So... we're here, the jager has started to flow and the Irish bands in town are already starting to make a name for themselves. Maslow kicked off the festivities early with a storming gig in the Rok Boutique on Sat 4th. Walter Mitty and the Realists and Corkonians Fred really turned some heads with their sets in the the same venue at the VIP launch on the 7th. Another gig at Tattoo for ourselves and Fred, along with ballsy Canadian rockers Saigon Hookers and a great new discovery for me, The Dunes finished off the second night of proceedings, with a last minute impromptu show by the one and only Larry Bagby the cherry on top!

For pictures of everything that's happening, go to our Facebook and various band members facebooks.. be quick though, some might not last that long for different reasons!! ;-) Link to pics

Today is the "Meet the Irish" party at PJ O'Briens and the Moove.ca Benefit For Animals is later at the Rivoli.

Will keep you updated....

Soprattutto esiste un qualcosa che da soddisfazione ed un qualcosa che alla fine è unicamente frustrante.

E non esiste modo di abbassare il tasso di frustrazione perchè abbassarlo vuol dire riconoscere che gli sforzi servono, che danno risultati.

Se qualsiasi sforzo si vede che non serve, scatta la demotivazione, lo scoglionamento.

Semplice, banale, lineare.

Appartenenza, riconoscimento, senso di soddisfazione. Maslow in parole povere.

What is discussed less frequently is that organisations have a similar hierarchy of needs, and that organisational focus shifts in turbulent times.  

As I understand it, Donald Marchand suggests that organisations focus their attention on information like this:

1. Minimise risks
2. Reduce costs
3. Add value
4. Create new reality

This is a sequence I recognise, in large organisations at least.  Mind you, it seems to me that small organisations and entrepreneurs run the sequence in the opposite direction.   Maybe that is what makes them entrepreneurs.

Marchand presents it diagramatically thus:

I've not yet read Marchand on the subject (I came across the idea in an excellent book on Taxonomies by Richard Lambe).  I need to go to the source to understand the details of he is saying, why he has drawn it like that, and whether or not I agree with him, but this a useful thought-provoker, and may also be helpful tool for working out where strategic attention is or should be focused.  I'm tempted by the tabloid thinking which suggests the banks' sudden attention to risk is because they spent too much time in the previous years creating a new reality in terms of mortgages-repackaged-as-"securities".   It's tempting, but I think there's more to it than that.

Marchand's framework is about knowledge.  Lambe, who references it, thinks it misses out two important areas of corporate knowledge, specificially: strategic planning and talent management.    As I said, I've not yet played with the framework, so I'm reserving my final judgement.  

However, translating the hierarchy of needs from people to organisations is something well worth doing in these interesting times.

Sources:  

Lambe, Patrick Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness. Oxford: Chandos Publishing. 2007.  

Marchand, Donald, (ed) Competing with Information: A Manager's Guide to Creating Business Value with Information Content. Chichester: John Wiley. 2000.

Wikipedia: Abraham Maslow.

Proof of a Global Economic Famine (source: BBC News)

The Financial Famine

I heard the term 'financial famine' used within the news this week and it really struck a chord within me.  Immediately my mind started to reflect on the biblical concept of famine.  In the bible famine is always a sign of God's judgement upon a nation, or people.  For example, 1 Chronicles 7:14 reminds us that 'if there be no rain etc, etc...' then people are supposed to call on God and seek his face for a remedy.  Interesting then that today, British Conservative Party leader David Cameron said that he believes we will come through this financial crisis because he believes in the power of 'human nature'.  What is striking is that it is human nature which has gotten us into this mess i.e. mankind's greed.  How then can human nature be the thing that saves us?  The biblical truth is that man has a fallen sinful nature 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God', therefore the salvation from the current famine lies within a turning back toward God.

Restoration of Faith

I believe that the current economic and financial famine will lead to a return to God, church attendance will start to increase again as things get bad.  Unfortunately, it is innate in humans to turn to God when the chips are down.  This is one of our worst traits, not that we turn to God, but that when the sun is shining we forget to give thanks and pray to Him.  But when trouble comes we instantly find we can take time to pray, fast, read and attend church.

The restoration of faith in God may not be a policy which the governments of this world are recommending.  However, turning to God is certainly the answer.  Living by biblical principles would encourage everyone not to live beyond their means, to be satisfied with what they have, and not be driven by the god of consumption.

Consumption Addiction

Current western society is hooked on consumption, we are literally consumed by our desire to consume.  And buying more things does not satisfy.  In place of Sunday worship shopping has taken over as the new religious past time.   Women are mad about there shoes, racking up exorbitant amounts on plastic to fuel the addiction for more.  Men are crazed by the latest gadgets, studying and learning about them pre-release, tarrying for them outside shops and experiencing consumer ecstasy when they get home to play with their new toys.

But the toys and the shoes leave a void.

There is a desire for more, a vacuum has been created which can only be filled by God.  For all the desires and wants we have missed that all we need can be found in Christ.

Maslow was wrong

According to Maslow our needs can only be truly met once we have a roof over our heads and food in our belly.  His model is based on get food, get safety, get someone to love you, then you can realise your higher needs.  However, a man in India can have no food, be living in jeopardy and because He knows God He has achieved the top of Maslow's model - though none of his bottom needs are fully met.  This is one of the reasons that I believe consumption and buying more things, a better job, bigger car, bigger house will not fill the void in anybody's life.  Only God can fill the gap.

What does the financial famine mean spiritually?

As well as an inidcation of God's displeasure with our greed, lack of morality, coldness toward each other and general self centredness it is an indication that the stage is being set for the anti-christ and Jesus' appearing.

Think about it...

1. Banks failing is leading to a consolidation of banks, this is a precuourser to the 1 World Bank.

2. Governments bailing out their national banks is also a sign of consolidation, and that people are now looking more to the state to protect their interests.

3. Soveriegn states can not solve the current crisis.  It is a global problem, therefore it calls for global action.  The increasing interdependance of soverign states is indicating we are heading towards a supra-national government - they type of governing system which would be headed by the anti-christ.

4. The economic famine has created a desire for a saviour.  Governments, banks and society at large are seeking someone, anyone, who has the answers to their finanical woes.  If someone can promise and deliver hope, wealth and prospertiy they are on a winning ticket to control governments and nations.  According to the Bible this is exactly the kind of promise the anti-christ will bring to a hurting world - but he is not of God.

A motivação, conceito da psicologia largamente discutido há décadas, refere-se ao estado interior que induz determinados comportamentos em alguém, orientados por desejos, necessidades ou vontades. Relaciona-se com o esforço em alguma direção para atingir um objetivo pessoal. Motivação no trabalho é o desejo de exercer altos níveis de esforço em direção a determinados objetivos organizacionais, condicionados pela capacidade de satisfazer algumas necessidades pessoais.

A motivação está relacionada com três aspectos:

1.     A direção do comportamento (objetivo);

2.     A força e intensidade do comportamento (esforço);

3.     A duração e persistência do comportamento (necessidade).

Uma necessidade é uma carência interna, como fome, insegurança, privação material, etc. Em se tratando especificamente de motivação no trabalho, as teorias se preocupam com as razões que levam certas pessoas a realizar suas tarefas melhor do que outras. 

Leia o texto completo sobre Motivação

Postado por Carmelita Rodrigues, 01.10.08

Några vänner och jag har vid ett flertal gånger diskuterat om det är så att man föds med alla sina behov, eller om behov kan uppstå under livets gång. Trots protester står jag fast vid min teori, att behov kan uppstå. Kan det verkligen vara så att man föds med behovet att köpa sig en bra kamera när man är vuxen, eller börja röka som tonåring, eller kanske börja äta mycket socker när man närmar sig 50? Nej, jag ser det som en självklarhet att behov uppstår under livets gång, allt eftersom livet förändras. Om det vore så att livet vore förutbestämt, kan jag kanske hålla med om att man även de behov man kommer att ha i livet är förutbestämda. Dock är livet inte förutbestämt, enligt mig. Jag har mycket svårt att tro att historien redan nu är skriven.

Så behovet av den där prylen som jag har saknat under en period, har uppkommit med tiden, inte när jag föddes! Frågan är bara om man ska ge efter för behovet, eller kämpa emot?

Theory Designer: Abraham Maslow (1943)

Theory Summary: Human needs break down into five basic catagories:

Physiogical, Safety, Love, Esteem, Self-Actualization

Crux concept: When a lower need is fulfilled its strength diminishes while the strength of the next need increases

Key words:
Deficit Needs: If you don't have enough of a certain need fulfiller you will feel this need
Homeostasis: The idea the if we are lacking in a need we subconsiously set about to meet the need to bring us into a state of equilibrium, this subconsious push to meet needs is referred to as instinctoid

Interesting Fact: Maslow was the oldest of 7 children, he came from a family of Russian immigrants. He received his BA, MA and PhD in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin

Affiliation: Began his teaching career at Brooklyn College and later chaired the psychology department at Brandeis from 1951 to 1969

Related Links:

Maslow History and Theory Link
PBS.org: People and Discoveries

So I had  my little say about Want's Vs. Needs then I remembered a pyrimad that we learnt at school...

Maslow's Hierarchy of needs... It is a pyramid of man's basic needs. What he says in this hierarchy is simply the following...

Physiological: We as humans are built up from the bottom, firstly, we have a basic side, a physiological side that our instincts are built upon and it's almost anamalistic, even animals have these basic needs. we NEED to breathe, eat, sleep etc. and yes we need sex... is it something that we NEED? or on a more broader base... we need sex, cause we need to reproduce as our instincts are to choose the best mate to make sure that our species continue, just as in the animal kingdom.

Safety: We need the security, without that, we can't trust, we can't make decisions, we cant'... and the list continues...

Love: We need to be loved, this for some is more important then other's, BUT no matter WHO you are... you need to be loved, you need the feeling of belonging!

Esteem: Higher up in the tier, you're breathing, you living, you are safe, you loved by someone, are you happy... maybe... get respect of others, respect of your peers... now we talking, these are needs that we have, we work, everyday, really hard, so that we can achieve success, so that we can earn the respect of others.

Self-Actuailization: Once all the other needs have been fulfilled, once you are happy you can move to the next tier, you can move to maybe the ultimate tier. where you, as a unique human being, are fulfilled. You have the ability to problem solve, the ability accept certain inailiable truths, you have the ability... to BE!

So you ask yourself... are you able to reach that ultimate goal, that ultimate pinnacle... if you do not fulfil the basic requirements at the bottom? If you do not have the security, if you do not have the love of someone, be it family or friends, if... you are unable to afford to eat!

are you able to live, are you able to be? what will go through your mind? What will your daily activities be filled with? If you do not have food... will you run around, everyday, tryiing to get hold of food? will ALL your energy go into trying to get food?

How fortunate are some of us that are able to sit, with full tummy's, with a roof over our heads, with... well, you get the idea...

just think about it...

Maslow and I are just back from the Vet. I am £77 lighter. Which is more than can be said for Maslow. The furball baby has just weighed in at 6kg. He is officially, the size of a small horse. So, he is back on the diet! He is also not talking to me. He noticed the cat basket and went into hiding before we left. I managed to catch him and he went very heavy and struggled, well, like a cat who doesn't want to get into a cat basket. He was at his most gorgeous at the Vets. He charmed the rather attractive young lady Vet - but still got a needle and a pill. He went back in his basket rather easier than at home. And, now he is crying for food - but I am going to be strong. And, when he goes to sleep I will treat him with his spot on anti-flea stuff. And later we have to give him special toothpaste. Parenthood - not as easy as you might think ;)

I was asked a question this week. Who is richer in times of financial crisis: the man with the gold bullion or the man with the tins of baked beans?

Taking Maslow’s hierarchical needs  food and shelter come first. Land is needed to grow food as is knowledge. Is knowledge power? What will happen to the UK land prices as house prices continue to slip? Will skilled agricultural knowledge [farming] become a respected profession once more?

I cannot answer these questions right now, but time will answer them for us. In the meantime I think more and more people will dig for themselves as opposed to digging for Britain. This will naturally increase individual knowledge about land and production even if just from small plots and window boxes.  

We have lost our two long rows of main crop potatoes to blight this year. The stinking oozing tubers are a total write off, and one cannot help but think of the plight of those affected by the potato famines in Ireland and Scotland. It is such a terrible waste of good food [and effort], but nature is unpredictable and can be the final determining factor of food production. We are fortunate however, our early crop, although planted late, seems to be least affected and we have plenty of other vegetables to see us through the winter.

But the question is, that thing you do between 9-5 is actually worth it? You'd want 1/3 of your life to be filled with meaningful things. 

However, this will lead to also non-corporation, selfish, and intense office political rivals to gains advantage over another. ll wanted to achieve the all great - self actualization.

Hopefully, everyone reading this blog has some inclination of where you fall and we do hope that you are pretty close to the top. If not, you seriously need to dig into your deeper ID (or EGO) and self-reflect to determine if you meet this criteria:

Characteristics of Self-Actualized People

In addition to describing what is meant by self-actualization in his theory, Maslow also identified some of the key characteristics of self-actualized people:

• Acceptance and Realism: Self-actualized people have realistic perceptions of themselves, others and the world around them.
• Problem-centering: Self-actualized individuals are concerned with solving problems outside of themselves, including helping others and finding solutions to problems in the external world. These people are often motivated by a sense of personal responsibility and ethics.
• Spontaneity: Self-actualized people are spontaneous in their internal thoughts and outward behavior. While they can conform to rules and social expectations, they also tend to be open and unconventional.
• Autonomy and Solitude: Another characteristics of self-actualized people is the need for independence and privacy. While they enjoy the company of others, these individuals need time to focus on developing their own individual potential.
• Continued Freshness of Appreciation: Self-actualized people tend to view the world with a continual sense of appreciation, wonder and awe. Even simple experiences continue to be a source of inspiration and pleasure.
• Peak Experiences: Individuals who are self-actualized often have what Maslow termed peak experiences, or moments of intense joy, wonder, awe and ecstasy. After these experiences, people feel inspired, strengthened, renewed or transformed.

^{So, how do YOU rank?}

Ok so... The mini Irish/pre Canada tour has kicked off, with Electric Avenue in Waterford, The Underground in Tipp Town and Dolans Upstairs in Limerick all behind us, and gigs with Fred in Roisin Dubh, Galway this Friday and then a headline show in Cleeres Theatre in Kilkenny on the Sat, we're slowly getting ourselves in shape for Canada. One of the highlights was getting to air a couple of new songs live for the first time in ages, hopefully something we'll be able to do more of over the next few weeks.

Some pictures from the Dolan's gig can be seen here, thanks to Limerick photographer Matt McKnight.

The great support over the last few gigs was from Tipp band Maslow, Limerick singer/songwriter Maca and Waterford's Shane Barry and the Distractions.

Looks like we'll be in Toronto from the 7th Oct-13th Oct for Indie Week '08, a relatively short stay compared to our last few visits but we're still playing four shows and doing numerous radio interviews so we'll be fairly busy.

Once we're home, work begins in earnest on writing new material, which hopefully will find it's way onto album number two!

That is all from my infrequent and sporadic posts for now, until my next one of course.

Lo peor de la rutina suele ser su avaricia, su empeño en ocupar demasiadas horas del día, se come la vida y la hace mas corta, de forma exponencial, a medida que pasan los años la rutina devora más rápidamente los días.

Lo mejor de la rutina es que la conocemos, existe complicidad y conocimiento mutuo, la toleramos y en cierta manera no somos capaces de prescindir de ella demasiado tiempo, cuando no la tenemos la echamos de menos y su ausencia prolongada nos inquieta y nos incómoda.  La ausencia de rutina siempre supone un mayor esfuerzo físico e intelectual.

No podemos confundir la rutina con el aburrimiento o la desidia, la rutina es algo contrapuesto a la incertidumbre, es la seguridad de levantamos cada mañana y tener la certeza de que la escala de necesidades de Maslow la tenemos cubierta en lo básico, al menos.

El Sol joven y fuerte ha vencido a la Luna que se aleja impotente del campo de batalla.

Agora, eu não sou o cara mais pontual do mundo, nem aquele que é mais eficiente quando me comunico com alguém. Mas é de se pensar: como aplicamos isso dentro de uma empresa? E é aí que eu acho importante ver os dois lados de uma moeda.

Quando você está lidando com um cliente, creio eu, não é realmente importante a pontualidade do cliente ou como o cliente valoriza o seu tempo. No fim das contas isso tudo pode ser medido pelo quanto ele vai pagar pelo produto. Faz parte do custo agregado.

Já quando você está lidando internamente, seja com seus coordenadores ou seus colaboradores, a coisa muda de figura. Você está agora em uma via de duas mãos!

Ao mesmo tempo que é importante que os colaboradores cheguem no horário e sejam eficientes no que fazem, e também quando utilizam uma parcela do tempo de seus coordenadores, é necessário que a coordenação ceda em alguns pontos também.

• A comunicação precisa ser eficaz: Ou seja, não precisa ser bonita, mas precisa ser infalível. Não pode deixar pontos dúbios, nem deixar o colaborador em uma situação onde ele precisa novamente pedir instruções.
• Não faça reunião demais nem reunião de menos: Reunião demais desperdiça tempo, reunião de menos deixa todo mundo perdido.
• Velocidade dos meios transforma-se em velocidade no fim: Eu duvido que uma madeireira evite comprar a motosserra mais rápida do mundo porque quer, de propósito, que ela passe lentamente pela madeira, para poder verificar tudo que acontece no processo do corte. Da mesma forma, por que uma empresa deixaria um funcionário administrativo com um computador lento e uma conexão de nível residencial?

No final das contas, não importa se você comprou o tempo do seu funcionário se ele não sentir que esse tempo é respeitado. Na Hierarquia das Necessidades de Maslow, vemos que a falta do respeito por nós como recursos humanos e indivíduos fere a Estima, que é o quarto grau na "pirâmide". Um bom administrador não pode esperar bons resultados de qualquer colaborador se o mesmo não for respeitado integralmente.

And here's the Traffic by month - Of course, September is still 'in progress'

Number of Posts: 126

Total Comments: 1,307

Categories: 24, Tags: 399

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I didn't quite see this coming - but TalkingTails has clocked 1,00,000 hits - I had no idea it would ever get to this number, but I am glad it has!

Among other surprising 'revelations' was that my Google PageRank is 5 - which means:

In other words, a PageRank results from a "ballot" among all the other pages on the World Wide Web about how important a page is. A hyperlink to a page counts as a vote of support. The PageRank of a page is defined recursively and depends on the number and PageRank metric of all pages that link to it ("incoming links"). A page that is linked to by many pages with high PageRank receives a high rank itself.

-- Wikipedia

Also, while we're on numbers - Alexa has given TalkingTails a rank of  1,658,355.

I must admit - the majority of the 'hits' are due to one particular post that I had written about Maslow's Need Heirarchy (Maslow, Greek Mysticism and Indian Philosophy), Gr - I guess someone StumbledUpon or 'digg'ed it. That particular post seems really popular - it gets some 300 hits on an average day and most of the traffic is diverted from Google. If you type in 'Maslow India' on Google, this page is the FIRST page that is returned - try it!

Thanks for reading and do keep coming back ye' all! :)

Ar mokykloje mes išmokstame tikrai to, kas mums bus naudinga gyvenime?

Japonai, prakeikdami sako: "Kad tu gyventum permainų laikotarpiu". Permainų laikai – tai daug galimybių, tačiau mažai stabilumo ir žinomybės. Permainų laikotarpis tikrai sunkus išbandymas švietimo sistemai, nes kuriami nauji stereotipai, naujos vertybės, nauji mokymosi metodai ir t.t. Niekas nežino, kaip bus ateityje, ar sistema sugebės novatoriškai ir koja kojon žengti kartu su mūsų vaikais. Nepretenduodamas į žinovus, noriu pasvarstyti, ko iš tikrųjų reikėtų mokytis šiame 21 amžiuje.

Pirmiausiai, norėčiau pastebėti, kad mokykloje mažai arba visiškai neskatinama kūryba. Pateikiami įrėminti faktai, kurių neleidžiama interpretuoti, subjektyviai suvokti. Viskas remiasi taisyklėmis. Kad ir ta pati lietuvių literatūra. Analizuojant ir interpretuojant kūrinius reikia juos interpretuoti taip, kaip reikalaujama. Jeigu supranti jį kitaip - blogai. Yra išleistos įvairių lituanistų ir filologų kūrinių interpretacijų knygutės, kurių pagrindu mokytojai verčia vaikus suprasti tekstą taip, kaip suprato knygučių autoriai. Remiamasi jų kompetencija ir t.t. Bet vaikai, gyvenantys 21amžiuje turi savo naują pasaulėžiūrą, naują suvokimą, kuris kardinaliai skiriasi nuo to, kurio reikalauja mokykloje. Juk gyvenime yra tokia prielaida: ieškoti, daryti klaidas, iš jų mokytis ir vėl ieškoti... Pas mus už ieškojimus yra baudžiama.

Antras dalykas, mano manymu, gal net svarbesnis už pirmąjį, yra tas, kad nepadedama vaikui suprasti šių laikų vertybių, nemokoma savęs pažinimo pagrindų, nesistengiama kiekviename vaike rasti potencialų genijų. Galvoju, kad šiai problemai išspręsti yra būtini du dalykai. Atsikratyti senų mokytojų, pasenusių savo pažiūromis, užsisėdėjusių, gyvenančių sovietmečio idėjomis. Antras dalykas - neversti visų vaikų mokytis tų pačių dalykų, o leisti kiekvienam pasirinkti tuos, kas jį iš tikrųjų domina ir intriguoja. Tokiu būdų galima vaikui leisti visiškai atsiskleisti jam patinkančioje srityje, tobulintis joje ir, kas gali žinoti, gal jis taps gerbiamu mokslininku ar tiesiog laimingu žmogumi, kuris bus atradęs tikrąjį savo pašaukimą. Elementarus pavyzdys - tarkim, mano svajonė yra įstoti į muzikos akademiją. Tai velniam aš turiu mokytis chemijos, biologijos ar istorijos, jeigu man to visiškai nereikia ir neįdomu? Ugdykite manyje profesionalų kompozitorių ar muzikantą, o ne vunderkindą, kuris nei vienoje srityje nebus pakankamai stiprus ir kompetetingas.

Pinigai, pinigai, pinigai. Šiais monopolistų laikais neįmanoma išgyventi neišmanant apie pinigus. Jie yra visur: mokykloje, šeimoje, televizijoje, žaisluose, internete ir t.t. Visos iškabos tik ir rėkia: "Pirkit mane". Aišku, pradmenis apie pinigus duoda tėvai, kai vaikas prašo saldumyno ar kokio nors, staiga užsigeisto žaislo, o iš tėvų girdisi tik "ne, nepirksiu" :) . Vis gi, dažnai gimę "ne karjeristų" tėvų šeimoje, vaikai ilgiau prabūna mokykloje, o ne bendraudami su tėvais. Todėl ir namuose, ir mokykloje, ypač mokykloje, turėtų būti aiškinama, kas yra pinigai, kokia jų vertė, iš kur jie atsiranda, iš kur tėvai juos gauna ir kodėl jie negali nupirkti užsigeisto daikto. Galbūt gavęs pradmenis, vaikas pradės gilintis į finansus vis labiau ir labiau, ir taps turtingu, finansiškai nepriklausomu asmeniu.

Na, o ar pasidomėjote, kaip Jūsų vaikui sekasi bendravimas su draugais, vyresniesiems - su panelėmis? Blogai? Nėra čia ko stebėtis. Ar jie gauna bendravimo pagrindus apart empiriškai patys išmokdami? O, juk mokytis iš savo gyvenimiškų patyrimų yra be galo sunku, kai niekas nepataria, kai niekas nepalaiko... Manau, kad mokyklose turėtų būti skiriamas didelis dėmesys vaiko charakterio, asmeninių savybių formavimuisi. Įvairių baimių, kompleksų analizavimui ir šalinimui. Juk ar ne pats svarbiausias dalykas gyvenime yra asmeninė laimė? Pripažinimas, draugai, socialinė sauga? Remiantis Maslow poreikių piramide, tik būdamas sotus, apsirengęs, sveikas, gerbiamas, reikalingas ir sociališkai saugus asmuo gali pasiekti aukščiausią poreikių viršūnę - savirealizaciją. Kada visą save gali atiduoti mėgstamai veiklai, veikti tai, ką nori. Tokiu būdu pasiekti stipriausią dvasinį pasitenkinimą. Toks žmogus yra pats laimingiausias. Ar nenorėtumėte, kad ir Jūsų atžala toks būtų?

Kiekvienas iš mūsų turi kažkokių norų, užgaidų, tikslų. Tikslas varo mus į priekį, bet kokia kaina stengdamiesi jį pasiekti. Tačiau ar tikrai mes mokame planuoti? Mokame nusistatyti savo tikslus? Ar vaikai yra to mokomi? Bijau, kad ne, nei namuose, nei mokykloje. O reikėtų. Išmokykite vaiką susiplanuoti ir užsirašyti savo tikslus. Pirmiausiai nedidelius, kad ir iki gimtadienio išmokti 5 eilėraščius. Vėliau sudėtingesnius tikslus ir t.t. Pasiekęs tikslą, vaikas pasijaus tvirtai, savimi pasitikintis, laimingas. Troškimas, galvojimas apie savo tikslą priverčia judėti, priverčia gyventi ir galiausiai materializuojasi. Kuo anksčiau vaikas išmoks planuoti savo tikslus, tuo greičiau jis tobulės ir pasieks aukštą gyvenimo lygį.

Pagalvokite apie tai!

I’ve been training. Training, if you ask me, is not my cup of tea. (Shhh…don’t tell them that I said this – I need this job!) You begin your preparations the night before, then you shush the butterflies in your stomach just before the training begins, next you step onto a springboard - ready to launch yourself into the untested waters of your audience’s queries, and if you escape unscathed; you hand feedback forms to your audience so that they could rate your performance!

When the training ends, you feel exactly what a soggy dishrag must feel! You’ve seen my pictures, though not many but enough to tell you that I look smart; especially with that leather collar around my neck. I also ensure that either Mercury or Cameo runs a brush through my fur before all my marketing training programs. It’s a good idea to look your best at such occasions. But you should look at me when the training ends…I look like…why…I look like a turtle bundled in a damp and musty dishrag! Yuck!

Let me tell you about the training I conducted today. As I said earlier, I was ready to train…I had taken a heavy dose of confidence to stop the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach, and I had donned my cherry leather collar for the occasion; so when I leaped on to the chair to address them, I caught some admiring glances.

You see, I had to train these guys on motivation! Simply speaking, motivation can be explained as the willingness to act in order to satisfy a need. Now, before I could tell my audience about motivation, I had to tell them about Needs! So, I decided to discuss the age-old five-level Hierarchy of Needs proposed by Dr. Abraham Maslow, and show them how need motivates.

I decided to illustrate the explanation of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs through some canine examples drawn from my personal experiences!

Though most of you probably know the Needs Pyramid, let me quickly tell you that according to this model, a person moves through the different needs in a given sequence. The physiological needs are the lowest level needs, while the Self-Actualization needs are the highest. Technically, you have to fulfill the needs at one level before you begin to experience the needs at the next level.

(Though exceptions to this rule have been quoted often…humans! Bah! Do they ever agree on anything?!)

1. Physiological Needs: When I was at this level, I wanted to fulfill my basic biological needs such as food. I didn’t want anything but a morsel of food. In fact, if I had nothing to eat, I would have eaten stale dry bread thrown away by someone, without a whimper!

2. Safety and Security Needs: Once my tummy was full, I began to look for a cozy and safe place to live in. I then maneuvered a human called Cameo by giving him oh-so-innocent-oh-so-helpless look, and convinced him to adopt me.

3. Belongingness Needs: Next I wanted to feel a part of their family. So I refused to sleep on the rug in the corner of the bedroom. I manipulated Mercury into giving me a place on the bed! I also refused to eat alone…I ensured that we ate together…as families should. I also fell in love!

4. Esteem Needs: After I became a part of the family and after I’ve got them in an emotional bind, I began to demand respect. I wanted my own box, rug, chew-toys, quilt, bowls, and a new ball every week. I began experiencing a desire to be better off than the dog next door!

5. Self-Actualization Needs: Eventually, when I was done with chewing my own toys and stretching on my own rug; I wanted to do something more! So I started my blog, and accepted the offer of becoming a canine marketing guru!

I guess the point reached home and they understood the hierarchy, because when the tea was served none of them rushed out of the room…that would’ve confirmed their position on the hierarchy as Level 1 – right?!

But all said and done…when the training ended, I was a damp dishrag wrapped around a waddling turtle…the levels of the hierarchy had dropped off one by one, and all I wanted was a soft comfortable box to lie down in and a bowl of warm chicken soup!

2010 is just two years away. We who love this country should get our acts together and formulate a doable course of action to oust the bad and to elect the good. And we must start doing so now.

I've said that myself more times than I care to remember. And try as I might, I can not remember a singe instance of 'us getting our acts together,' much less getting our acts together to 'formulate a doable course of action to oust the bad and elect the good.'

I think the problem is one of scale. It is easy enough to imagine gathering a core of like-minded individuals and locking them in a room until they come up with a plan to influence the way voters vote. That certainly worked in college. Unfortunately, it rarely works in real life. In real life - where you're dealing with more than 45 million voters - influencing how people make their choices gets a tad more complicated ... and a lot less noble.

I know alot of people are chipping away at poor ole' Maslow, but his heirarchy of needs still represents one of the most logical explanations for why people make the choices they make.

And that includes the voting Filipino masses.

The masses - and I do not use this term derogatorily - hardly ever respond to appeals such as J's because there are other more pressing concerns. Very simply put, the poor commoditize their vote because they need to meet more primal needs.

And since there are so many of them, our politicians inevitably court their vote in the most effective way possible: by letting money talk. After all, to the poor man who ekes out a subsistence existence, the five hundred pesos in his hand makes a hell of a lot more sense than the idea of voting for a clean guy who promises a better life after a whole lot of suffering. Kinda like why the devil has more disciples than Jesus. Although, like in society, even the people who treat their fellow men as foully as any devil would are also the most vocal about their righteousness; even the people who sell their votes tend to swear up and down that they want true change and would never -ever- sell their votes.

So it's like a vicious circle really. The poor have the voting power, and they demand commoditization of that power; the politicians - desirous of using the poor's voting power - indulge them, and coddle the poor with short-sighted policies that, over the long term, swell the ranks of the poor who have the voting power ... and so on.

So, if the poor are too pre-occupied with their needs to care about social reform, who's gonna step up? Cvj has already expressed reservations about the credibility of the middle classes.

The ‘reformist’ credentials of the Philippine Middle Class is questionable because of its role in tolerating Hello Garci. The thing is, it shows its reformist side selectively and self-servingly.

I agree ... in a sense. The vast majority of the middle class really don't give a hoot beyond the occasional rally and the perpetual whining about how things are going to the dogs. When the rallies end, they end up in their watering holes enjoying the benefits of being middle class in the rotten system they decry, and bribe traffic cops to get out of traffic citations.

But that's not the problem. The problem is, no matter how sincere the middle class gets, they can still be out voted by the poor. The middle class knows that, and it contributes a lot to the low turn-out of voters from that social stratum.

Which leaves the very rich who care only to maintain their privileged positions and so end up being in bed with even the worst politicians.

Which leaves J's plea with no one to answer it.

And what about us - the minority of the middle class who feel like we would be willing to work up a sweat for social change? Where does that leave us?

Sad to say, I'm feeling more and more that we are left on the fringe. Shouting our lungs out, tearing at our hair, and pounding our chests; making all the right noises and starting all the right petitions but making no more impact on the problem than a pitbull would make on a 747.

But that doesn't mean we give up. It just means that there can be no overarching gameplan that would show us the way to a true and lasting electoral victory. There are always going to be underdog winners like Grace Padaca and Ed Panlilio, but their successes will most likely remain personal triumphs, rather than tide-turners.

In an article breaking off the wire, Mrs. McCain has just given us her view on reproductive rights. Here is the article:

McCain to give big speech on rebuilt stage

"...McCain's wife, Cindy, suggested in one interview that she doesn't agree with Palin's support for a nearly total ban on abortions.

Cindy McCain also told ABC she doesn't agree with Palin's opposition to abortion in cases of rape and incest. And they also part ways on sex education. "I don't agree with that aspect, but I do respect her for her views," she said.

Palin opposes abortion and rejects the view that pregnancies caused by rape and incest should be exceptions. The Alaska governor's only exception would be when a doctor determines that continuing a pregnancy would lead to the death of the mother.

Palin has also opposed government financing of sex-education programs in Alaska. Cindy McCain told ABC that she advocated abstinence as a part of sex education at her children's school, but "I believe that it's twofold and I think all of it should be taught..."

I was already doing research as far back as June on this---

Fantastic news for pumas concerned with Roe v Wade watch and John McCain’s stance on that from a journalist off Soda Head… via heartpuma

“…In a 1999 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board, McCain said, “I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America” to undergo “illegal and dangerous operations…”

This is heartwarming news Senator McCain, and because of this, the oil drilling will be okay! (but promise you won’t do nuclear, and instead solar and wind and water power?)

Because, I knew why we wanted Hillary the most.

So, what I want to talk about now, is how a therapist looks at this. The "special needs" children Palin refers to, like her baby are being born right now, not just because of aging in older women, but potentially because of the issues with the food chain we were just talking about a couple of articles back, and I will be going more deeply into this as well in further articles to come.

Democratic women, for the most part I feel, would not want to give birth to a special needs child.

Abortion as we knew it, happened in the first few weeks after missing a period. Abortion was not something done as a kind of late term decision about something when there was already a "baby" in place, fully grown, and then "killed" by infanticide. I think this is what the Religious Right wants stopped. Me too. I wrote about that here:

Two feminist pumas speak, on choices, choice, and the importance of this election…

I want to show you something though, about what is happening! Here is a forty page abstract you can read from All Academic, below.

Have We Really Come a Long Way, Baby? Definitional Struggles around Domestic Violence in the Contemporary U.S.

I want you to recall that "egg" we were talking about, which is the SELF! Remember how we covered that?

It's my belief that DV and substance abuse are causing terrible problems with babies being born right now, and this is possibly because of non-education in these areas.

Also, we had talked about big pharma a little, in that piece on the ocean and the food chain the other day.

What we need to realize is that not everyone comes from a little town in a "clean" place like Alaska that has very basic traditional value systems, and families who are going to care for the babies! What we need is EDUCATION about BIRTH CONTROL as Mrs. McCain noted above.

Unwilling Mothers Unwanted Babies: Infanticide in Canada

I told you I worked with the homeless, and that babies were being born on the streets under shrubs. This is true, and I will be going further into that as we go along, as well.

Here is another paper out of Australia on poverty:

Socio-Economic Disadvantage and the Vulnerable Child

Which is going to spell out a lot of stuff, that the Republican and Democratic Party need to know.

You cannot "force" children on women if there is no sense of supportive community in which to raise a child, nor can you morally cause a woman to choose infanticide. We are a soulless society if it comes to that.

So, it is a MORAL DOUBLE BIND. Much larger than the Schafley argument.

McCain wants to make JOBS here. JOBS are going to lead to "families"

NO JOBS leads to problems SOCIALLY! Here is where you are getting the "Joey's of this world.

People are not going to hurt their children unless there is a disconnect, and I think we need to look into what Jung's typology showed us with THINKING SENSATE! Drugging of these kids from childhood on is suppressing the INFERIOR FUNCTIONS of Feeling and Sensation.

If they are not in touch with their FEELING and SENSATE sides, they are going to behave in soul-less and heartless ways. (Read Virginia Tech.) ---

We need to address this "HOLISTICALLY" as a GESTALT.

MASLOW's HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

With the amount of mistakes I constantly made, I know I had many opportunities to understand trust and forgiveness through the pain, frustration and guilt in my life. At this point today, I believe in this quote: 'If you haven't made any mistakes, you haven't taken enough risks.' And I would have learned nothing.

It's from these many learning opportunities I realized that if we have to forgive someone or carry a grudge, it is we who carry the emotional baggage and not them. When we truly forgive someone, it is we who feel really light hearted. They on the other hand have the choice to care less or help us heal. And as painful and heavy this is, there are ways to feel lighter without having to deal with the person or system we believe created this painful situation. Life teaches us lessons in unexpected ways and sadly this is one of them. If you are at this juncture, its also quite clear that the concepts of trust and faith have been misunderstood leading to this hurtful emotion.
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~Crossing a boundary?~

While somewhere we believe that some of our limits/boundaries have been crossed, some of us still keep the courage to do the right thing. In this article I will try to logically present the answer you are looking for with the best possible forms of reason. The concept of forgiveness is something that even people with healthy self esteem tend to confuse and struggle over. Bear with me as I demonstrate the 'act of being unforgiving towards others' is really an illusion and were are truly unforgiving of ourselves instead. It is then not 'our' boundary wall that they cross but it is the boundary wall we put around them that they cross. I will start with the basics of choice as the fundamentals to this understanding.
PS. I will not attempt to justify any form of forgiveness towards physical abuse at this time. But for those desperately seeking answers here, please read up on Past Life Karmas and Life Path to understand the holistic purpose of this act
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~Choice~

We all make choices. Some of us know the outcome and hence make informed choices. Some, on the other hand (mostly wishful thinkers), make choices with the expectation of a positive outcome, ignoring the other hurtful possibilities. The more experienced on the other hand makes a conscious choice after accepting the possibility of a bad outcome while hoping for the good. These are common in the stock market where a sensible investor takes a loss in the same spirit as he would take a profit. With every choice comes emotional responsibility for its outcome no matter how bad or good it maybe.

~Mutual Respect~

We also expect others to respect our good and bad choices just as we respect theirs; especially their bad ones. A parent disapproving their daughter's choices of a boyfriend in a dating scene usually results in the daughter being upset over it. She expects her parents to respect her choices just as she respects theirs. She expects that they trust her with the knowledge they themselves educated her with. Without mutual respect there is no healthy relationship.
In this personal journey of self discovery, everyone has the freedom to make mistakes, take responsibility and learn from it. The fear of the inability to cope is the only reason why we cannot accept a bad outcome. If we cannot accept the bad outcomes of our own choices, we can never accept the bad outcome of other's choices either. In other words, if we cannot respect ourselves and our choices, we cannot respect others and theirs.

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~Forgiving others Or forgiving self?~

Usually when we are unforgiving of others, we are unforgiving of the choice they made. But, if somewhere in the back of our minds it clicks that those choices made by them should be respected as much as we'd expect them to respect our good and bad choices, only then will we understand that forgiving others is an illusion and that we are really trying to forgive ourselves for being ignorant of this concept (that we respect others for their choices good and bad as well, just as we expect them to respect ours). Forgiveness is a result of a misconception of trust.
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~But what is this painful feeling inside us when someone does something hurtful?~

This painful feeling is the dependence on that person or system for love, attention and fulfilling our expectations . Had we been strong enough to love ourselves instead, fulfill our own needs and give ourselves the attention we deserve, this need or dependence on others would disappear. We would then look at this whole situation very differently. We would see that this person is only making choices that he or she needs while in the process of self discovery. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with only them. When we accept that, we unconditionally love and accept ourselves and unconditionally love and accept them. That's true love.

~Empower Yourself~

However, many of us live outside this reality and play a painful game of master and slave where the slave seeks forgiveness from the master. One needs to remember that a master can control the slave as much as the slave allows the master to control him. The only next step to freedom is self empowerment and that comes with understanding the power of choice. The habit of being unforgiving is a global epidemic and only through the understanding of choice can we be free of the burden we carry.
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~Forgiveness in my relationship~

In my personal life a few years ago, I asked for forgiveness from two women I hurt through the choices I made. One of them said, "I will never forgive you for what you did to me," and the other said "you are forgiven, I love you for who you are irrespective of your choices". During that time I suffered low self esteem and the source of happiness in my life was the woman who did not forgive me. I never knew how to find happiness within myself and suffered a slave relationship trying to please her. As I grew stronger emotionally and built a healthy self esteem, I realized that I did not need others to forgive me for my choices. My choices were intended to make me happy. If I cannot be happy, I cannot make others happy and hence only through selfishness can come true authentic selflessness. If others cannot understand and respect this, it's their inability to cope and not mine. I will make others happy only when I find happiness within myself. During that phase, I needed to forgive myself for the bad outcomes of my choices and learn to love myself unconditionally.

The power of forgiveness works at all times and for everyone. Forgive yourself, love yourself unconditionally, and help others heal just as you would heal yourself.

I would recommend two reads that really help.
The Transformative Power of Crisis

& Self Empowerment by Gary Zukav and Linda Francis

Love & Best Wishes!