A number of times, I wished I could make this world a better place. Unforutnately, on most of the occasions I was clueless on how could I do it. With time the faith turned weaker, the feeling faded, and all I cared about was my own selfish little world.
Suddenly, the feeling is back and I am delighted. Just that, this time I won’t let the conviction slip out of my hands. I will try and make my part of the world a better place to live. I would do it every single day.
And this is my plan:
Make everyday count – Be productive. An individual’s productivity makes a difference in the nation’s economy. If every one worked as much as they were supposed to, there would be no backlog.
Give your best – Do an excellent job each time and every time. That saves everyone a lot of non-value time.
Mediocrity is unacceptable, but perfection isn’t the goal either – Being average won’t get us too far. Perfection will hold us back too. So let’s aim at being good enough. We have a lot to do in very little time.
Exercise – It makes you competitive, builds conviction, and challenges your mind and body.
Volunteer – You don’t have to always give away money to help. Give what you have the most - time, ideas, labor, or just be there for support.
Be courteous – Be nice to people. It will come back to you. I promise.
Donate Blood – That’s like saving lives (and they give you free fruits).
Read good stuff – If everyone read good things, our community would be better informed.
In the coming few weeks, besides other things, I am volunteering at a traffic signal, donating blood, and working for a cause.
What about you?
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
And I thought growing up was fun!
I was impressed when my 16 year old cousin in New Delhi scored 93% in his board exam. His parents weren't. It seems in the new competitive India, you don't have a future if you score less than 95%. Like most teenagers in the world, he likes football and online games. But all that he's been doing in the last two years is solve algebra. When he takes a break, he studies science.
As a kid I envied my classmates who knew what they wanted to do with their lives at 15. At 24 I am still figuring it out. I was never a good student. In school, I just managed to stay afloat i.e. not flunk. I was a non-conformist kid. I learnt dancing and I read Shakespeare. My conventional teachers didn't appreciate it, and I never found a mentor. But that was me.
There is no doubt that Indian education system is rigorous and disciplined. But it's also linear. There is little appreciation for a child's natural capabilities. Everyone is measured with the same scale of test scores. And it's frightening. The Indian education system needs a little retrospection. With X board exams being removed, there might be a little respite for children. Vocational studies should be introduced in high school, where students can experiment with future professions. It's not fair to make high school students decide at age 16-17, what they want to do for next 40 years of their life, without giving them a taste of different vocations.
Educators and parents need to be aware of gauging their's children's performance and strengths across various parameters like interests and creativity . I wonder how many teachers/parents know if a kid is right brain or left brain. If they know what a kid was naturally good at, they would be better equipped as mentors. Children are a nation's hope. It's our duty to give them an environment, where they are nurtured and encouraged based on their talents and not just scores.
Let's make growing up fun!
As a kid I envied my classmates who knew what they wanted to do with their lives at 15. At 24 I am still figuring it out. I was never a good student. In school, I just managed to stay afloat i.e. not flunk. I was a non-conformist kid. I learnt dancing and I read Shakespeare. My conventional teachers didn't appreciate it, and I never found a mentor. But that was me.
There is no doubt that Indian education system is rigorous and disciplined. But it's also linear. There is little appreciation for a child's natural capabilities. Everyone is measured with the same scale of test scores. And it's frightening. The Indian education system needs a little retrospection. With X board exams being removed, there might be a little respite for children. Vocational studies should be introduced in high school, where students can experiment with future professions. It's not fair to make high school students decide at age 16-17, what they want to do for next 40 years of their life, without giving them a taste of different vocations.
Educators and parents need to be aware of gauging their's children's performance and strengths across various parameters like interests and creativity . I wonder how many teachers/parents know if a kid is right brain or left brain. If they know what a kid was naturally good at, they would be better equipped as mentors. Children are a nation's hope. It's our duty to give them an environment, where they are nurtured and encouraged based on their talents and not just scores.
Let's make growing up fun!
Morality, Etichs and Law
Every individual... neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it... he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.
Adam Smith, The Theory Of Moral Sentiments, Part IV, Chapter I, pp.184-5, para. 10.
(The above quote defines the basics of modern capitalism.)
Capitalism is defined as an economic system that emphasizes private ownership of the means of production or a privately controlled economy. In a capitalist society companies live by the profit motive. They exist to make money.
Today, corporate America faces the worst recession since the Great Depression, precipitated by unethical business practices, corporate greed, and fraud. The collapse of several financial industry giants since early 2001 has put companies including Goldman Sachs under intense scrutiny. The conflict between short-term profit and long-term viability, the lack of legislation and failure of self-regulation has never been questioned more. The writing is on the wall. It’s not just about profits anymore, but also the effect of these profit-making tactics on the society - a key stakeholder.
As Thomas Friedman points out, corporate decisions have to be made based on sustainable values and not situational values. Although the concept is simple, the implementation is not. For ethical decisions to be based on sustainable values, they have to be clearly defined and incorporated in enterprises and leaders. In this highly interconnected world, there is immense interdependence among individuals and institutions. However, this interdependence of businesses makes ethical decisions difficult and conflicting. Integration of ethical guidelines in business is challenging as the understanding of ethics vary depending on the profession and culture. Although ethical business practices prove to improve the value of an organization in the long-term for all its stakeholders, management ethics is usually a deviation from enterprises’ fundamental business operations.
In a capitalist society, professional ethics is defined and dictated by preferences of the trade itself. The welfare of the larger public usually takes a backseat. Although, stringent legislation is imposed by the state from time to time to reinforce integrity and the safeguard the society, it takes the freedom away from the “free-market”. For sustainable values to become the backbone of corporate decision-making, strong codes of ethics and moral have to be intrinsic in nature. Leaders have to create a sustainable yet flexible code of morals and ethics, which takes into consideration desperate times and desperate measures.
Adam Smith, The Theory Of Moral Sentiments, Part IV, Chapter I, pp.184-5, para. 10.
(The above quote defines the basics of modern capitalism.)
Capitalism is defined as an economic system that emphasizes private ownership of the means of production or a privately controlled economy. In a capitalist society companies live by the profit motive. They exist to make money.
Today, corporate America faces the worst recession since the Great Depression, precipitated by unethical business practices, corporate greed, and fraud. The collapse of several financial industry giants since early 2001 has put companies including Goldman Sachs under intense scrutiny. The conflict between short-term profit and long-term viability, the lack of legislation and failure of self-regulation has never been questioned more. The writing is on the wall. It’s not just about profits anymore, but also the effect of these profit-making tactics on the society - a key stakeholder.
As Thomas Friedman points out, corporate decisions have to be made based on sustainable values and not situational values. Although the concept is simple, the implementation is not. For ethical decisions to be based on sustainable values, they have to be clearly defined and incorporated in enterprises and leaders. In this highly interconnected world, there is immense interdependence among individuals and institutions. However, this interdependence of businesses makes ethical decisions difficult and conflicting. Integration of ethical guidelines in business is challenging as the understanding of ethics vary depending on the profession and culture. Although ethical business practices prove to improve the value of an organization in the long-term for all its stakeholders, management ethics is usually a deviation from enterprises’ fundamental business operations.
In a capitalist society, professional ethics is defined and dictated by preferences of the trade itself. The welfare of the larger public usually takes a backseat. Although, stringent legislation is imposed by the state from time to time to reinforce integrity and the safeguard the society, it takes the freedom away from the “free-market”. For sustainable values to become the backbone of corporate decision-making, strong codes of ethics and moral have to be intrinsic in nature. Leaders have to create a sustainable yet flexible code of morals and ethics, which takes into consideration desperate times and desperate measures.
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