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)

The Kindness Trap: Why "Ruinous Empathy" Is Stalling Your Team’s Growth:

- We’ve all been there. A team member submits a report that misses the mark, or a colleague’s performance begins to slip. You want to speak up, but then that voice in your head starts whispering: “They’ve had a hard week,” or “I don’t want to hurt their feelings.” So, you stay silent. You sugar-coat. You say, "Don’t worry about it, you worked hard." It feels like kindness, but it’s actually a feedback failure known as Ruinous Empathy. While it feels "nice" in the short term, it is ultimately one of the most damaging behaviors a leader or peer can exhibit. What is Ruinous Empathy? Ruinous Empathy occurs when you prioritize someone’s immediate emotional comfort over their long-term professional growth. By avoiding necessary, constructive criticism, you aren't protecting the person—you’re actually preventing them from improving. The results are predictable: * Stunted Growth : Employees never learn where they are falling short. * Broken Trust : Eventually, when...

30 simple life skills for 30 days:

*How can I improve myself within a month?* This is a plan for 30 days. You can start practicing it from tomorrow. Follow one life skill per day as per the numbering 1-30 below. So if you follow order without miss, you will be able to do this whole exercise in a month. Many times we want to bring many habitual changes in us, but we fail to do it because of lack of initiative and many more reasons. Let us take this opportunity to imbibe this 30 better life skills in us. For better planning and implementation of this 30 skills. You should plan for the day one day prior. So that you can start your day afresh with a skill. *30 simple tasks for 30 days -:* *Day 1*. Greet people with smile. Life is short. Life is simple. Do not complicate it. Don’t forget to smile.. *Day 2*. 'Greet first'. Make an habit of, you greeting the person before he greets you 'Hi, Good morning'. *Day 3*. Start planning your day. It will take a few minutes but ...

Stay in touch with your friends, keep pulling their ears:

Once a monkey wished to die due to sadness, he pulled the ears of a sleeping lion.... The lion woke up and roared with anger: - Who did this ? Who has invited his death ? Monkey :- I did, Maharaj, I am very depressed due to lack of friends and I want to die, why don't you kill and eat me ?? The lion asked with a laugh :- Did anyone see you while pulling my ears ? Monkey :- No, Chief ! Lion :- Okay, pull one or two more times, it feels very good 😀 The essence of this story... By living alone, even the King of the forest gets bored…. So stay in touch with your friends, keep pulling their ears, dragging, blabbering... 😄 Don't be dull, keep on having fun.... Believe that your mind will always be cheerful and you will always be healthy…. 👍🏻😁👍🏻😀👍🏻 Let's live to live happily ❤️ Source: Received through whatsapp

Beyond the Clock: Reclaiming Our Most Precious Hours for Family:

- The sun climbs, painting the morning sky with hues of promise. For many, that daily ascent marks not the beginning of personal pursuits, but the quiet march towards another workday. From **8 AM to 5 PM**, five days a week, the most vibrant, energetic hours of our lives are often exchanged for the steady hum of the office. This isn't just a block of time; it's the very core of our waking, productive selves, poured into tasks and targets that shape our careers, but often leave precious little for the dreams that stir outside the cubicle walls. Think of it. These are the hours when the mind is sharpest, the body most resilient, the spirit most eager. It's when children are at school, when the daylight holds the most potential for outdoor adventures, creative projects, or simply quiet reflection. Yet, for nearly a decade or two, sometimes even longer, this prime segment of our existence is dedicated to the demands of professional life. We arrive, often before the world fully...

Mr. Brain and Mr. Life

A beautiful presentation in slideshare, which has fantastically brought out the interplay between brain and our day to day life. Click to view. http://www.slideshare.net/SebastienJuras/i-believe-icanfly?from_m_app=android

Coping with Emotion.

Emotions: Have you ever observed some of the situations occur in our lives? Say, you are walking on a road; suddenly a biker comes and lightly hits you, so that your dress gets dusty. How do you react? Shout at him or physically hit him or you keep passive and just walk on the road. Suppose if you beat the biker, you did not have the intention or even think of beating the person, but why did you beat? It is all sudden, because there is always an internal action and reaction process which takes place between our hearts, mind and physical body, which we do not see. Thus in the same kind, emotions also do work within our body and mind. Emotions take many faces as per the situation like, Anger predisposes us to defense or fighting and Fear predisposes us to flight (run away) or fight. What is Emotion? Emotions are a complex state of feeling that results in physical and psyc...

From the Ground Up: Why Teams Drive Success and Leaders Pave the Way:

- In the vibrant and often demanding landscape of the workplace, success isn't a solitary achievement. It's a collective effort, a finely tuned craft where each instrument plays a crucial role. And at the heart of this craft lies a fundamental truth: the team actually does the job. They are the engine room, the innovators, the problem-solvers who operate at the ground level, translating strategies into tangible results. We've all seen it – the late nights spent brainstorming solutions, the collaborative efforts to meet tight deadlines, the sheer ingenuity displayed when faced with unexpected challenges. This is where the real magic happens. Teams, empowered and given the space to operate, bring a unique blend of skills, perspectives, and creativity that is essential for navigating the complexities of the work. They understand the nuances, the local context, and can often devise solutions that a top-down approach might miss entirely. But where does leadership fit into this ...

Do you think people hurt you:

- Do you want to know the philosophy of why you get hurt when people say something; then this article is for you. You might have come across people telling you, “You are very disturbing”. “I don’t like the way you behave” “You don’t know how to cook a good food” “You are not productive at work” Do the above kind of attitudes from others affect and hurt you? Well, you should not be offended when they say something to you, or comment something on your behaviour, calm yourself down and think of it as their perspective or a joke for the day. I know it’s not so easy to practice. Tell yourself the person who is the potential offender has as much right to his opinion as you do to yours. Besides, they’re only words. They are not judgements on you. What can words do? They certainly can’t break your bones! Have a philosophy that ‘words-will-never-hurt-me’ it’s a very important philosophy of communication in any relationship. Think that people ar...

Beyond Fear: How a Single Attitude Change Unlocks Growth:

🌟 Open the Door to Opportunity: The Power of a Positive Mindset We often encounter situations that highlight the stark difference between a closed, fearful mindset and an open, positive attitude. The choices we make daily—even small ones—are often dictated by whether we focus on the potential loss or the potential gain. A perfect illustration of this took place in a restaurant. I noticed the owner kept the large front door closed, essentially hiding a valuable marketing display and limiting the shop's visibility. When I asked him why, his reason was simple and fear-driven: "What if people will eat and go without paying?" His focus was entirely on preventing a minor potential fraud cost . The Opportunity Cost of Fear I challenged him to compare that small potential loss (the fraud cost) with the much larger benefit he was sacrificing: the marketing opportunity cost . By keeping the door closed, he was missing out on: ...

A chain of trust, that never grows old:

- "United We Stand Seperated We Fall" Side by side, we walk the path, Together strong, in every aftermath. Through laughter and tears, we've made our way, A bond of brotherhood, that shines each day. In times of need, we lend a hand, A helping heart, that understands. We lift each other, up from the ground, And together rise, without a sound. With every step, our bond takes hold, A chain of trust, that never grows old. Through thick and thin, we stand as one, A testament to the power of camaraderie, forever won. In this circle of friends, we find our strength, A unity of purpose, that forever length. We celebrate our differences, and embrace our past, Together forever, in this bond that will forever last. Source: received through WhatsApp message.

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