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Saturday, August 20, 2011

A Humbling Lesson

Today while searching for my blog in Google, I found a post labeled Inspiration by another blogger named Sudhir. Intrigued. It was a moving story, which was also humbling. The upshot was that I decided to make amends with my mother, against whom I'd been cribbing for giving me a heavily restricted childhood. Here is the story for you:

A story on appreciation - Inspirations by Sudhir Krishnan


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Thursday, August 18, 2011

A Visitor from the Skies

It was when I opened the gate that I noticed the strange bird on the ground. I had wanted to fill the water bowl for the stray puppies.


On closer scrutiny it was found to be an eagle. It was trying to reach the water bowl. It sought rest and a little water, but was unable to even drink from the water bowl. It seemed to have been crippled by heat stroke. Delhi's heat in May spared neither humans nor animals.


Badly hurt, it couldn’t even stand straight on its legs. But that didn’t seem to mellow its ferocity even a bit. When I came too near, it flapped its wings violently and reared up, baring big, sharp beaks.

It was in stark contrast to the zealous display of friendship with which the stray puppies  greeted. The eagle was of an entirely different character. Perhaps it had no acquaintance of humans, being a bird of prey.

We (my wife and I) felt it needed to be kept in a safe place until it heals.There were large dogs in the compound which could harm it. Also the heat was there.

But the bird didn’t seem to appreciate the idea: it reared up on its hind legs, beaks flashing, wings flapping- a picture of menace.

It looked up with its black dotted golden eyes. There was no hatred, though there seemed to be some distrust. 

Cautiously I tried to grab it from behind, but it beat its wings fiercely. It was unnerving, but then it fell back down the next moment, head lolling.

I stealthily moved up my hands from behind and grabbed it with both hands.

It was built a make-shift shelter to shelter from the merciless sun and also from the dogs. 

For three days it rested, not moving, except to drink water, to which we added turmeric. We felt turmeric being medicinal, would help to heal its inner wounds if any.

It drank the water without any protest, allowing us to feed it in teaspoonfuls. But the wariness was always there, never allowing humans to become too friendly.

Occasionally it would gaze intently into our eyes as if trying to say thanks. But it had an air of ferocity about it always. Perhaps it was asserting its independence.

We were not sure it'd become better, for it was really weak. But on the third day it hopped out a few meters outside, and then collapsed. This photo was taken at that time.

I coaxed it to allow me to take it back to the shelter.

A few more days of rest, during which it drank only water. It was risky to try feeding it solid food. Sick animals have the instinct to know when to end the fast. Also, we had once found a small bird's dead body, with the stomach split open, and inside there were a lot of food grains.

The day it left, I was preparing to leave for some work outside.

I needed to open the gate-but was startled to see the eagle perched on top of the gate, in all its majestic grandeur, gazing intently. It was then that I saw its full size, about two feet long, and with a wingspan of three feet end-to-end.

It didn't move when I approached.

Ok buddy, you stay here... I will be back. I very gently opened the gate; the eagle just sat there, not scared, not trying to fly off. It was still there while I took out the car and closed the gate.

All the while it gazed, as if expecting something, but I couldn't get it. Anyway it could fend for itself.

By the time I returned home, it had left.

It continued to visit us for a few weeks afterwards. It’d announce its presence by noisily flitting about on the Neem trees in the frontyard.

This encounter was memorable for the awe this bird inspired, and the dignity with which it carried itself.

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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Which is Easier-Enlightenment or Riches?

Enlightenment is available to all. All that you have to do is open yourself to life and train your mind to observe. This requires sustained practice. When your inner gaze is steady and undeviating to passing attractions, you see the Truth of yourself as it is. However, few people seek enlightenment.

Worldly riches, on the other hand, are sought by vast numbers of the human population. Here the prevailing beliefs are that the toughest competitors, the ones who can blow their trumpets the loudest, win the trophies. This triggers a sort of unhealthy rat race as can be seen in web sites' trying to gain no1 Google search rank by loading themselves with key words. This sometimes can create content unusable to human beings.

This is also what advertisements are continually prompting us to do. However, this form of success is short lived and does not give satisfaction. Enduring success can be built through honest and hard work.

After all, worldly success is not a permanent companion. Your mental training and character are.
The point is, it is more worthwhile to strive for permanent benefits (spiritual development) while at the same time, make a living by providing honest service. It is sure to become a lasting support for you. You will build up your reputation and success with peace of mind, enjoying your work, while at the same time you develop yourself spiritually.
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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

How to Write Without Judging Yourself:Invisible SOC Writing

You might need this tool if you are a writer who uses SOC (stream of consciousness) writing. Stream of Consciousness writing requires you to not judge your writing, so that you can write non stop, letting your subconscious speak.

The best way for this to work is to make your writing invisible to you. You can do this in the following way:
  1. Download the Dark Room software from CNET. It's free.
  2. You can keep the Dark Room  app on your desktop (no installation needed).
  3. Run it by double-clicking.
  4. If the app runs full screen, reduce it by pressing Esc.
  5. Click Edit, and then, Preferences. A dialog box opens (see Figure below).
  6. The Preferences dialog box
  7. You need to change the font color to the same color as the background. Here the default font color is green (Marked in red in the figure above).
  8. Click on the color tab (green here). A color palette opens.
  9. The Color Palette
  10. Select the black color and click OK (because the background is also black).
  11. Start writing SOC.
  12. When you have finished, remember to save the file.
  13. To view what you have written, either copy and paste to Microsoft Word (or any other text editor), or change the font color back to the default green.
That's it! No Rocket science.
You'll be writing in a screen looking like this:
    Darkroom invisible writing 
    If these instructions are not clear, do let me know. I shall be glad to post more screenshots.

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    So you want to be a writer? Check out these great resources for writers !

    Sunday, July 31, 2011

    Why Meditate?

    Meditation has become a buzzword. People have accepted it as a normal activity. Perhaps it is because of the mass trends, or because of celebrities taking it up.

    But at one point, we may ask ourselves, on some uninspired day, when we place ourselves on the meditation seat: What am I doing ? Why am I spending time on this? Couldn't I just chill out and watch TV?
    It is a good WIIFM (What's In It For Me) question.

    For one thing, people are pushing themselves hard today. The frantic pace of life blurs our objective thinking, reducing our choices. We follow along with the herd's rush, and are less likely to look for innovation. It is a bit difficult to stand apart and have your own stand, not to be swept off in the crowd's pull.

    Meditation has a hundred (or thousand?) other benefits, but this one strikes me as most important now: being able to find your feet and take your stand. Be level headed. With practice, you learn to be level headed in the face of adversity also.

    Life is about making choices. Your choices each moment determine which direction your life goes-choices in the matter of thoughts, words, and actions. (inaction too).

    We are all subject to the tyranny of the thought process, it goes on all the time, whether we like it or not. Our thoughts determine our reactions to stimuli from the outer world too. And this is what the world expects. You are to follow the pack. Don't think for yourself.

    This may not be in our best interests all the time.For example, consider a recovered alcoholic diagnosed with damaged liver. His old drinking companions want him to continue drinking. Why? Because they don't want to change. When someone known to them changes, it forces them to look at themselves and shows the difference. It makes them uncomfortable.

    Meditation frees you from struggling with the thoughts. In it, you focus on the breath (or some other medium like a prayer). It lets you watch your thoughts like an observer, like you watch traffic from your balcony.

    When you cease to identify with your thoughts, you're free. You feel calm, relaxed and full of power. You don't feel the need to conform to the crowd. You truly feel you are the maker of your destiny.

    Note: Sudden changes in life habits are not recommended. It is better to first gather strength through regularly meditating and educating ourselves about wholesome living. Selftalk and constant engagement in activity also help to stem the mind's turbulence.

    Sustained practice helps build up your spiritual power. Here, the following adage is all the more relevant:
    Have patience with all things, but most of all, with Yourself.
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    Wednesday, July 27, 2011

    They Gave and Got Rich: Andrew Carnegie

    Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon, had such riches that he offered the people of Philippines $20 million, if they wished to buy their freedom from the United States. This was the price for which the United States bought the island nation from the Spanish.

    His net worth was estimated at $290 billion. He spent more than $350 million in charitable works.

    Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic works:

    • Established 3,000 public libraries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Fiji.
    • Donated £50,000 to set up the University of Birmingham
    • Ardently supported the Spelling reform movement to promote the English language
    • Founded the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT), Pittsburgh (now part of the Carnegie Mellon University)
    • Founded the Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C.
    • Set up the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
    • Set up the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust
    • Established pension funds for his employees at Homestead
    • Pension funds for college professors in the U.S.
    • Funded 7,000 church organs in the US..
    • Built the Carnegie Hall in New York City
    • Was a large benefactor of the Tuskegee Institute for African-American education
    • Helped Booker T. Washington create the National Negro Business League.
    • Founded the Carnegie Hero Fund for the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. It recognizes deeds of heroism in these countries.
    • Contributed $1.5 million for the Peace Palace, The Hague
    • Donated $150,000 for a Pan-American Palace in Washington for the International Bureau of American Republics.
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    Tuesday, July 26, 2011

    They Gave and Got Rich: Rockefeller

    We start with arguably the wealthiest man in recent history: John_D._Rockefeller.

    Rockefeller accumulated about $1.4 billion by the time he died in 1937. This was 1.5% of the GDP of the United States ($92 billion) at that time.

    Rockefeller founded Standard Oil which became ExxonMobil, the petroleum giant.

    From the beginning of his career as an assistant bookkeeper at age 16, he used to tithe regularly: 6% of his income to charity. Later he increased this to 10%. His salary was 50 cents a day at the time.

    He was a staunch believer in the motto " gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can" (attributed to John Wesley, Christian theologian). Rockefeller believed his staunch belief in God and philanthropy were the sources of his success.

    Rockefeller's Contributions:

    • The University of Chicago
    • The Rockefeller University, New York (earlier named the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. 23 Nobel laureates are associated with it )
    • Major funding for the Spelman College, Atlanta (America's first college for African-American women)
    • Founded the General education Board, for providing education at all levels in the U.S.
    • Financial support to the Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar Universities
    • Founded the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (research conducted here eradicated the hookworm disease that plagued Africa)
    • Assisted in developing the Peking Union Medical College (now known as the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences )
    • Provided World War I relief
    Rockefeller gave away a total of $550 million in his life time.

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    The Real Secret of Getting Rich: Giving

    Online statistics reveal that there are at least 5 million queries every month, globally, about making money quick. Searchers also want to know how to become a millionaire, billionaire, trillionaire etc. Obviously, people are after money in a big way.

    However, there is a quirky turn to the science of getting rich. It is a characteristic shared by many rich people-they did just the opposite of getting riches: they gave away riches. In the rush of getting rich fast, this facet has been largely ignored: giving to others.

    Inspiration Bonanza features a list of people who gave and got rich: They gave and got rich.
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    Friday, July 22, 2011

    Benefits of Stream of Consciousness Writing, with Example

    Stream of Consciousness writing, or Free writing as it is called in this article, has many health benefits. People have waxed eloquent about it being a source of creative ideas. I have not experimented deeply in that terrain. But I can vouch for its therapeutic effect.

    To understand this, we need to first appreciate the amount of repression that an individual is subjected to while growing up, and later forced to conform to as an adult. All expressions of spontaneity are actively discouraged- you cannot laugh unless the occasion warrants it, out of fear of offending others. Those who do may be labeled a peculiar type among many things. Similarly, other expressions of emotion are also discouraged-no crying, no show of warmth unless the occasion sanctions, you can’t express anger, sometimes you even have to swallow your indignation and appear pleasing and happy.

    "Children start out emotionally honest. They express their true feelings freely and spontaneously. But the training to be emotionally dishonest begins at an early age. Parents and teachers frequently encourage or even demand that children speak or act in ways which are inconsistent with the child's true feelings. The child is told to smile when actually she is sad. She is told to apologize when she feels no regret. She is told to say "thank you," when she feels no appreciation. She is told to "stop complaining" when she feels mistreated. She may be told to kiss people good night when she would never do so voluntarily. She may be told it is "rude" and "selfish" to protest being forced to act in ways which go against her feeling....more here ".

    I remember the cancer patient (recuperating from chemo) who was interviewing for a sales post. The interview went well, and the manager enthusiastically clapped him on the back. The poor man, nearly doubled over with pain, for he was not fully healed. His face turned deathly pale, and he struggled to keep balance-that is until he noticed the manager watching him with growing consternation. To regain his footing, he put on his best smile and shouted,” I’m loving it! I’m loving it!” this made the manager even more skeptical. He was not selected. (Incident mentioned in A Funny thing happened at the interview by Gregory F Farrell*).

    So you see the mindless repression arising from people following long established, unquestioned beliefs and practices, without using their independent judgments. It prohibits us from all forms of expression which are not in sync with established, accepted norms. Another example is when people of opposing races or religions fall in love or get married: they may face persecution.

    Children are most charming, for they are not encumbered with these societal norms. The emotions pass through them freely-when they’re sad they cry, when happy they laugh, when angry they show it-it does not stay in them.  It passes through. And this keeps them emotionally healthy and so refreshingly innocent that adults crave their company. This innocence lasts until the child is forced to learn society’s adult ways to conform, for society has a mortal fear of spontaneity.

    All this makes the individual lose esteem in himself or herself. What I inherently am, is of no value, I have to conform to what is imposed from outside. Children are silenced immediately when they speak up or express an idea or opinion. This happens in most families except the few progressive ones, where parents are introspective.

    Bound up as we are in this hopeless mesh, we still have a ray of hope-to be ourselves as we were born. A child does not doubt itself nor the world. Free Writing (Stream Of Consciousness writing) offers some hope so that we can regain some of our spontaneity.

    In Free Writing, we just write- we just move the pen. We do not think. We do not judge. And we do not stop until the timer is up. We don’t bother about spelling, grammar, logic, punctuation, meaning, coherence, commonsense, taboos, nothing. That is it. It does not have to make any sense. We are not even to think of sense. We only have to keep moving the pen. Or keep typing on the keyboard. It isn’t important to keep the i dots and t crosses and other marks correctly, either.

    When we stop judging the subconscious, it develops trust in us, and slowly reveals more of its treasures. You have accepted the subconscious, this gives an increased sense of self-esteem from deep within, as the subconscious is also part of your being.

    Free Writing provides a sympathetic listener who will not judge you for your thoughts and feelings. You can write whatever you want, about whomsoever you want, in whatever way you want, and as for whatever length you like. You can’t be that open with humans, of course.

    In the beginning the onrush of repressed feelings can be a bit intimidating. It may be like a dam about to burst. Please read the following para carefully:

    CAUTION: It is likely that unpleasant thoughts and feelings that have been repressed for long come forcefully to the surface. If you find that some unpleasant thought recurs in your free writing, you can write “Why am I writing this way ?” again and again. You may or may not get the answer. But it has a sobering effect that calms the turmoil. (Dr. James.W.Pennebaker, who has researched this topic in detail, advises to consult a psychotherapist if the obsession persists. He has authored the book “Opening up: The Healing power of expressing emotions**”. Most likely, if you detach yourself from your thoughts (because you are not them), and keep writing the question calmly, you’ll be able to come through any turmoil that may arise.

    Because we give ourselves unconditional, non-judgmental attention, (heck that’s why we freewrite  everything that we think, right?) our craving for attention is reduced. This attention seeking has caused more problems than one can imagine.

    It is quite likely that miraculous results are produced, over time, because the subconscious is a treasure house. Many important discoveries happened when the logical mind was not working. The best example that comes to mind is of  August Kekule who discovered the molecular structure of Benzene. He had thought deeply about it prior to that, and the alternating double bond structure was revealed to him in a dream.

    I’ve also found that when I’ve something important to do (a meeting or decision-making), a session of free writing (say 5-15 mins) clears up my thinking, and I can get through the task smoothly.


    A Stream of Consciousness Writing Sample
    There are lots of Stream Of Consciousness writing samples on the net, however they contain very few errors, and few logical contradictions. And no trace of taboo topics. These are items that are very likely to surface when you take away the dos and donts of writing. Seriously leads one to believe that these samples have been edited, which makes them non SOC. So here is one of my SOC samples, just in case, anyone is wondering what it might really look like:

    "if yiu ahve ever wondered what youa re going to do in the event of a manually powered recesssion, i can only tell you that it is but an imopossible mandream for the big biibs of istrionics calim that ather is notheing sucha s a manually powered recession. To top oit all, you have to check out once in every while to see if you have been triccking yourself into  fourteen year okld recession. it is in the interests of the netehr lands ther htha you have to et used to a manually powered recession in the event of ewhich you will find yourself nbeinf anonymously prooeeled foerward into a big pithoe that will only laugh at the stupiditieds of what you ahve don in your whole lifetime of aesthetic perfection."

    This one does not contain profanities, but if it did, they'd be marked something like *&^#$@. No need to show you the dirt!

    Note: Keep your SOC writing private. People who are ignorant about this process can misinterpret you.

          Core Catharsis: A New And Radical Approach For Resolving Anxiety, Fully Accepting All Your Experience, And Engaging Impulses

    Why People Don't Reap the Rewards of Stream of Consciousness Writing
    Here I've to differ from the notion that Stream of Consciousness Writing is writing your thoughts as they occur. It would be, if we did that. However, from the examples available, we can see that people are not really writing down their thoughts. They do, so long as they are agreeable thoughts. When an unpleasant memory rears it head, we recoil, and divert ourselves to some other topic. We may even pretend that such a thought did not arise.

    People do not like to relive the memories of traumas like disease, abuse, rape, bereavement, and others. Because they also give rise to associated feelings of guilt, shame, fear, and so on. If these issues have been addressed through therapy, it may be easier.

    But it is possible to face these unpleasant thoughts and memories, if we remember these points:
    • Express the trauma a few times in writing.
    • If they become repetitive, use the technique mentioned in the para labelled CAUTION above.
    • Remember that our thoughts or actions are not us.
    By far, this is one of the most exhaustive resources I found on Stream of Consciousness writing:
    http://www.letterstomyabusers.com/article_frombecomingwhole.html

    You may also want to read Turning Garbage into Gold: How to Write Well with Stream of Consciousness

    Is the fear of failure sabotaging your attempts at personal transformation? Find out: How to overcome the fear of failure
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    Catharsis in Regression Hypnotherapy: Transcripts of TransformationWitnessing The Field Of The MindFinding BalanceBeyond the Breath: Extraordinary Mindfulness Through Whole-Body Vipassana Meditation

    Tuesday, July 19, 2011

    Do We Need to Change?

    For a while, I thought I was obsessed with Anger management ( Overcoming Resentment and Other Negative Feelings: Part 2 and Part 1). Do human beings really need to do something about their violent behavior ?


    The statistics gravely say : Yes.
    These are the approximate figures of the death toll because of wars and anthropogenic (man made) disasters in human history:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll


    That is, humans have killed approximately 4-5 billion from their own race. The actual figure will be much higher, if we consider individual crimes.


    People kill for pride, vengeance, racial and religious bigotry. The modern world has invented newer reasons devoid of emotion: profit. Yes, wars mean profit for the arms dealers. The more wars, the merrier they are.


    In this world, one has to be extra careful about maintaining one's emotional balance. The sole reason for this malady of the world is that it has mistaken the goal of human existence. It thinks life is only for enjoying more and more pleasures, for accumulating more and more wealth. This is a fallacy. We are still running after the same pleasures that we sought decades ago-in the vain hope that the next experience will quench our thirst. At best, pleasure experiences can have but one benefit: they can teach us about their own emptiness.


    The spiritual masters and scriptures have declared the true purpose of human life: to know Oneself.
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    Monday, July 11, 2011

    Meditating Wonder Boy Transforms Village into Thriving Township in 10 Months!

    Anybody who has tried prolonged sitting meditation will have faced the rebellion of the body, the senses, and the mind. I find it quite a struggle to sit still and awake during meditation, even after having been at it for years.
    So I found this news astonishing. See the video: (Recorded by DISCOVERY TV)


    More on him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Bahadur_Bomjon


    Organisational web site:http://paldendorje.com/en/ (Contains the most current information, including talks given in 2010)
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    Thursday, July 07, 2011

    How to Come Out Smelling Like a Rose

    You might have experienced it. Your day was going along wonderfully, until that colleague made a cutting remark. Or you were having a fine time with your spouse when he or she made an unjust statement. Cut to the quick, we seethe inside. Caught unawares, we are confused as to how to react.

    Obviously, the person was really insensitive to say or think like that. Should we get even in the same way, hitting back? Should we distance ourselves from them?

    These are difficult questions, especially when the concerned person is your spouse, child, sibling, intimate friend or your buddy in your project team. The situation is very delicate.

    I won't make any comment now about how you deal with that person, mainly because there is somebody else who has to be handled before that. Who ? Me of course.

    Yes, we need to regain our composure and mental serenity, first. Lets get back our balance and equipoise first. We cant do this by struggling with our hurt feelings and anger. It'll be like taming a wild elephant.

    Instead, use your breath.

    Your breath is your ever present friend-and sometimes, it is the only one.

    Recently, a great spiritual teacher (Mata Amritanandamayi) said that the breath is divine. To watch the breath is to meditate on your innate divinity which is ever calm and blissful. Breath is the life-giver.

    It is mighty, it can heal-anything. All that we need to do is to be aware of it-as it moves in and out of our body. Gradually, one can feel the vice like grip of negativity loosening and falling away, leaving us in peace and freedom. We have overcome another wave of turbulence!

    Here, we are actually practicing being in the Here and Now. The NOW is where healing occurs. As Eckhart Tolle says: The NOW is the fresh smelling rose, the eternal present. It cant hold the unpleasant odors from the past. Nor the anxieties about the future.

    So when you come here, you are free of unwholesome feelings. The breath is an excellent key to come here.

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    Monday, June 27, 2011

    Having Fun in Learning Skills

    If you are a student, or if you are interested in acquiring more knowledge, you can gain inspiration from the game of Darts. Darts is a game similar to archery, only that you throw darts at a target. See the picture below:


    It is easy to train in Darts. Perhaps this is because it is a game (unlike serious academic study). The objectives are clearly defined. It is easy to evaluate yourself. You can see the results immediately. It is another matter if you give up, if you get discouraged when you dont hit the target. You may hit the target:
    a) most of the time
    b)only sometimes
    c)not at all

    If you keep yourself focused on the target, it is quite possible to hit the target a reasonable number of times. It's a guarantee. Perhaps the time for learning varies from person to person.

    This is a skill that you can learn.

    We all need many skills to move forward in life. Career skills, educational skills, social skills, relaxation skills, anger skills (to manage and use your anger constructively).

    People find it hard to train in learning skills and academic subjects. The reasons which would be obvious from the above Darts example are:
    • Objective is not clearly defined
    • Lack of sight of objective
    • Outcome not visible or measurable
    • Giving up too soon (lack of repetition)
    Based on the above, we could use a learning methodology for learning any subject with the least trouble, actually with fun. (We will consider an example later)

    This is the outline of the method:
    • Identify the skill to learn
    • Break it down into various objectives (sub skills)
    • Define ideal outcome for each sub skill
    • Learn the sub skills, one at a time.
    • Repeat, repeat, repeat.
    • Combined application of the learnt skills in more complex activities
    Example: Learning to Drive with Fun!
    We break down the composite skill of Driving into several components. Examples are: Gears, Starting the vehicle engine, Traffic signs etc.
    Now we break down these component skills into their sub skills:
    Sub skills:
    a)Gears:
    • Knowledge of gear positions
    • Practice shifting gear on a stationary car
    • Learning when gears are to be changed (e.g-1st gear is for bumpy road, uphill road, slow speeds,...)
    b)Shifting to 1st gear from neutral when the vehicle engine is running

    c)Starting the engine:
    • Turn gear to neutral
    • Turn ignition on
    • Change into 1st gear
    • Press Accelerator very slightly (for some cars)
    • Release the clutch gently (requires levering your foot on the heel, and controlling the force)
    Similarly, the rest of the skills for driving can be broken down into smaller sub skills. While actually starting to drive, we can use these skills, combined. 

    If we spent time learning specific skills, then it would be easier to recall them for their combined application, in actual situations. This can help avoid the terror and trauma involved in learning new skills. The trauma occurs because learners are expected to learn all skills at the same time, or in a very short time, with instructors having little patience. Most of us would have experienced this situation while learning how to drive, with an instructor.

    How was your experience of learning how to drive? Was it fun? Or was it traumatic like mine?
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