On the employee’s side of the equation, people often find they need to move or take multiple positions to afford the lifestyle they want. It’s also common to change careers many times throughout a lifetime, so the gig economy can be viewed as a reflection of this occurring on a large scale.

During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, the gig economy has experienced significant increases as gig workers have delivered necessities to home-bound consumers, and those whose jobs have been eliminated have turned to part-time and contract work for income. Employers will need to plan for changes to the world of work, including the gig economy, when the pandemic has ended.

Criticisms of the Gig Economy

Despite its benefits, there are some downsides to the gig economy. While not all employers are inclined to hire contracted employees, the gig economy trend can make it harder for full-time employees to develop in their careers since temporary employees are often cheaper to hire and more flexible in their availability. Workers who prefer a traditional career path and the stability and security that come with it are being crowded out in some industries.

For some workers, the flexibility of working gigs can actually disrupt the work-life balance, sleep patterns, and activities of daily life. Flexibility in a gig economy often means that workers have to make themselves available any time gigs come up, regardless of their other needs, and must always be on the hunt for the next gig. Competition for gigs has increased during the pandemic, too. And unemployment insurance usually doesn’t cover gig workers who can’t find employment.

In effect, workers in a gig economy are more like entrepreneurs than traditional workers. While this may mean greater freedom of choice for the individual worker, it also means that the security of a steady job with regular pay, benefits—including a retirement account—and a daily routine that has characterized work for generations are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

Lastly, because of the fluid nature of gig economy transactions and relationships, long-term relationships between workers, employers, clients, and vendors can erode. This can eliminate the benefits that flow from building long-term trust, customary practice, and familiarity with clients and employers. It could also discourage investment in relationship-specific assets that would otherwise be profitable to pursue since no party has an incentive to invest significantly in a relationship that only lasts until the next gig comes along.

Ways to Manage Stress

Stress is part of being human, and it can help motivate you to get things done. Even high stress from serious illness, job loss, a death in the family, or a painful life event can be a natural part of life. You may feel down or anxious, and that’s normal too for a while. Talk to your doctor if you feel down or anxious for more than several weeks or if it starts to interfere with your home or work life. Therapy, medication, and other stategies help. In the meantime, there are things you can learn to manage stress before it gets to be too much. Consider these suggestions:

Exercise

To start with, physical activity can help improve your sleep. And better sleep means better stress management. Doctors don’t yet know exactly why, but people who exercise more tend to get better deep “slow wave” sleep that helps renew the brain and body. Just take care not to exercise too close to bedtime, which disrupts sleep for some people. Exercise also seems to help mood. Part of the reason may be that it stimulates your body to release a number of hormones like endorphins and endocannabinoids that help block pain, improve sleep, and sedate you. Some of them (endocannabinoids) may be responsible for the euphoric feeling, or “runner’s high,” that some people report after long runs.

People who exercise also tend to feel less anxious and more positive about themselves. When your body feels good, your mind often follows. Get a dose of stress relief with these exercises:

Applications

Property Rights

What Are Property Rights?

Property rights define the theoretical and legal ownership of resources and how they can be used. These resources can be both tangible or intangible and can be owned by individuals, businesses, and governments. In many countries, including the United States, individuals generally exercise private property rights or the rights of private persons to accumulate, hold, delegate, rent, or sell their property. In economics property rights form the basis for all market exchange, and the allocation of property rights in a society affects the efficiency of resource use.

Understanding Property Rights

Property is secured by laws that are clearly defined and enforced by the state. These laws define ownership and any associated benefits that come with holding the property. The term property is very expansive, though the legal protection for certain kinds of property varies between jurisdictions.Property is generally owned by individuals or a small group of people. The rights of property ownership can be extended by using patents and copyrights to protect:

  • Scarce physical resources such as houses, cars, books, and cellphones
  • Non-human creatures like dogs, cats, horses or birds
  • Intellectual property such as inventions, ideas, or words

Other types of property, such as communal or government property, are legally owned by well-defined groups. These are typically deemed public property. Ownership is enforced by individuals in positions of political or cultural power. Property rights give the owner or right holder the ability to do with the property what they choose. That includes holding on to it, selling or renting it out for profit, or transferring it to another party.

Acquiring Rights to a Property

Individuals in a private property rights regime acquire and transfer in mutually agreed-upon transfers, or else through homesteading. Mutual transfers include rents, sales, voluntary sharing, inheritances, gambling, and charity. Homesteading is the unique case; an individual may acquire a previously unowned resource by mixing his labor with the resource over a period of time. Examples of homesteading acts include plowing a field, carving stone, and domesticating a wild animal. In areas where property rights don’t exist, the ownership and use of resources are allocated by force, normally by the government. That means these resources are allocated by political ends rather than economic ones. Such governments determine who may interact with, can be excluded from, or may benefit from the use of the property.

Private Property Rights

Private property rights are one of the pillars of capitalist economies, as well as many legal systems, and moral philosophies. Within a private property rights regime, individuals need the ability to exclude others from the uses and benefits of their property. All privately owned resources are rivalrous, meaning only a single user may possess the title and legal claim to the property. Private property owners also have the exclusive right to use and benefit from the services or products. Private property owners may exchange the resource on a voluntary basis.

Private Property Rights and Market Prices

Every market price in a voluntary, capitalist society originates through transfers of private property. Each transaction takes place between one property owner and someone interested in acquiring the property. The value at which the property exchanges depends on how valuable it is to each party. Suppose an investor purchases $1,000 in shares of stock in Apple. In this case, Apple values owning the $1,000 more than the stock. The investor has the opposite preference, and values ownership of Apple stock more than $1,000.

Financial Literacy

What Is Financial Literacy?

Financial literacy is the ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal financial management, budgeting, and investing. Financial literacy is the foundation of your relationship with money, and it is a lifelong journey of learning. The earlier you start, the better off you will be, because education is the key to success when it comes to money.

Read on to discover how you can become financially literate and able to navigate the challenging but critical waters of personal finance. And when you have educated yourself, try to pass your knowledge on to your family and friends. Many people find money matters intimidating, but they don’t have to be, so spread the news by example.

Understanding Financial Literacy

In recent decades financial products and services have become increasingly widespread throughout society. Whereas earlier generations of Americans may have purchased goods primarily in cash, today various credit products are popular, such as credit and debit cards and electronic transfers. Indeed, a 2019 survey from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco showed that consumers preferred cash payments in only 22% of transactions, favoring debit cards for 42% and credit cards for 29%.

Other products, such as mortgages, student loans, health insurance, and self-directed accounts, have also grown in importance. This has made it even more imperative for individuals to understand how to use them responsibly. Although there are many skills that might fall under the umbrella of financial literacy, popular examples include household budgeting, learning how to manage and pay off debts, and evaluating the tradeoffs between different credit and investment products. These skills often require at least a working knowledge of key financial concepts, such as compound interest and the time value of money. Given the importance of finance in modern society, lacking financial literacy can be very damaging to an individual’s long-term financial success.

Being financially illiterate can lead to a number of pitfalls, such as being more likely to accumulate unsustainable debt burdens, either through poor spending decisions or a lack of long-term preparation. This in turn can lead to poor credit, bankruptcy, housing foreclosure, and other negative consequences. Thankfully, there are now more resources than ever for those wishing to educate themselves about the world of finance. One such example is the government-sponsored Financial Literacy and Education Commission, which offers a range of free learning resources.

Strategies to Improve Your Financial Literacy Skills

Developing financial literacy to improve your personal finances involves learning and practicing a variety of skills related to budgeting, managing and paying off debts, and understanding credit and investment products. Here are several practical strategies to consider.

Create a Budget—Track how much money you receive each month against how much you spend in an Excel sheet, on paper, or with a budgeting app. Your budget should include income (paychecks, investments, alimony), fixed expenses (rent/mortgage payments, utilities, loan payments), discretionary spending (nonessentials such as eating out, shopping, and travel), and savings.

Pay Yourself First—To build savings, this reverse budgeting strategy involves choosing a savings goal (say, a down payment for a home), deciding how much you want to contribute toward it each month, and setting that amount aside before you divvy up the rest of your expenses.

Pay Bills Promptly—Stay on top of monthly bills, making sure that payments consistently arrive on time. Consider taking advantage of automatic debits from a checking account or bill-pay apps and sign up for payment reminders (by email, phone, or text).

Learning at the school garden

India Requires All Schools to Have Kitchen Gardens
  • A one of its kind initiative, Edible Schools has been launched by MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Kalpetta, Kerala in association with Botanical Garden Conservation International (BGCI) to familiarize school children with food crops and family farming. 
  • The aim of this program is to engage the children in food production and farming activities under the guidance of trained and caring leaders, who lead the children into discovery and exploration of soil, water, biodiversity and the science of agriculture production and consumption.

Teaching gardening in schools

  • This project was launched in 2 schools of Waynad – Hill Blooms School, Mananthavady and Government High School, Thrikaipetta, in January, 2021 and it is a huge success till date. The programme was initiated by developing a nutrition garden and fruit garden at both schools following COVID 19 protocols. 
  • These gardens were designed on approximately 870Sq.ft land and fruit trees were planted as part of the campus greening. The nutrition garden has been cultivated with mostly leafy greens such as Amaranthus, Spinach, Curry leaves and Moringa and the commonly consumed vegetables such as Brinjal, Okra, Beans and Cow peas as well as medicinal plants , fruit trees, wild food plants and larval hosts have also been planted. 
  • The first harvesting from the nutrition gardens at the edible schools was done by the students and they were guided by their leaders. They were very excited to see their produce as well as fruit garden saplings of Guava, Custard Apple and Mango seeds growing into healthy trees. 

Although during pandemic the students couldn’t visit the school campuses much, the nutrition gardens have been extended to their homesteads. Training was given to the students for the collection and multiplication of the seeds of wild native trees like Venga, Njaval, Athi etc.  The seedlings planted by the students will be handed over to MSSRF and hence, the students will be a part of the reforestation programme

reference-https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/teaching-from-the-garden-creating-transformative-learning-landscapes-at-schools

https://rodaleinstitute.org/education/school-gardening-curriculum/

Greed vs Generosity: Which Gives a Better Competitive Advantage?

Many people think that in the professional world, selfishness and greed are the characteristics that pay dividends. But the truth is, excepting win-lose situations, that the most successful people in the medium and long term are those who are the most generous in their business and personal lives.

Ambition is a desire to take on more than you can realistically accomplish, to constantly strive for improvement, to grow both personally and professionally, and, of course, the desire to generate more income. However there comes a time when ambition crosses a line, and when that happens it becomes greed. Greed is the desire to chew more than you can eat, a desire that distracts you from realistically possible goals. Greed is wanting to get more than what you have actually earned, obtaining maximum profit at minimum cost, or as an old adage has it: “Grasp all, lose all.”

Today there is an abundance of courses and books on finance, limitless knowledge on hand with a simple click. But to know what is right, to subdue the pirates of greed and to follow your trading plan- this is another story. People who look for easy money invariably find that there is no such thing, paying a heavy price for this lesson. Ego, vanity, and revenge play a part, causing people to fail on their trading accounts. This is one of the factors that explains why people might not fall into the exclusive 10% that ‘win’, and find themselves one of the 90% that lose.

Literature and film are full of greedy and stingy characters, and the moral of films like ‘A Christmas Carol’ or ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ is always the same: the fate of the greedy is heartbreaking. Their addiction to work means that they live a lonely life, and their search for wealth means that at the end of their lives, they have only the sober memory of their friends from the Stock Exchange.

GIVE AND TAKE

People do not realize that giving without expecting something in return could be a competitive advantage, as well as making ones outlook more positive. Studies have shown that the most successful people are generous. At least this is the affirmation of Adam Grant, a psychologist and professor at Wharton and author of “Give and Take”.

A generous person builds bigger and stronger networks, improves communication with their existing contacts, and also finds it easier to interact with people outside of their core network- this gives them access to new contacts and valuable sources of information. Generous people inspire in others a predisposition, or positive receptivity, to reconnect with them, as well as a greater willingness to collaborate.

Moreover, being a giver encourages persistence because givers are able to enthusiastically motivate people, inspiring confidence, because they are liberal with praise. They create a generally positive environment. Talent is important, but the most important factor in success is persistence. And what’s even more interesting is that being a giver has an energizing effect that increases levels of happiness.

According to Bill Williams, famous trader and writer of “Trading Chaos”, people with a ‘giving’ mindset enjoy more happiness and success. For example, later in his career Bill always traded two accounts, one for himself and one for his charities. The charity account always made more money, even though he traded using the same method with both accounts. In the charity account he never veered from his strategy, while in his own account he would sometimes take a trade based on a “feel”, or get in a trade before the actual signal. This shows us the importance of sticking to a plan, but also the importance of being a ‘giver’.

Giving distracts us from our problems, adds meaning to our lives and helps us feel valued by others. This explains why avidity and egoism are the trader’s worst enemy. Having a benevolent mindset while trading helps the trader to increase performance. Happy people earn more money on average, score higher yields, make better decisions and contribute more to their organizations. Furthermore, traders who are givers are at the top of the most successful trading operations.

THE GREED EFFECT

Focusing only on money results in the ‘greedy effect’, something that all professional traders know. In fact, one of the most common pieces of (rarely followed) advice that newbies receive is to shift their focus from trade results to the trading process, analyzing and following the rules of their trading system. Another suggestion is to start reasoning in pips and ticks instead of dollars. This reduces the greedy mindset and develops a more reliable attitude.

However we can make a further effort to improve our performance by shifting our focus to be more generous. One example is trading for charitable purposes like the aforementioned Bill Williams, another could be simply committing a small part of your monthly or annual profit to microcredits, which promote a world of stability and self-sufficiency, key to overcoming poverty.

Material things can be recovered, but feelings of guilt, helplessness and loneliness cannot be solved with money. If humans would be more understanding of and generous to others, the world would be a very different place. And that is why those who practice generosity, making it part of their daily lives, experience an uplifting of their mental and emotional state, and are generally filled with more satisfaction in their professional and personal lives.

In conclusion, we see that generous people are the most successful in their daily trading performance for the reasons described above. Having a giving mindset helps professionals become part of that exclusive group, the 10% of winners.

LIBRARIES: A BOON TO THE SOCIETY

THE HARD COPY OF LIBRARY

According to WIKIPEDIA, “A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are easily accessible for use and not just for display purposes. It is responsible for housing updated information in order to meet the user’s needs on a daily basis. A Library provides physical (hard copies documents) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a virtual space, or both. A library’s collection can include printed materials and other physical resources in many formats such as DVDs, CDs and Cassette as well as access to information, music or other content held on bibliographic databases.”

IMPORTANCE OF LIBRARIES TO MAN

Libraries are said to be the storehouse of culture. If a man is to be known by the company he keeps, society is to be known by the number of good libraries it has. Man’s craving for knowledge is eternal. He wants to know more; he wants to enjoy more. But he cannot always move about for various reasons. He goes to a library and reads books of his choice. Libraries preserve books of various types, old and new. There are also periodicals and daily papers to meet the demands of the people. In all ages, libraries have been considered to be the best medium of public instructions.

The doors of library are exposed to everyone for rewarding the requirement for information. They are run by the government, schools, colleges, and universities. The society members of the neighbouring locality can visit these libraries to boost their information and complete their research.

TYPES OF LIBRARIES

There are different types of libraries, such as public libraries, circulating libraries, private or personal libraries. Of these, public libraries are most important. These are financed either by Government or by public institutions. All readers are allowed to read here. These libraries have two sections-lending and reference. Books are lent out to those who deposit money. Others are allowed to sit a id read books during the period, these are kept open. As libraries spread education, the Government of India have taken up a scheme to establish rural libraries for the benefit of rural people. They sanction annual grants to these libraries in cash or kind. In these libraries, books are stocked to suit the half-literate people of villages.

A FRIEND IN NEED

Government-managed libraries are well equipped and well manned. Only technical men are employed here to help the readers. Quite a large number of scholars, students and members of the public daily attend such libraries for reading and making notes. There are public libraries organised by public institutions. These libraries cater to the needs of a large number of people living in particular localities. Students of schools and colleges also utilise these libraries and derive benefit from them. But these libraries are in bad shape. Government grants to these libraries are not adequate. Public-spirited men now-a-days, are rare. Development of libraries is an important task of a welfare Government. Common people and students get opportunities to read in these libraries. In our country where the percentage of illiteracy is high, these libraries help in expanding the facilities for reading. Public libraries and rural libraries do a lot of good to the localities where they are established. Now the Government has established primary unit libraries, town libraries etc. The Government gives regular grants for the purchase of books and equipment. But still the grants are not adequate. However, they help the public libraries to satisfy the needs and aspirations of the local people.

CONCLUSIONS

So, if we can see deeply a library Builds and helps to connect Community, it Provide Access to the full range of information resources needed to live, learn, govern, and work. It Promote Literacy to both children and adults. It Protect Your Rights to read and offers freedom of information gathering and sharing. People becomes innovative and smart in the company of library, which enhances creation and collaboration.

Types of learners and how to engage them

  1. Auditory and Musical learners

To engage a social learner, encourage both group collaboration and presentation. Consider:

  • Roleplaying historical events or works of literature
  • Collaborating on maths problems
  • Working as a class on comprehension questions

Auditory learners like to hear solutions and examples explained to them, and may gravitate towards music subjects and group learning as a way to understand information. Auditory learners often have a high aptitude for distinguishing notes and tones in music and speech.

Qualities often associated with auditory learners include:

  • Possessing a ‘good ear’ for music and tones
  • May be distractible
  • Likes to talk to self / others / hum / sing

Auditory learners might say words out loud or hum tones to better learn them. This strategy is key for keeping musical learners engaged in class lessons.

How to engage them?

If you’re a music teacher, you’re in luck. Auditory learners will be engaged from start to finish. For other subjects however, engaging aural learners requires some tact and forethought.

The key here is your voice (and the voice of your students). Write down something on the whiteboard, then read it out loud. Work on your delivery so you can express learning material in interesting and engaging tones. Similarly, encourage your students to read back their own notes to themselves (and the class). Hearing the sound of their own voice and the voices of others is engaging to auditory learners, but it can be a great learning tool for students of all types.

Other strategies you can try include:

  • Recording lessons for later listening and reference
  • Encouraging auditory listeners to ‘teach others’ verbally
  • Seating them away from distractions

2. Visual and Spatial learner

Visual learners like diagrams, drawing out concepts, charts and processes. They learn by looking at visual concepts, creating them, and watching other people create them. Visual learners might be organised or creative in their application, and find things like colours and shapes useful.

Visual learners often possess the following qualities:

  • Habitual doodlers / drawers
  • Observant
  • Not easily distracted
  • Enjoys planning
  • Prefers visual instructions

How to engage them?

To engage a visual learner in the classroom you’ll want to include elements like maps, diagrams and imagery. If you have a projector, try to include relevant images to go along with the course content. In geography and history, maps are helpful, while for maths and logic, go with diagrams.

Charts, images and diagrams will aid most students, so catering to visual learners doesn’t mean you have to ignore other types. When it comes to self-driven learning, encourage the spatially aware to sketch out their ideas, create mind maps and flowcharts. It should probably come to them naturally, but a bit of prompting can always help.

Other tactics you can use include:

  • Sitting visual learners near the front
  • Using colour codes and cues
  • Encouraging note taking and recopying notes during study

3. Verbal learner

Verbal learning includes both writing and speaking. Verbal learners might have a preference for reading and writing, word games and poems. Verbal learners know the meanings of a broad category of words, can use them effectively, and actively seek out new words to add to their repertoire.

Some qualities associated with verbal learners include:

  • Intellectual
  • Bookworm
  • Good story teller

Verbal learners often seek out careers in journalism and writing, administration, law and politics.

How to engage them?

Verbal learners will want to write down notes, talk about concepts and potentially present them as well. The trick with verbal learners is knowing what adjacent types of learning apply to them – are they an outgoing or more introspective verbal learner? Some may lean more to talking, while others to reading and writing. Try to cater to preference while also using their verbal abilities to push personal boundaries every once in awhile.

4. Logical and Mahematical learners

Perhaps unsurprisingly, mathematical learners err towards careers in programming, accountancy, science, research and other number and pattern-orientated careers. Some qualities associated with mathematical learners include:

  • Pattern recognition
  • Good with numbers
  • Predisposition towards grouping and classification

How to engage them?

Mathematical learners will greatly appreciate any type of learning that logically explains the subject at hand. For maths, that’s easy. For other subjects, it requires some effort and planning:

  • History and geography: Try to include statistics and classification taxonomy in your lesson plans.
  • Literature: Ask your students “What category of book is this?” Or in poetry, have them learn the meters and explain them to other students.
  • Music: Teach both musical instrument classification (woodwind etc) and the mathematical relationships between notes.
  • Art: A good starting point is the colour wheel and the effects of combining different colours.

With logical students, always look to incorporate a system. If you’re unsure, include the students in the development of that system. They’ll benefit from it greatly.

5. Physical and Kinaesthetic learner

Commonly called hands-on learners, kinesthetics prefer to physically engage with the materials of the subject matter. Some qualities associated with physical learners include:

  • Preference to ‘get their hands dirty’
  • Energetic, may drum fingers or shake legs
  • Action-orientated and outgoing
  • May de-prioritise reading and writing

Physical learners represent about 50% of the population,and gravitate towards careers with lots of hands on work like emergency services, physical education and sports.

How to engage them?

Channeling the energy and excitability of physical learners is key to offering a good lesson. Taking breaks so they can move around can help, but so can encouraging role play and movement within the lesson itself. Physical interaction is also important. The use of props and models will greatly benefit a kinaesthetic learner. Give them something to grab onto and they’ll process information much better than from a book or whiteboard.

Other strategies to engage physical learners include:

  • Encouraging movement during study (don’t punish them for fidgeting)
  • Decluttering desks and surfaces so they can focus on learning

6. Social and Interpersonal learner

Social learners show preference towards groups and collaboration. Some, but not all, will gravitate towards leadership within a group. Some of the qualities often associated with this type of learner include:

  • Extraverted
  • Good communicator
  • Sensitive and empathetic

It’s important for educators to understand that not all social learners are extraverted or highly communicative, and that they can also be visual, auditory, verbal, logical or physical learners. The interpersonal aspect perhaps better describes the settings in which they are most comfortable, rather than how they absorb information.

As such, teachers should be cognisant of the breadth of variation between different types of social learners. For example, social doesn’t strictly mean verbal. Some social learners prefer to listen in a group setting, rather than on their own.

How to engage them?

Interpersonal learners like to ‘do’ and to ‘share’. This can sometimes lead to distraction for other students who are more intrapersonal in their learning habits. To prevent this, try to channel social learners into providing value to the group, giving them tasks that use their energy usefully, with a focus on empathy for their classmates.

7. Social and Intrapersonal learner

Solitary learners can be visual, auditory, physical, verbal or logical learners. Fulfilling all the needs of the solitary student will ensure they are fully engaged. Some of the qualities often associated with this type of learner include:

  • Independent
  • Introspective
  • Private

Intrapersonal learners may gravitate towards careers with a lot of self determination or motivation, as well as solitary workloads. Think:

  • Researchers
  • Writers and authors
  • Programmers and coders

How to engage them?

In a classroom environment it can sometimes be difficult to engage a solitary learner. They might sit silently in the back of the classroom, only to ace the exam at the end of semester. For the educator, it’s important to engage them during class. Provide visual materials, books and learning aids. Designate quiet areas, and collaborate with defined sharing time so the solitary learner can feel adequately prepared.

Mixed learning approach

With large classrooms, it’s not always easy to personalise lessons, but using a mixed learning approach throughout coursework can help you cater to each type of learning style. You may decide to focus on a particular learning type each lesson, or incorporate multiple strategies within each lesson. The most important element is first recognising the differences in student learning – the rest will flow from there.

Book Review: Atomic Habits by James Clear

There are very few books in your life that you will read and think “Wow, this was life-changing”. You may enjoy reading books, and may even be a fan of a certain series of books like Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. However, these are generally limited to serving entertainment purposes only and are not the kind of books that will give you deep insights into life or help you reflect on yourself. Having said all this, I do believe the book “Atomic Habits’ that I am going to discuss in this article is the type of self-help book that will change or give you a new perspective on habits and lifestyle choices in general.

General Idea

The general idea of the book is this: small changes or habits you incorporate in your life will compound into much greater results in the long-run. Hence the use of the word ‘atomic’. The author is trying to explain that even small habits materialize into major results if we keep at them. This is a fairly new idea being introduced in this book, as we are often told if we want to change our lives, we have to take drastic steps like moving to a new place or quitting our jobs. This book replaces this notion with a new and improved one: change can occur even through miniscule habits and can provide life-altering results. You do not have to take drastic steps to create change, in fact you are probably better off starting at something very small and sticking with that. The process of building and sustaining these tiny habits, while also stopping or breaking free from bad ones, will help create the positive change we require.

Key Insights

  • The 1% rule – This relates to ‘compounding’ as mentioned before. It works in a similar way to compound interest. As we leave something to develop for a long period of time, eventually the net growth is massive. In this way, if we try to better our lives by even just 1% everyday, then we will be a 37% better version of ourselves after a year. The author provides a very insightful quote “Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement”. We should be careful though, as it also works the other way and even bad habits can compound to make us worse. So, we should focus on the self-beneficial ones while trying to limit or remove the harmful ones.
  • Focus on ‘Systems’ not ‘Goals’ – An important idea stressed upon in the book is on building ‘habits’ and not focusing on ‘goals.’ Our behavior should be such that it becomes repetitive and compelling, and not completely goal-oriented. If we become goal-oriented, we may become disappointed if we don’t meet our goals, but if our sole focus is on building a habit which we will maintain for the rest of our lives, there will be a much greater positive impact. For example, if your goal is to lose 5 kgs in one month, you will become disappointed if you don’t. Even if you do, it is only a temporary achievement and you may gain weight again after that. Instead, you should build the habit of exercising routinely to sustainably lose weight and stay fit.
  • Identity is the north star of habit change – This basically means that we should not solve problems based on their outcomes and results, as this means we only solve them temporarily. To solve problems for the long-term, we need to change our identity itself. This ties into the previous point in essence. For example, instead of saying you want to eat less junk food to lose weight, you should change your identity to a person who likes eating healthy and wants to build a good diet. To quote the book; “The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when habits become part of our identity.”
  • How to build a habit – There is a basic 4 step process for building habits: cue, craving, response, reward. Cue triggers the brain to perform an action, Craving provides the motivational force to perform it, Response is the habit/action that we perform and Reward is the end result. So, we should build habits that we want to incorporate into our lives through this process, by making the habit obvious, attractive, easy to perform and satisfying. In case all these are adhered to, the process of habit formation becomes rather easy.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, the book really is life-changing for anyone struggling to build a habit or break an old one. The aim should be to build long-lasting and sustainable habits (systems), however small, and to not focus on achieving some set goals in life. It is hard for many of us, in this world of instant gratification, to stick to habits that will show outcomes only after a long time and through a process of compounding, However, this book helps us with this and guides us on how we can build habits in and easy and efficient manner, and also explains the benefit this may have on our lives if we are just able to stay discipled and stick to them. Tiny changes, remarkable results.

How Reading can be an Obsession for Creative Minds

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“ A reader travels a world of visionary thoughts where his real self creates an extraordinary idol of thoughts without being judged and scared which they can’t do in the real world”.

The above quote straightaway refers to a person who is fascinated with books or popularly known as a “Bibliophile” in today’s era.  Often, we as non-readers don’t even consider reading as a daily habit because we are so much absorbed with our bustling life that reading is merely a tedious job and a waste of time.

We have dwelled our body and mind into the materialistic things of the world and in that process,  we don’t even invest 1% in self-productivity. Self-Productivity is one of the significant elements in which we all as humans lack in and therefore, the ones who accomplish by being self-productive reach their destination of living a successful life. The moto of our rustic life is also to become productive in our jobs and careers rather than being focused on ourselves.

Reading is not only a key to the unexplored ideas of great thoughts, but it is also a doorstep to explore yourself. Still, you might be reluctant with my perspective of reading books, so let’s give you some major reasons as to what happens if you have reading as a daily habit:

  1. You have a Critical  Mindset: When you start thinking out of the box, your mindset and persona are broadened. The more you read the better you will understand yourself. Reading is just not only mere streaming of words by your brain and mind, but it also provides a quick start for your inner mind to think critically.

Reading is like watering your mind and soul to grow in a fruitful manner. So, watering your plants daily provides the roots to live a long time, similarly, reading every day is like you are watering your soul, mind, and thoughts with a decent quality of information that will help you think critically in any situation.

Bingo! Having a critical mind will make your perspective for your life in a different way. The way we think is the way we, our thoughts develop and so our life provides experiences accordingly.

  • Reading equals No Insomnia: Another prominent cause which we humans face in this era is having sleep problems and living an unhealthy life. Lack of sleeping also gives birth to other sicknesses like depression, anxiety, obesity, etc.

We are addictive to so much of tech life that we have started to ignore ourselves and our body which faces certain inconvenience which occurs by our ignorance towards our body. Spending so much time on social media and scrolling till 2 am makes our eyes tired but still we continue to scroll up. Staying awake makes us insomniacs, that we feel lethargic and drowsy the whole day.

But have you ever tried reading a book, instead of using your phones? Reading is the best medicine to cure your insomnia because when you develop a good reading habit then you dedicate your whole brain and concentration to reading which will help you to sleep faster in no time.

Hence, reading is also a secret to living a long and happy life as it inculcates certain elements that you only experience if you are an ardent reader.

  • Reading welcomes all sorts of readers! : Most of the times, the non-readers don’t believe that reading is their cup of tea and give up easily due to the fact that, they don’t connect themselves. But one must know that there are several types of genres and sections in books which is easily available and one can choose according to their taste for books.

Whether it is Fictional, Non- fictional, Biographical, Historical, etc, and to be surprised that there are many unexplored sections that are yet to discover. Reading is a vast ocean and when you pour yourself into it, you will recognize a radical change in your personality and your way of living life.

Finding a connection with the book also helps a person understand the book better and improve themselves better. While reading when a person goes through the process of catharsis; it also releases their emotional and mental stress. 

  • Helps to Flush your Intrusive Thoughts: A very common tip to everyone: “When you overthink, write; and when you underthink then read and when you feel both then do both.

Reading is a mental therapy that will help you as a reader  to get away from those intrusive thoughts which always make you  distant from yourself. To avoid those unwanted emotions and thoughts which runs into your head, you must keep yourself with a good book and read it daily so that your mind will be occupied with a beautiful vibe of  quality content.

Remember, whenever you have such an intrusive thought, it is better to do something that will provide your mind with something positive connection between you and the mind. In this instance, reading is one of them that will help you get away from those unwelcome thoughts.

  • It Boosts your Concentration: Reading can be one of those habits which will help to deal with a good concentration level in your everyday life. Your brain cells are often guided right when they are on the pages rather than being on addictive sites. These days, attractive sites are often a cobweb of distracting your mind by spending more time on these unwanted platforms which will reduce the creative level of our brains and the capacity to think precisely.

Technology advancement has taken the perks of pleasure reading, so in short, when we are reading books, we are helping our mind to focus on the book rather than on other elements.

In short, it’s better to meddle with books and travel each letter of the world through your fingertips rather than meddling with your brain to do unwanted misadventures. Therefore, one should prefer a book to read to keep yourself wise , knowledgeable and sane!