How to build self-confidence

Confidence can be a tough thing to build up, so

we've put together some handy tips to help you out.
If you're still having a hard time - don't worry! There
are other ways you can find extra support, and work
on boosting your confidence.

Tips for building self-confidence

Not everyone is born with an inbuilt sense of self-confidence. Sometimes it can be
hard to develop confidence, either because of personal experiences that have
caused you to lose confidence, or if you suffer from low self-esteem.
There are a couple of handy things you can do to build your confidence. Some of
them are just little changes to your frame of mind, and others are things you have to
work on for a bit longer to make them familiar habits.
1. Look at what youve already achieved
Sometimes it can be easy to focus on what you havent done. Its easy to lose
confidence if you feel like you havent achieved anything. Focusing on stuff you have
done, big or small, can help you gain perspective on all your talents and abilities.
Write down a list of all the things youre proud of in your life. Think of the things you
have achieved, whether its getting a good mark on an exam or even learning to ride
a bike. Keep this list close and add to it when you do something youre proud of.
When youre low in confidence, pull this list out and use it to remind yourself of all the
awesome
stuff
you've
done.

2.Think

of

things

you're

good

at

Everyone has strengths and talents, what are yours? Have a look at our fact sheet
onstrengths and work out how you can build on yours. Recognising what youre good
at and trying to build on those things can be a really useful way of building
confidence in your own abilities.
3.Set

some

goals

Set some goals and aim to achieve them. By proving to yourself that you can get
stuff done, youll prove to yourself what youre capable of achieving. They dont have
to be big goals; they can even be things like baking a cake or planning a night out
with friends. Just little things that can be ticked off a list and help you gain selfconfidence in your ability to get stuff done.
4.

Talk

yourself

up

Youre never going to feel confident if you have a negative commentary running
through your mind telling you youre no good. Think about your self-talk and how that
might be affecting your self-confidence. Have a read of our fact sheet on self-talk to
get some handy tips on turning your negative self-talk around.
5. Get a hobby
Try to find something that youre really passionate about. Do you like playing footy?
Like building model trains? Think of some of the stuff youre really interested in and
commit yourself to giving them a go. Finding stuff that youre passionate about will
help you find stuff that youre good at. Chances are, if youre interested or passionate
about a certain activity youre likely to be good at it as well.

If youre not feeling better

Sometimes the quick fixes dont help in the long term. If youre feeling really bad and
things just dont seem to be getting better, it might be worth going to talk to someone
who knows how to help. Professionals like counsellors and psychologists have some
really good strategies that can help you build up your confidence. Not only that, but
they may be able to help you find the underlying problem that might be causing you
to feel bad about yourself.

Why Attitude Is More Important Than IQ

Travis Bradberry ,

When it comes to success, its easy to think that people blessed with
brains are inevitably going to leave the rest of us in the dust. But
new research from Stanford University will change your mind (and
your attitude).
Psychologist Carol Dweck has spent her entire career studying
attitude and performance, and her latest study shows that your
attitude is a better predictor of your success than your IQ.
Dweck found that peoples core attitudes fall into one of two
categories: a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, you believe you are who you are and you
cannot change. This creates problems when youre challenged

because anything that appears to be more than you can handle is

bound to make you feel hopeless and overwhelmed.
People with a growth mindset believe that they can improve with
effort. They outperform those with a fixed mindset, even when they
have a lower IQ, because they embrace challenges, treating them as
opportunities to learn something new.

Common sense would suggest that having ability, like being smart,
inspires confidence. It does, but only while the going is easy. The
deciding factor in life is how you handle setbacks and challenges.
People with a growth mindset welcome setbacks with open arms.

According to Dweck, success in life is all about how you deal with
failure. She describes the approach to failure of people with the
growth mindset this way,
Failure is informationwe label it failure, but its more like, This
didnt work, and Im a problem solver, so Ill try something else.

Regardless of which side of the chart you fall on, you can make
changes and develop a growth mindset. What follows are some
strategies that will fine-tune your mindset and help you make
certain its as growth oriented as possible.
Dont stay helpless. We all hit moments when we feel helpless.
The test is how we react to that feeling. We can either learn from it
and move forward or let it drag us down. There are countless
successful people who would have never made it if they had
succumbed to feelings of helplessness: Walt Disney was fired from
the Kansas City Star because he lacked imagination and had no
good ideas, Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a TV anchor
in Baltimore for being too emotionally invested in her stories,
Henry Ford had two failed car companies prior to succeeding with
Ford, and Steven Spielberg was rejected by USCs Cinematic Arts
School multiple times. Imagine what would have happened if any of
these people had a fixed mindset. They would have succumbed to
the rejection and given up hope. People with a growth mindset dont
feel helpless because they know that in order to be successful, you
need to be willing to fail hard and then bounce right back.
Be passionate. Empowered people pursue their passions
relentlessly. Theres always going to be someone whos more
naturally talented than you are, but what you lack in talent, you can
make up for in passion. Empowered peoples passion is what drives
their unrelenting pursuit of excellence. Warren Buffett recommends
finding your truest passions using, what he calls, the 5/25
technique: Write down the 25 things that you care about the most.
Then, cross out the bottom 20. The remaining 5 are your true
passions. Everything else is merely a distraction.

Take action. Its not that people with a growth mindset are able
to overcome their fears because they are braver than the rest of us;
its just that they know fear and anxiety are paralyzing emotions and
that the best way to overcome this paralysis is to take action. People
with a growth mindset are empowered, and empowered people
know that theres no such thing as a truly perfect moment to move
forward. So why wait for one? Taking action turns all your worry
and concern about failure into positive, focused energy.
Then go the extra mile (or two). Empowered people give it
their all, even on their worst days. Theyre always pushing
themselves to go the extra mile. One of Bruce Lees pupils ran three
miles every day with him. One day, they were about to hit the threemile mark when Bruce said, Lets do two more. His pupil was tired
and said, Ill die if I run two more. Bruces response? Then do it.
His pupil became so angry that he finished the full five miles.
Exhausted and furious, he confronted Bruce about his comment,
and Bruce explained it this way: Quit and you might as well be
dead. If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or
anything else, itll spread over into the rest of your life. Itll spread
into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are
no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there; you must
go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly
exceed his level.
If you arent getting a little bit better each day, then youre most
likely getting a little worseand what kind of life is that?
Expect results. People with a growth mindset know that theyre
going to fail from time to time, but they never let that keep them
from expecting results. Expecting results keeps you motivated and
feeds the cycle of empowerment. After all, if you dont think youre
going to succeed, then why bother?
Be flexible. Everyone encounters unanticipated adversity. People
with an empowered, growth-oriented mindset embrace adversity
as a means for improvement, as opposed to something that holds
them back. When an unexpected situation challenges an
empowered person, they flex until they get results.

Dont complain when things dont go your

way.Complaining is an obvious sign of a fixed mindset. A growth
mindset looks for opportunity in everything, so theres no room for
complaints.
Bringing It All Together
By keeping track of how you respond to the little things, you can
work every day to keep yourself on the right side of the chart above.
Do you have a growth mindset? Please share your thoughts
in the comments section below as I learn just as much from
you as you do from me.

MAKE IN INDIA
The vision to increase the share of manufacturing in the countrys gross
domestic product (GDP) and creating employment may attract Indian and
foreign capital as well as technological investment across an array of 25
sectors. Recognising the natural, cultural as well as economic diversity,
including inherent advantages of specific regions, the Make in India
initiative hopes to harness and develop relevant sectors in each state. In
the words of the Prime MinisterNarendra Modi , the Make in India
scheme is aimed at creating a global manufacturing hub in India.
In addition to the measures aimed at ease of doing business in India,
including relaxations in the foreign direct investment (FDI) norms and
banking policy, this programme hopes to see an increased economic
activity in high-value industrial sectors through increased foreign
collaboration. The aim is to propel India into a global hub of excellence for
a wide array of products and services. By way of illustration, as a precursor
to this initiative, in mid-2014, India enhanced FDI in the defence sector and
allowed FDI in railways infrastructure; as a consequence, defence
production, including import substitution for military imports, is finally
establishing roots in India.
The Make in India initiative has also recognised and sought to mitigate
certain inherent tax disadvantages for manufacturers in India. Such
disadvantage has been most pronounced in the context of goods not
attracting any basic customs duty on imports into India (eg, information
technology hardware). With traders eligible for importing personal
electronic gadgets at a 4 per cent duty advantage (as compared to a
manufacturer importing components for manufacture), manufacturing was

never a viable option for this sector. Apart from addressing an inverted
duty structure for manufacturers in rolling out attractive duty schemes for
manufacturers of mobile phones and tablet computers, this initiative, has in
a single stroke, incentivised manufacturing. According to reports, apart from
the government receiving over Rs1.20 lakh crore ($18 billion) worth of
proposals from companies interested in manufacturing electronics in India,
between September 2014 and November 2015, this has translated into an
enhancement in domestic production of smartphones. It appears that
import substitution has come to play and stay in the supply of smartphones
in India.
Undeniably, what makes a nation a true economic powerhouse in the long
run, is the quality of its manufacturing and services sectors. In this sense,
the Make in India initiative is important and its success, imperative. While
the above policy measures are undoubtedly in the right direction, they need
to be supplemented by creation of an overall ecosystem that supports its
growth and sustenance. The need of the hour is to harness technology and
foster innovation for creating a centre of excellence for manufacturing and
services in the identified sectors. In addition to progressive development,
through advancement in education including research and development
(R&D), supplemented by foreign collaboration; for a sustained
technological development, a robust mechanism to protect intellectual
property by safeguarding the rights and interests of technology creators
and providers is de minimus. Stringent contract enforcement laws with a
time bound dispute resolution mechanism shall aid in boosting investor and
customer confidence.
The Make in India initiative would also require attention on issues such as
setting up of effective pricing mechanisms and conditions for repatriation of
profits by multinational corporations. On the tax front, replacing a multitude
of complex and arguably archaic transaction laws with a simplified and
futuristic goods and service tax (GST) regime would surely be a step in the
right direction which hopefully the government will achieve in the coming
months.
A concern voiced by some quarters has been the ability of India to balance
high-end manufacture (which typically involves automation of processes)
with creation of jobs for millions of Indians under this initiative.
The question that is often asked is whether China will be the last of the
economies to reap the benefits of a manufacturing revolution with Indias
effort through this scheme being too little too late? Only time will tell. In the
meantime, having opened its economy to the world, India hopes that with
the help of Skill India and Digital India schemes, the nation shall stand
transformed into an innovation and manufacturing hub.
The good news is that the government appears to be cognizant of some of
these concerns with the Prime Minister recently reemphasizing that under

this campaign, the government machinery will be required to make a

number of corrections on the policy front.
With the Union Budget proposals round the corner, the manufacturing
sector awaits policy changes in the tax and regulatory front to reap the
benefits of this initiative. Should the recently concluded week-long
Make in India summit be any indication, the scheme appears to be moving
in the right direction.

Dress to Impress: Why Your Attire

Matters
Fact: People judge others based on their physical appearance.
Think about it, how someone chooses to dress is usually one of the first
things you notice about them.
Appearances matter. Your clothing and how you choose to dress will be a
big part of your appearance, and hence a big part of how people percieve
you, and look at you.
This is especially true in the professional world. Professionals need to know
how they should dress and how they should look in a working environment,
as it could have a big bearing on how a job interview goes, or if theyre
considered for a promotion, for instance.
We all got that office story where we unintentionally screwed up, havent
we! Mine goes something like this:

I missed out on a big promotion a few years back in the office I used to
work in, despite being well-qualified and heavily-favoured for the position. It
was not until much later that I found out it was because of the way I used to
dress, which, according to several members in the promotion committee,
was just too casual!
Safe to say, it came as a big shock to me, and was probably the turning
point in my life as far as how I chose to dress was concerned.
This article by Neil Patel from QuickSprout discusses his little social
experiement on how people percieve each others based on the way they
dress. It makes for a very interesting read.
As one comment in that article notes, you are what you dress. Couldnt
have put it better myself!

APPEARANCES, AND REASONS WHY DRESS FOR

SUCCESS MATTERS
1. Starting from the most-obvious of reasons: dressing for success portrays
a positive image. Your appearance is one of the most basic things that you
can change about yourself. If you look professional, well-dressed, or
dressed according to the occasion, youll come across as someone whos
well-groomed, is capable of doing a job, professional enough to understand
what is necessary for success, and has a good personality as well.
2. It leaves a great first impression on the people you meet. First
impressions are everything, and as the saying goes, the first impression is
the last impression. In order to leave a lasting impression on someone, you
need to dress appropriately and according to the occasion.

3. You immediately gain an edge over the others. A well-dressed person

tends to stand-out. If youre well dressed for an interview, for instance, you
will stand out in the crowd, and immediately attain an edge over the other
people potential interviewees. According to studies, inappropriate dressing
or grooming is behind 40% job rejections. Dont be that guy who dresses
like a chump and ends up getting rejected because of his appearance. A
good suit, ironed trousers and a shirt, polished shoes and a good watch will
go a long way when it comes to making an impression on others.
4. It shows that you prepared, and did your homework. Lets consider the
job interview example again: if youre properly dressed (and well get to that
in just a bit), it shows the potential employer that you actually put in an
effort in how you look, in your appearance, and it shows that you prepared
properly.
5. Theres a feel good factor associated with dressing well. Dressing
professionally can make you feel better about yourself. It gives you more
confidence. For instance if you dress up in a suit for instance, you project
more confidence, which people will respond to positively.

HOW TO DRESS TO IMPRESS

The general rules for both men and women when it comes to attire have
been well-summed-up in this article.
For men:

Suit up! Invest in a good, expensive suit, and keep it clean and
essentially ready-to-go at al times. Standard black is usually your best
bet, for day as well as the evenings. For formal-casual/business-casual,
such as a corporate dinner or dinner with a client, it might be a good
idea to invest in a good suit-coat or a blazer.

A white tee you cant go wrong with a white tee!

Clean shave or a well-trimmed stuble if that works for you.

A long-sleeved shirt that matches well with the suit

A professional tie.

Coordinating sock color; no crazy colors or styles.

Professional, color-coordinated shoes Once again, standard black

works with everything.

Minimal jewelry (or how about none?) a good analog wrist watch
might

be

good

idea

though.

Well-groomed, professional haircut.

Aftershave and/or cologne.

Clean and trimmed fingernails.

A professional briefcase or portfolio if youre appearing for an

interview, this is quote important. Ive actually seen people carry printed
sheets of their resumes in their hands! Dont make this mistake, put
that resume in a bag or a portfolio.

For women:

A solid-colored, conservative suit that can easily be changed with a

different color blouse. A good suit will come with a jacket, pants, and
skirt. This makes the suit versatile.

A professional blouse that blends well with the suit. By blending we

do not mean the same color, but it should be as professional as the suit
and the color should coordinate well.

Professional shoes with a low heel.

A minimal amount of jewelry classy and professional is the goal.

A well-groomed, professional hairstyle.

Skin-colored hosiery.

A minimal amount of make-up. You do not want anything that

distracts the interviewer from the conversation. Your skills should stand
out above anything.

Manicured fingernails and toenails with a conservative-colored polish.

A reasonable amount of perfume and try to avoid strong smelling

lotions.

A professional briefcase or portfolio.

(Some more dress tips for men and women here)

Other considerations

For interviews, it is always a good idea to dress one step above what
employees at that business wear to work.

Stick to the dress-code! Its probably mentioned in your contract, but

if its not (or isnt explicit as to what youre supposed to wear), it might
be a good idea to send your contact in the HR department an email.

When you start working at a new place, use the first few days to
observe what people usually wear.

Dressing professionally doesnt only refer to your attire, your

grooming and personal hygiene are also essential parts of your overall
image. A good haircut, trimmed facial hair, trimmed finger-nails, clean
face and hands, along with a light perfume and after-shave will
immediately put a positive impression on the people you come across.

Some working environments allow their employees to dress casually,

and wear what they want (Google comes to mind). Unless your job
explicitly allow you to dress casually at work, dont assume anything. It
is still a good idea to dress formally for an interview; it could save you
from the embarrassment of dressing too casually.

Interview pro-tip: An even better idea is to Google the company

youre interviewing for, or visit the official website, with the purpose of
finding out what other people working there usually wear.

Keep your tees and jeans for casual Fridays.

If your work involves a lot of field-work, where youre out in the sun
for a long time for instance, dressing casually might be an option.

Watch what people wear on TV (think The Apprentice and Suits, for
instance). Trust me, over the years, Ive picked up a lot of pointers this
way!

For remote workers or people who might telecommute or work from

home, it is still a good idea to stick to the routine every day, and dressup before starting work. It puts you in work-mode from a mentalstandpoint.

Right to Privacy must be a Fundamental Right

In 1954, a bench of eight Supreme Court judges declared that the
Constitution-makers did not recognise the Fundamental Right to
Privacy. It is hoped that a larger bench as and when constituted will
uphold the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right, overruling the 1954
decision, says the distinguished lawyer, P P Rao.

The Right to Privacy means the right to be let alone; the right of a person to be free
from unwarranted publicity and the right to live without undue interference by the
government or any private individual in matters with which the public is not
concerned.
Every person would like to enjoy the right to intimate personal relationships and
activities including conversation without any interference. However, the Right to
Privacy, like the freedom of the press, is not an expressly guaranteed Fundamental
Right in the Constitution. The freedom of the press has been read into the Right to
Freedom of Speech and Expression guaranteed to citizens by Article 19 (1) (a) from
the inception.
Unfortunately, in 1954, a bench of eight judges of the Supreme Court declared that
the Constitution-makers did not recognise the Fundamental Right to Privacy,
analogous to the American Fourth Amendment and the said right cannot be
imported into the Constitution by some process of strained construction.
The American Constitution declares that the right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall
not be violated and no warrant shall issue without disclosing the cause, place, person
or things to be searched. In Kharak Singh's case (1964), a bench of seven judges
reiterated that the Right of Privacy is not a Fundamental Right under our
Constitution.
However, subsequently, starting with Govind v State of Madhya Pradesh (1975),
benches of smaller strength have consistently recognised the Right of Privacy as
implicit in the Right to Life and Personal Liberty guaranteed by Article 21 of the
Constitution.
The interpretation of Article 21 has undergone a sea change since the first decision of
a Constitution bench of six judges in A K Gopal's case in 1950.
In 1978, a bench of seven judges in Maneka Gandhi v Union of India relying on R C
Cooper v Union of India (11 judges) reinterpreted Article 21 broadly and declared
that the expression 'personal liberty' in Article 21 is of the widest amplitude and it
covers a variety of rights which go to constitute the personal liberty of man and some
of them have been made distinct fundamental rights in Article 19.

Recently, it was debated before a bench of three judges in the Supreme Court
whether the judgments pronounced recognising the Right of Privacy laid down the
correct law or the earlier larger bench decision in M P Sharma's case which declared
that the Constitution makers did not recognise the Fundamental Right to Privacy is
correct. The bench has since referred this question to a larger bench. An authoritative
pronouncement of law is awaited.

hough the Supreme Court is technically right in referring the question to a larger

bench, a better option would have been to declare that the view taken by the eightjudges bench in 1954 was per incurium as it did not consider in depth various other
aspects of Article 21 which came to be discovered and considered in subsequent
decisions by smaller benches, relying on the changed interpretation of Article 21 in R
C Cooper's case and Maneka Gandhi's case.
In the United Kingdom, Article 8 of the Human Rights Act, 1998, declares that
everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his
correspondence. There shall be no interference by a public authority with the
exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in
a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the
economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the
protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedom of
others.
Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that no one shall be
subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence,
nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the
protection of the law against such interference or attacks. Article 17 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 reiterates the same right.
India is a party to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and is duty bound to give effect
to them by suitable legislation.
In Visakha v State of Rajasthan (1997), the Supreme Court relied on international
conventions for interpreting the fundamental rights conferred by Articles 21 and 14
of the Constitution, namely, the right to dignity and equality.

n India, the Code of Criminal Procedure provides for issuance of search warrants

by a court in certain situations in order to unearth crimes and bring the offenders to
book subject to certain restrictions. Section 144 empowers a magistrate to prevent or
remedy nuisance by issuing orders and enforcing them. This power is exercised
generally in the case of public nuisance suffered by individuals collectively.
Telephone tapping and interception of messages is prohibited by Section 5(2) of the
Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 except when it is authorised by the central government or
a state government in a public emergency or in interests of public safety, sovereignty
and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or
public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence, for
reasons to be recorded in writing.
To this extent, the Right of Privacy is recognised by the Telegraph Act. Anyone who
violates this provision is liable to be punished with imprisonment up to three years or
with fine or both.
In civil law, the law of torts makes infringement of Right of Privacy without legal
sanction actionable in a court of law. The victim of invasion of the Right of Privacy
can claim damages from the wrong doer. The common law recognises private
nuisance as an actionable wrong if it interferes with a person's use and enjoyment of
immovable property or some right in respect of it. Thus, irrespective of the fact
whether the Right of Privacy is a recognised Fundamental Right in the Constitution
or not, both civil and criminal law recognise and give effect to the Right of Privacy to
some extent.
In the case of conflict of interest between Right of Privacy and public interest, the
Right of Privacy must yield to overriding public interest. For example the private life
of a person either moral or immoral is not the concern of another individual, but the
illicit relationship of a person with another person holding public office which
interferes with the discharge of duties of the office, cannot be permitted in the name
of privacy.
In the UK, then minister John Profumo, who was having an affair with Christine
Keeler, who was also close to a Soviet agent, had to resign. When then Pakistan
president Ayub Khan on his visit to the UK was photographed while swimming with
Keeler, questions were raised about the propriety of his conduct because of concerns
of security.

The Right of Privacy, like all other basic human rights, is not absolute, but subject to
reasonable restrictions.

t is important to note that the fundamental rights conferred by the Constitution of

India are enforceable only against the 'State' -- governments or local authorities or
government corporations, public sector undertakings and other institutions under
the control of a government, administratively, functionally and financially, but not
against private individuals.
In other words, if a person indulges in eavesdropping by listening to a conversation
between his neighbour and his wife in their bedroom, the aggrieved person cannot
obtain a writ from the Supreme Court or the high court against his neighbour. He
may go to a civil court for an injunction restraining the neighbour from doing so.
I am hopeful and confident that the larger bench as and when constituted will uphold
the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right, overruling the 1954 decision of eight
judges.

10 POINTS TO REMEMBER IN BUDGET 201617

No changes have been made to existing income tax slabs and therefore tax
slabs/income tax rates for individuals will be as under ;
Effective Income Tax slab for individuals Rates of Income Tax Income up to Rs. 2.5
Lacs 0% Income from Rs. 2.5 Lacs to 5 Lacs 10% Income from Rs. 5 Lacs to 10
Lacs
20% Income from Rs. 10 Lacs and above 30%
2.
Individuals with income less than Rs. 5 lacs will get deduction of Rs 5,000
U/S 87A. This was Rs. 2,000 last year.
3.
Deduction for rent payment U/S 80GG has been increased to Rs. 60,000/-.
This was Rs. 24,000 last year. This is beneficial to people who do not get HRA but
pay rent.

4.
Income Tax Rate for companies will be 25% where turnover is below Rs. 5 Cr.
5.
Two new Cess have been introduced like Krishi Kalyan Cess and Infrastructure
Cess.
6.
One time compliance window will be provided for domestic taxpayers to
declare undisclosed income by paying 30% tax, 7.5% surcharge and 7.5% penalty.
7.
An additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 will be given to first time house buyers
in addition to existing deduction for housing loans up to Rs. 35 lacs, cost of house
below Rs. 50 lacs and completion within 3 years.
8.
Govt. will bear PF share of new employees @8.33% for first three years. No
deduction will be made from their salary.
9.
Govt. will provide interest at the rate of 9% in certain cases of refund. This
was 6% earlier.
10.

General Anti Avoidance Rules will be applicable from 01.04.2017 onwards.

Freedom from Fear & Social Pressure:

Action towards a desire
Freedom from Fear & Social Pressure: Action towards a desired goal (Motivation for
Students) This article is a composition of short stories & examples which will help
students to understand how to handle social pressure and take on the fear of
failure.
Let us understand the fear & social pressure one by one and how we can
overcome them:
A) Freedom from fears of a student: What fears do we have as a student? Fear of
failure, Fear of a big challenge, Fear of exams, fear of competition.
I feel
privileged that I could interact with many students and what I have learnt is that
the above mentioned fears make students fear learning eventually. Learning which is the ultimate objective of the whole education system of any country,
Learning- which the ultimate objective of human evolution. I am not saying this
fear is negative only. Initially it helps us to get the requisite ambitious drive. But
by as the time passes this fear becomes so huge that we start fearing learning and
that is the time we need to introspect into our lifes learning curve. Lets feel
the fear but face it bravely anyway Lets understand this perspective with the

help of a small story: On a shining bright day one visually impaired man on the
roadside of a busy road was waiting for someone to help him in crossing the road.
Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. The tapper said - Excuse me, I
am blind, would you help me by guiding across the road? The first blind man took
a surprised pause, he baffled for a moment, and then held the hand of the second
blind man and they both crossed the road.
(The first blind man was George
shearing a famous jazz pianist. In one of his interview he shared this story and
said What could I do? I took him across and it was the biggest thrill of my life)
Now what does this story tells us? There are times when we are standing and
calculating our risks and waiting for someone to help us out, waiting for someone
to guide us and sometimes think that we cannot do something. As a result we
dont stretch ourselves or take a risk and eventually we give up. Being forced to
take risk or being pushed sometimes help us to reduce our dependencies & fears
which leads us to the discovery of new excitement and aptitude.
Students have
to learn to control anxiety, control small panic attacks. How can this be achieved?
Observe observation is a key to control everything. Upon careful observation,
collect data, understand the scenario and create hypothetical situations to identify
the problem. Once you identify the problem, try to find out the best possible
option. If you dont find any solution then leave it there and prepare again as you
cant do anything about that situation at that point of time. How we can face
the fear of exam & failure bravely? Apply the Principle of Chinta Vs. chintan
Chinta is what we call worry (Disturb the peace of mind) and as our elders say
chinta chita k saman hai on the other hand Chintan means thought i.e the
content of cognition. Now Chinta would help in increasing that the fear which has
already accumulated with years of pressure and competitiveness. On the contrary
to that, Chintan would help in abbreviating that fear.
No doubt you are a
hardworking, dedicated and a committed student. No doubt you are laborious and
would sacrifice many things for the studies. But, where you may lack is proper
planning, strategy making and execution of the same, which are equally important
along with the hard work to attain perfection. Steps to face the fear - Strategy
making and preparing for the exams Step 1: Research: The naval stand-off story
(Negotiation, Do your research, Know your facts) Americans: Please divert your
ship 15 degrees north to avoid a collision. Canadians: We recommend you divert
Your ship 15 degrees south to avoid collision. Americans: This is the captain of a
US navy ship; I say again divert your ship. Canadians: No. I say again, you divert
yours. Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN
THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE
DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT

YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH,
OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS
SHIP. Canadians: We are a lighthouse; your call ;) Now, the point I want to make
here is, that despite being equipped with all the resources you may still face such
situations where you dont know what to use where. You sometimes dont
understand your questions as you have not done the thorough research which was
required to understand the scenario.
Step 2: Make schedule /Time table and
strictly follow that (While keeping slots and strategy for uncertainties) Stone and
bucket example for time management and personal change. Take a bucket,
some big rocks, some small stones, some sand, and water. Put the big rocks in the
bucket - is it full? Put the small stones in around the big rocks - is it full? Put the
sand in and give it a shake - is it full? Put the water in. Now it's full. The point is:
unless you put the big rocks in first, you won't get them in at all. Set your priority,
first thing first. Complete the most prior thing i.e your todays schedule of the
study. Keep variations in the study pattern so that you dont get into monotony.
Invest your time in some other recreational activities. Like do some exercise, meet
some friends or some quality time with family and loved ones. Step 3: Prepare for
the exams: Time to do the hard work The trench digger story: how to make things
happen, approach to self-development. One old retired couple were staying at
the outskirts of the village. One afternoon the old women saw a young man in
working clothes carrying a spade and a box in his hands walking towards the nearby
woody area who disappeared from view behind coops of trees. Next day around
the same time she noticed the same thing again. She got little worried and tried to
divert her mind from that. Now she noticed the man on third and the fourth day
again and that day she told this to her husband. On 5th day her husband and she
(little before the man could come) went to investigate what the man would be
doing behind trees. They found there a long and deep trench, a bit rough and
uneven at the one end and neater and tidier towards the other end. The old lady
said strange! Why dig a trench here on such difficult and rocky ground? (Just
then the man appeared, earlier than his time and noticed the old couple) When
the couple enquired from him what was that this is all about, he started
explaining. He said Actually I am learning how to dig a good trench because for
the job for which I am being interviewed today experience is essential (As its
advertisement says that). So I am getting an experience and in this box I got my
lunch So whatever research and planning you have done in the first step, now it
is the time to execute the same and with full dedication. Step 4: Four - Strategy
to Attempt the paper: I have interacted with many toppers of the acme exams of
our country (CA, IIM, Civil services) and all have said that one has to plan how to

attempt the paper and practice for the same. Your task is to make the examiners
job very simple i.e checking your answer sheet. You have to help the examiner so
that he would take less time in checking you answers and with ease.
Making
notes for theoretical subjects and taking mock tests for practical papers will help
a-lot. B) Freedom from Social Pressure: Pressure of Approval and Acceptance It
saddens me to see that we live in a society where performance and achievement is
the measurement for a success. Parents and teachers have high expectations from
students. Society in itself brings a huge pressure by questioning you intermittently
about your goals, results and people judging you all the time. The societal notion
has become to finish first rather than finish well. This notion is highly
misconceived. The goal should be to lead a meaningful and learned life that one
can be proud of.
How to handle this social pressure: Step 1: Start envisioning
education as a journey How many of you have been on a road trip recently? You
will face road bumps, dividers, tolls, sometimes you will face a sudden unexpected
hurdles like land sliding, or road construction which will delay the journey for a
while Now satisfaction of reaching to the destination depends on what? It is in
the in the journey, your favourite music in the car, the road side hopping for a tea,
the fights on the way. Education is also a journey. The process is as important as
the destination and if you are not well planned and equipped for the journey you
will not enjoy the process. And if you will start enjoying the process your
destination will treat you will with a big smile. Ultimate goal example: I want to
be happy! So once a 5th standard teacher asked his class Please pick a paper
and pen and write what you want to be in life. After 5 minutes, he started asking
each student what they have written and why. Some said doctor, because her
father wants her to become so. Some said pilot or police or an army-man. There
was this small little lad waiting for his turn in little nervousness. When his turn
came he paused and said sir I want to be happy. Teacher (in confused state)
asked him what do you mean you want to be happy explain? The student said
Sir I have heard from my mother that the ultimate goal of life is to be happy. I
dont know what I will become as a professional, which career I would chose...I
want to attain the ultimate goal with whatever I would do i.e. to become happy.
(Teacher took a deep pause and smiled) If we all realise this notion we would be
more relaxed and confident. We would concentrate on our work and would start
enjoying it. Which ultimately will bring the social pressure down and we will
become more focused and a balanced person. I would like to share one more
story here about the ideal approach of our teachers and parents while raising their
kids. The clap and cheer story: Take pride in whatever you do A small boy was
auditioning with his classmates for a school play. His mother knew that he'd set his

heart on being in the play, just like all the other children hoped too - and she
feared how he would react if he was not chosen. On the day the parts were
awarded, the little boy's mother went to the school gates to collect her son. The
little lad rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what
Ma," he shouted, and then said the words that provide a lesson to us all, "I've been
chosen to clap and cheer." If we have this approach we will be more supportive
and will be competing with ourselves and instead of focusing on what other person
has done or achieved. The focus would be on where I stand and what I will do to
improve this situation to attain my goal. Step 2: Adapt positive behaviour along
with positive thinking:
A person can bring the whole world under his influence by such sterling
qualities as patience, kindness, love, truth, straightforwardness, humility and
service. How to embed positive behaviour in your life? Clear your thoughts then
apportion them: Keep this in mind that those who do not feel shy in acquiring
learning everyday will always be happy. Dont believe that you are good enough.
You have to have belief in your strengths, in your skills & abilities but keep that
learning curve active. Be unsatisfied, always be in a learning mode and for Gods
sake don't let this unsatisfied state die out of setbacks! I would quote one
physicist who once said in his book, The Choice - I smile and start to count my
fingers. One, people are good start believing this and you will meet good
people as you will start doing good for them. Two, every conflict can be
removed try to solve all your conflicts with talks and be open and
straightforward. Three, every situation, no matter how complex it initially
looks, is exceedingly simple So immediately work on your strategy in any
difficulty instead of thinking what you have lost or missed or how big the problem
is.
Four, every situation can be substantially improved; even the sky is not the
limit. Trust me when I say this, even if you have failed one attempt you can get
a rank in next. The only thing is how much efforts you put into to it to change
that situation. Five, every person can reach a full life. To Conclude I would
say: Fear or pressure should not dictate your lifes decision. Set yourself free from
fear of failure and societal pressure of being judged. Start living life for today
instead of worrying for tomorrow, follow your heart, stay calm and be confident.

Why More People Want an

M.B.A.
Number of applicants seeking admission to business-school
programs is on the rise

ENLARGE

Stanford Graduate School of Business and the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School were
among the M.B.A. programs drawing more applications for classes entering in the fall of 2015 than a
year earlier, according to the schools. PHOTO: JASON HENRY FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Business-school admissions officers are staying busy.

The number of applicants seeking admission to M.B.A. programs grew at 57% of schools
world-wide offering full-time, two-year programs, according to the latest data from the
Graduate Management Admission Council, which tracks business-school data. And, after
years in which international students drove growth, 59% of U.S. full-time, two-year programs
said they drew more applications from U.S. students, according to GMAC.
The M.B.A. market tends to be countercyclical, admissions consultants and school officials
say, so a strong hiring market like the current one usually means that young professionals
prefer to stay in the workforce rather than leave for a business degree.
With just over half of M.B.A. programs reporting increases, we are in a more normal period
for demand for the M.B.A. than in the years immediately following the 2008 financial crisis,
when applications increased, said Alex Chisholm, a research director at GMAC.
The rise in b-school applicants might be a signal that students who graduated from college at
the beginning of the crisis in 2008 are now competitive candidates for the M.B.A., and are
looking to the degree as a form of financial and psychological insurance, said Jeremy
Shinewald, president and founder of mbaMission, an admission consulting firm.

ENLARGE

Dukes Fuqua School of Business increased its share of women in its entering M.B.A.
classes. PHOTO: JUSTIN COOK FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

After working in New York for several years after college, first at a bulge-bracket
investment bank in strategy, and then at a communications firm, Margaret Rohrmanndecided
to enroll in Columbia Business Schools M.B.A. program this fall. The 30-year-old said the
degree will help strengthen her technical skills in finance with an eye toward pursuing
business roles in media or retail in Dubai after graduation. Without the degree, she said, the
career pivot would be a much harder sell.
The University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, the University of Chicagos Booth School
of Business, Yale Universitys School of Management and Harvard Business School were
among the M.B.A. programs drawing more applications for classes entering in the fall of
2015 than a year earlier, according to the schools. Whartons M.B.A. applications rose 7.8%,
Booths 15.6%, Yales 25.1% and Harvards 1.5%, according to the schools.

Some elite schools lost ground with applicants. Applications fell 5% at New York
Universitys Stern School of Business and 8.1% at Massachusetts Institute of Technologys
Sloan School of Management, those schools reported.
Dawna Levenson, Sloans director of admissions, said the school has restructured its M.B.A.
application for this year to eliminate pain points would-be students found cumbersome. The
school eliminated one of two required essays from the initial application, though a second
essay is still required for those invited to interview, she said. And the school, which has
historically had only two admissions rounds, has added a third round with a spring deadline,
she said.
The numbers also show more applicants testing the waters with the Graduate Record
Examinations, the general graduate-school admissions exam, which schools have begun
accepting in addition to or in lieu of the Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT.

ENLARGE

In recent years schools have started to accept the GRE results as they try to open up the
M.B.A. to a broader group of potential students. Yale, Sloan, Georgetown Universitys
McDonough School of Business and the University of Southern Californias Marshall School
of Business said they received more GRE score submissions this year than last.
Business schools have worked hard to court women applicants, and those efforts seem to be
paying off. Fifty-one percent of two-year, full-time M.B.A. programs reported an increase in
the number of female applicants, according to GMAC.
Many top schools, including Booth, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, Northwestern
Universitys Kellogg School of Management and Duke Universitys Fuqua School of
Business, increased the share of women in their entering M.B.A. classes, and several schools
now boast M.B.A. classes that are more than 40% women.
International applicants, a crucial growth market for U.S. business schools over the last
decade, may be slowing. While 51% of two-year, full-time M.B.A. programs said they
attracted more admission bids from global students year-over-year, that is down from last
year, when 65% of programs reported such increases, according to GMAC.
At several top programsincluding Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business,
Booth, Sloan and Marshallthe proportion of international full-time M.B.A.s is shrinking.
The change in international students was intentional, said a spokeswoman for
McDonough, which dropped its share of international students in its entering class from 41%
last year to 33% this year.
We decided to right-size our international percentage to make our international students
more competitive for recruiting, given the [limited] availability of work visas in the U.S.,
she said.