Personal Improvement
Happiness is the ultimate end and purpose of human existence. – Aristotle
We say “Happy New Year” or “Happy Birthday” or “Happy Anniversary.” Now all of these expressions refer to the pleasant feelings — the joys or satisfactions which we may have at one moment and not at another. In this meaning of the word, it is quite possible for us to feel happy at one moment and not at the next. This is not Aristotle’s meaning of the word. Nor, when you think about it for a moment, can it be the meaning of the word in the Declaration of
Independence. Thomas Jefferson and other signers of the Declaration had read Aristotle and
Plato. This was part of their education.
It seems that our unique function is to reason: by reasoning things out we attain our ends, solve our problems, and hence live a life that is qualitatively different in kind from plants or animals. The good for a human is different from the good for an animal because we have different capacities or potentialities. We have a rational capacity and the exercising of this capacity is thus the perfecting of our natures as human beings. For this reason, pleasure alone cannot constitute human happiness, for pleasure is what animals seek and human beings have higher capacities than animals. The goal is not to annihilate our physical urges, however, but rather to channel them in ways that are appropriate to our natures as rational animals.
Thus Aristotle gives us his definition of happiness:
…the function of man is to live a certain kind of life, and this activity implies a rational principle, and the function of a good man is the good and noble performance of these, and if any action is well performed it is performed in accord with the appropriate excellence: if this is the case, then happiness turns out to be an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.
According to Aristotle, happiness consists in achieving, through the course of a whole lifetime all the goods — health,
wealth, knowledge, friends, etc., that lead to the perfection of human nature and to the enrichment of human life. This requires us to make choices, some of which may be very difficult. Often the lesser good promises immediate pleasure and is more tempting, while the greater good is painful and requires some sort of sacrifice. For example, it may be easier and more enjoyable to spend the night watching television, but you know that you will be better off if you spend it researching for your term paper. Developing a good character requires a strong effort of will to do the right thing, even in difficult situations.
He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life.
Life is simple but we keep on making it complicated. My new year’s resolution is simple. I will be better than last year, I will be better than I was ever before. I will make my whole past life count this year and for the each coming year I live. Because for me there can be no happiness other than getting better and improving myself.
Have a nice, blessed and happy year ahead…
Personal Improvement
How do you define a successful life? Is it by how much money or stuff you have amassed, or is it by the legacy you leave behind? All too often we equate a successful life with material possessions. Yet, there are millions of people out there who lead successful, fulfilled lives who may be of modest means. They may not be rich in the financial sense, but they are rich in life and values.
So what are the things we should strive for to make our lives successful and have a positive impact on those around us? Here is a list of traits that I think defines what true success in life is all about. Does your list differ?
- Sincerity. Be sincere in your actions. Don’t try to deceive or impress others. Be yourself, and do what you feel is right based on your values and beliefs. You will be surprised at how people accept you when you stop trying to be someone you aren’t.
- Unfeigned. Be genuine in what you do; your actions speak louder than your words. Don’t falsify or embellish events that may have happened. Don’t say one thing and do the other.
- Wholehearted. Be enthusiastic about what you do. Show it. Be committed to life and everything that you set out to accomplish in life. Devote yourself to your family, friends, and community and commit yourself to being the best father, husband, wife, mother, friend, and neighbor you can be.
- Honest. Be honest in your dealings with yourself and with others. When others interact with you, let them see someone who is reputable, respectable and genuine. Do what you say you will do and never use fraud or deception to get ahead in life. Let ethics, morals, and honor be your compass.
- Heartfelt. When you do something for someone, or they do something for you, let your thanks and emotion be openly and outwardly expressed towards them.
- Hearty. Be someone who displays an honest, warm, and exuberant personality to those around them. Let your feelings show and let them be genuine when they do.
- Humility. Don’t lead a life thinking you are better than others or are superior to those around you. Modesty and humbleness will leave a far more ever lasting impact on people than trying to show off.
- Personal integrity. Always follow your heartfelt values, and never let a situation or anyone steer you away from doing what you know is right. Be someone that people can look up to and respect and not someone who trades his or her moral values for material gains in life.
- Incorruptibility. Let it be known that you stand firm for what you believe in and that your morals, values and actions are not for sale. Don’t let outside forces corrupt the person you are.
- Sound. Show good judgment and sense in life. Don’t let prejudices or emotions cloud your judgment.
- Whole. Be focused on what you want to achieve in life. Give everyone you interact with your complete and undivided attention.
- Courtesy. Practice good manners even though others around you may not.
- Civility. Graciousness and respect go a long way in life. What is more, they are viral – when people see you doing it they are more apt to practice civility themselves. Be kind to others and extend courtesy towards them. Don’t interrupt people when they speak and don’t dominate the conversation.
- Wisdom. Gain from the wisdom that is inside you. Understand the inner qualities of people and learn how to understand situations that might be different than we are used to.
- Charity. Practice kind, gentle, and compassionate treatment of others – especially those who may be undeserving. Learn to extend a hand to help others, even though they themselves may not have helped you.
- Empathy. Be aware that each person is different and may have different values and beliefs than those that you hold. Be understanding of the feelings and thoughts of others without having to be told or reminded of them.
- Sympathy. Share your feelings with others and understand the emotional situations that people go through. Put yourself in their shoes.
- Compassion. When someone is in distress, reach out with a genuine interest in helping alleviate their suffering.
- Altruism. Think of others without thinking of yourself. Do good things for people without expecting something in return for yourself.
- Magnanimous. Be generous in life. Give of your time, money and wisdom. Share with others so they can see the true joy and adventures of life themselves.
There are the qualities I think helps lead a person to life a successful life. Clearly everyone’s views will differ, as they should. What are some qualities that you think define success in life?
Personal Improvement
Organizations now days have a lot more problems and structures are become more complex as the world has become a global village. The cultural and ethnic diversity within companies and developed human behavior is sometimes hindering the organizational goals and vision. Younger individuals tend to produce more results than the elder ones – as elders depend on their stereotyped thinking and lack in learning new things. Where as younger people are always enthusiastic in completing their work and trying to achieve more.
All individuals have a number of basic needs which can be thought as outlets that channel and regulate the flow of potential energy from the reservoir. Most individuals have, within a given socio-cultural system, a similar set of motives or energy outlets; but differ greatly in the relative strength or readiness of various motives and actualization of motives depends on specific situations in which a person finds himself or herself.
Researchers have identified several factors leading to job satisfaction which are broadly divided into two categories, namely, Organizational Factors and Individual Determinants.
- Reward System: The organizational reward system has been found to be related to job satisfaction. This pertains to how fairly pay benefits and promotions are distributed.
- Work: The nature of work contributes heavily. The factors such as flexibility, freedom and discretion available in the performance of one’s job bring a lot of job satisfaction.
- Supervisory Behavior: Satisfaction tends to be higher when employees believe that their supervisor is competent and considerate.
- Working Conditions: Overall working conditions in an organization have a direct bearing on the level of satisfaction. Comfort, salary, challenge and resource availability are main components of working conditions.
- Various individual and socio-economic variables are linked to job satisfaction. Researchers have found that younger people are more satisfied. Similarly men are more influenced than women if they are provided more autonomy in their work (Malini 2001).
- There is a direct link between job satisfaction and performance of an employee. A satisfied worker makes extra efforts leading to better performance in his or her work. There is higher outcome in an organization if employees are more satisfied. Similarly it leads to decrease in absenteeism if employees are more satisfied in their jobs. It also leads to creativity among employees and better mental health.
Some Tips for Effective Recognition
You need to establish criteria for what performance or contribution constitutes behavior or actions worthy of reward.
- All employees must be eligible for recognition.
- The recognition must supply the employer and employee with specific information about what behaviors or actions are being rewarded and recognized.
- Anyone who then performs at the level or standard stated in the criteria receives the reward.
- The recognition should occur as close to the performance of the actions as possible, so the recognition reinforces behavior the employer wants to encourage.
- You don’t want to design a process in which managers “select” people to receive recognition. This type of process will be viewed forever as “favoritism” or talked about as “it’s your turn to get recognized this month.” This is why processes that single out an individual, such as “Employee of the Month,” are rarely effective.
Personal Improvement
Life offers many tough challenges and perhaps one of the toughest is to stay motivated.
Many times, even the most motivated of us tend to slack somewhere.
So how do you stay motivated forever without giving yourself that excuse to not do so?
Here are five effective ways that will help you stay motivated forever.
1. Visualize your Goal
It begins with the understanding of what you really want.
Once that item is taken care of, it is important to visualize the ultimate goal that you are trying to achieve.
When you create a vision of the thing that you aim to achieve, it creates a powerful gravitating force that makes you want to strive for. This vision leads to an inspiration, which in turn propels you to keep yourself motivated.
For example, if weight loss is your goal, see a healthier, slimmer you in that outfit you always wanted to fit into.
No matter what your goal, this works like magic.
2. Postpone Laziness
Procrastination or laziness is a major inhibitor for motivation.
Every time you put something off for later, you move one step down from your goal. Therefore, it is important to stop making excuses and go for it.
If you are preparing for an examination that could change your life for better and you don’t feel like picking up that book to study, postpone that thought; and get started.
Every time that you think of postponing a task in hand that will help you achieve your goal, postpone your excuses/laziness instead of postponing the actual task.
The bottom line: The time is now!
3. Positive In, Negative Out
Negativity in any form hampers your approach towards goals.
The mind allows negativity to seep in quite often; it is important to eliminate these negative thoughts to keep you motivated.
Think of all the negative thoughts that cross your mind: some common ones are, “I never knew this task could be so tough, Oh I can’t do this, I don’t think I am cut out for this.”
Instead replace these thoughts with “I can do it, If he/she can, so can I, This is what I have wanted to do always, now is the time.”
Positive thoughts can significantly impact the way you deal with the task at hand, which eventually yields desirable results.
Always approach your goal/task with a “can do” attitude; this is a certain way to keep yourself motivated for tougher challenges.
Besides positive thoughts, it is also essential to avoid negative people who can do or say things to bring your motivation levels down.
Criticism and compliments are both important components of staying motivated.
However, with positive people you are sure to get less criticism and more support, which plays a pivotal role in keeping you even more motivated.
4. One Day at a Time
While a long-term vision to your goal is crucial, it is equally important to take small steps.
Set yourself small milestones that finally lead to your main goal.
By taking these baby steps, you enjoy small successes that help you stay motivated.
After a few days/months, you will start to notice that you have progressed well, and want to keep going for more.
5. Don’t Give Up
You can’t control all things about your life.
If you experience a little lull in your motivation levels, don’t give up.
You still have the big goal that still remains to be achieved.
If you experience a slowdown, don’t let it get to you.
It is probably just one of those days when you are really not up to it.
Take it easy; however, don’t lose sight of the long-term goal and how badly you need to achieve it.
Motivation, like learning, never ceases and is a lot of hard work.
With a little effort and a never-give-up-attitude, you are going to keep your motivation levels at an all-time high.
