Life Skills blog is 'Celebrating 100th Article':

Today the ‘Life Skills’ blog is celebrating 100^th article of its blog. The Life Skills (LS) blog started in the year 2013 to educate people about life skills and its importance. This blog contains articles on various topics touching upon Life skills. Some articles have snippets (Headlines), which gives you hint about entire article, and then you can decide to read the entire article.

Life skills are a set of human skills acquired via direct experience, (and also through training) that are used to handle problems and questions commonly encountered in daily human life.

When we were in primary school we dealt with numeracy skills (numerals, ratios, formulas), literary skills (Reading, writing, and comprehension). When we went on to our higher classes most of us started memorizing the concepts and then writing back the same in the exams and securing good marks. Paulo Freire referred to this kind of education system as ‘Banking model of education’. The name refers to the metaphor of students as containers into which educators must put knowledge. Freire argued that this model reinforces a lack of critical thinking and knowledge ownership in students, which in turn reinforces oppression in contrast to Freire's understanding of knowledge as the result of a human, creative process.

The Life-skills framed by WHO (World Health Organisation) recommend four topics which revolve around a thinking, analyzing and decision-making practices. And which are qualities needed lifelong, They are,

Critical thinking,

Creative thinking,

Decision making, and

Problem solving

Critical thinking helps us to involve with the topic deeply. And think systematically.

Creative thinking helps us to think unique and also come up with alternative solutions to the problems.

Decision making helps us to evaluate various options and opinions while making a decision.

Problem-solving will help us to adopt a systematic and informed way to solve a problem.

One can get trained on skills, and when a person has to be master of the skills he has to practice it, very practically.

Next, when we move to the personal and interpersonal sphere of life, we need a lot of personality traits and skills to be happy and successful in life. The skills to understand why are we thinking the way we are thinking. What are my thoughts and actions telling about me; How happy people are around because of me; how do I perceive people and so on. To cater to these questions in life, the Life-skills has five segments.

Self-Awareness

Empathy

Interpersonal Relations

Coping with stress

Coping with emotion

Self-Awareness is being aware of who we are. Having a clear perception of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions.

Empathy is awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It is the experience of understanding another person's condition from their perspective. You place yourself in their shoes and feel what they are feeling.

Interpersonal Relations refers to the bond between two or more people. Asking for pardon and Pardoning others before they seek for it, is one of the greatest qualities.

Coping with stress, stress is a many-faceted process that occurs in reaction to events or situations in our environment. Different people have a different reaction to the same event. Coping with stress refers to how people manage the situation to protect themselves from ills of stress.

Coping with emotion, Emotions are generated unconsciously. Usually, they are autonomous bodily responses to certain external or internal events. Coping with emotions means recognizing emotions in ourselves and others and how emotions influence behavior. Being able to respond to emotions appropriately is important because intense emotions (like anger or sorrow) can have negative effects on our health if we do not react appropriately.

The above skills help us to go towards a happy, fulfilling and balanced life. Life Skills help us to function as balanced individuals and to act as effective members of the society.

And lastly, Life skills also discusses the very important component i.e. ‘Communication’ which is helpful for success in both personal lives as well as professional life. Communication discusses critical skills such as, listening, speaking, reading and writing.

This ‘Life Skills’ blog has made an effort to collect research articles, expert talks, university publications and so on from multiple sources and make available on a dedicated blog.

Thank you all who have been reading the articles. We hope to bring even more interesting articles going further.

Thank you.

Maaz Mohammed A.Q

(Learning strategist @ Life Skills Express)

Building Bridges: Cultivating Positive Relationships:

- Strong relationships with family and friends form the bedrock of a fulfilling life. They provide essential emotional support, offering a safe haven during challenging times and amplifying our joy during celebrations. These connections foster a sense of belonging, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation. Moreover, they contribute significantly to our mental and physical well-being, as studies have shown that strong social ties can lower stress levels and even improve our immune systems. Ultimately, nurturing these relationships enriches our lives, providing a network of care, support, and shared experiences that make life more meaningful. Think about the people who bring light into your life. What makes those relationships feel so special? Often, it's the simple act of choosing to focus on the good, to appreciate the small moments, and to communicate with kindness. Building positive relationships isn't about avoiding conflict or pretending everything is perfect. It...

Is anybody happier because you passed his way?

- Is anybody happier because you passed his way? Does anyone remember that you spoke to him today? This day is almost over, and its toiling time is through; Is there anyone to utter now a kindly word of you? Did you give a cheerful greeting to the friend who came along? Or a churlish sort of "Howdy" and then vanish in the throng? Were you selfish pure and simple as you rushed along the way, Or is someone mighty grateful for a deed you did today? Can you say tonight, in parting with the day that's slipping fast, That you helped a single brother of the many that you passed? Is a single heart rejoicing over what you did or said; Does a man whose hopes were fading now with courage look ahead? Did you waste the day, or lose it, was it well or sorely spent? Did you leave a trail of kindness or a scar of discontent? Source: taken from Edgar Albert Guest poem. Reflection of above poem: "Is anybody happier because you passed his way?" is a po...

Judging Others: (Poem)

- Judging Others: Sadly, we are always critiqued, By the people that we know. By title or occupation, And by the possessions that we show. We judge by skin colour, Or by awards received. By the denomination, And by what we believe. We're judged by what we spend, Or by what we give. We're judged by age and gender, And by where we live. We're judged by our past, And by our education, By the language that we speak, Or by our nation. We evaluate cosmetically. We judge both fat and small. We judge by ones appearance. Fact is, we judge it all! Some judge because they're paid to. Some judge intentionally. Some judge to build self worth, Some judge unwillingly. BEWARE, for there is only One, Who evaluates every stain and smudge. Good luck amateur critics of humans, When you face that Wise & Mighty Judge! Source: received through WhatsApp message

What makes great organizations great:

Most great organisations are pulling itself to greatness. And one thing we need to agree is they care for their people and also care for the culture in which their employees work in. On the list of organizational priorities, culture often comes last. But research shows if you want to improve results, start by defining, implementing and improving your culture. When people feel appreciated and trust is high, they are more engaged and work better as a team. In turn it improves productivity, service, retention and performance. What is culture? Culture refers to people's 'way of life', the way groups do things. We need to believe that different groups of people may have different cultures. As genetics are passed on by heridity, the culture is passed on to the next generation by learning. The learning which needs culture to be imbibed in to people does not come by formal teaching or training. Yes, the concept of culture could be taught, but actual culture gets on to people...

Thank and appreciate the people you care for, that they are important:

A beautiful story, do read...it makes a difference One day Maths teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers. That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. 'Really?' she heard whispered. 'I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!' and, 'I didn't know others liked me so much,' were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with...

(Mind maps) 10 ways to build emotional intelligence:

- Click to watch the mind map in a very excellent approach: (Mind maps) 10 ways to build emotional intelligence- is from the book written by Daniel Goleman. Source: Directly linked to youtube. Further reading: Emotional intelligence (otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at school and work, and achieve your career and personal goals. Intellectual ability or your intelligence quotient (IQ) isn’t enough on its own to achieve success in life. Yes, your IQ can help you get into college, but it’s your EQ that will help you manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams or stresses in real life. Click to read full article from source:

Shine in your SSLC* Karnataka State Board Exams:

- *Study material Flipkart order link:* *Maths-* https://rb.gy/j334op -----^----- *Science-* https://rb.gy/dau4ic -----^----- *Social-* https://rb.gy/cmazkk -----^----- *English First Language-* https://shorturl.at/nvY13 -----^----- *Kannada- Second Language-* https://shorturl.at/dmX23 -----^----- *Hindi Third Language-* https://shorturl.at/msuwM -----^----- *Urdu Third Language-* https://shorturl.at/wC267 -----^----- Click to *watch video* about books- https://youtu.be/8ZmzjmMORO4 *Shine in your SSLC* Karnataka State Board Exams with the Best Study Material! The material that best suit your learning style and needs. * Now available online on flipkart. * SSLC exam is an important step in a student's life. It determines your future and open up new opportunities for you. That's why it's important to *be well-prepared* for these exams. *Limited time offer:* Order Now, start preparing for success! *Contact:* 73495 95307 * Study material Flipkart order link :* *Maths-* https://...

Happier you.

Volunteer : Find ways to get involved in your community or help out a friend in need. You’ll help yourself, too. It can improve your mental health and well-being. Win-win. Bonding : Bond with the best. Make sure to maintain lifelong connections. Studies show the more connected you are, the happier you are. Count Your Blessings : Nobody is spared of blessings. Write down everything that’s good in your life. Ex: a connection, a good quality in you, a small thing etc. When you make an effort to look on the bright side, it helps you stay focused on the positive. Forgive and Forget : Are you holding a grudge? Let it go. Most often if we do not forgive a person it hurts and disturbs a lot only to us. Forgiveness frees you from negative thoughts and makes more room in your life for inner peace. And that brings you happiness. So, forgive to free yourself. Know where you are heading towards : It will give us a confidence when we know where are we heading in life...

Tool to understand how people learn and think:

It's very important to understand how people learn and think. It is also helpful in terms of maintaing good relationship with family, friends and peers. It is highly recommended for teachers, coaches, and trainers. To put in a line, it is required for folks who work more with people. It is helpful if we can understand various models of learning and thinking, such as (MBTI) Myers-Briggs Type Indicators . What is MBTI ? The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator ( MBTI ) is an introspective self-report questionnaire with the purpose of indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world around them and make decisions. The MBTI was constructed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Click to find more from 'skills you need' website:

Improving your perspective-taking skills can help you build stronger relationships:

- Ever notice how sometimes it feels like other people just don't get you? Or maybe you've had that feeling about someone else? A lot of this comes down to something called "perspective-taking"—basically, the ability to see things from someone else's point of view. It's like trying to walk in their shoes for a bit. But it turns out, this isn't always easy, and many of us struggle with it. So, why is it so hard to see things from another person's perspective, and what can we do about it? What is Perspective-taking: Perspective-taking is the ability to understand another person's thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is an essential skill for building empathy, compassion, and understanding in our relationships. However, many people struggle with perspective-taking. There are several reasons why this might be the case. Why some people lack it: One reason is that people may be too focused on their own thoughts and feelings. When we are constan...

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