Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Extreme Stress – Deal Extraordinary Way

Extreme Stress – Deal Extraordinary Way

 

What are the extraordinary ways to deal with extreme stress? Can there be any? Obviously none. Extreme stress is always dealt with effectively by determination, wisdom and positivity, as dreams do not become reality through magic but hard and determination can. Short cuts anywhere are dangerous so in case of stress relief. However, nature guides us differently sometimes like the word etcetera which indicates the existence but not specific. Etcetera is a wonderful used to shorten the writing, where we mean to add other things of the same class but did not mention for various reasons. It gives you a freedom of not to mention all things of the same class, in other words it covers all the things which you have not been able to specify.

Similarly the nature has given every man something in extra in etcetera which even the individual concerned does not knows about in specific and He did not want the soul to be aware. In the modern management this is called the X factor or the hidden strength of the personality. But on some occasions it is really the most important strength of a person. In Stress Management- Etcetera- this nature’s wonder does great things. How to identify it, impossible. However anything which gives instant comfort, freshness and a diversion is an asset always for people in stress.

Genes a unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic physical and mental, of the offspring. This heredity Unit is not limited to just immediate parents, it travels right to seventh generation backward and may even more that is reason for exceptions in children either in intelligence or the physical features. Genes that relates to decision making and the mental faculties sometimes give solutions not thought of earlier. This aspect of individual is quite helpful in odd unforeseen situations. Genes play a great role in forming character traits -- such as self-control, decision making or sociability.

Genes make you a person who takes responsibility, who does not take responsibility, and who throws responsibility on others. They also make you meticulous, tense, always happy, front row, submissive, passive, silent person and also not–bothered-at-all-class etc. So recognize your class and other person’s also; you would handle stress better. Not-bothered-at-all people are stress free, they reconcile very quickly with the situation, always bothered about their own activities, interests, thoughts with funny behavior now and then: example but real one, host taking food before the guests, reading novel when somebody is lying dead, sleeping when somebody is dead on the adjacent bed. Genes are a great factor to influence your stress response.

Name-there is nothing in a name; it is just to identify something as some assert. Yes it is like that only. An individual likes his name much and if he does not like, instances are not uncommon when he has changed it. In Indian situations sometimes in-laws change the name of their daughter-in-law to their liking or to what they expect her to be. In fact, there are many things in a name: one such is that whole Universe is name and the form only. Think of anything you mind would reach its name and form much quicker; thus name is part and parcel of everything even that of the “Lord”. It is more than half of what we know.

In India soon a child is born, family starts the process of giving him the name. Many of the communities have a tradition to name a child as per the practice from religious scriptures. Sikhs name their child as per the first letter of the first Sabad of Guru Granth Sahib, which is considered a living Guru the body of all the Ten Guru Sahiban, read on the day on which NAMKARN is done or the day when the child was born or any other day decided. Similarly many Hindu families name their child as per the word suggested by the priest from the Jantri an annual calendar based on the situation of various stars in the Universe. Thus we associate involve spirituality in the NAMKARN SANSKAR of a child. In many other communities it is customary to associate Lord while giving name to a child. In the heart of their heart everybody wants that the child should come up to expectations of that name. Even otherwise most of the Indian names irrespective of the religion one professes have some meaning they are not meaningless. For example Ashok means who is free from all types of sorrows, the one who is above worries whose character has lot of strength to face all sorts of difficulties with calm and composure. Even abstract names which have become order of the day are not meaningless; they are full of meanings and throw light on strength of the character if one lives by his meaning. We do japas with the names of the Gods, Goddesses, Deities and even Guru’s as we feel that they are our panacea-cure for difficulties. So if you live by the qualities of your name it will give you strength and power to bear all stresses in your life. It is wrong to say what is there in a name. There is definitely something great about the name that is why we do not name our children as Ravan of Ramayana or Kans of Mahabharata (Hindu Scriptures). So try to live up to, up hold the qualities and characteristics of your name and you will have power to bear stress. If not possible choose one characteristic of your name and live by that you would less stress in difficult situations.

Problems are part of life and every problem has to end with a solution. Be part of the solution not of the problem: Whenever in a problem either physical or emotional people try to find out, that relieves us of worries. Everybody likes a solution nobody likes a problem or a question. By being part of solution, it gives satisfaction, the inner glow, the sense of having done well, and gives strength to solve own problems with vision. It relieves others of stress in addition.

The reason why heaven and earth last for ever

is that they do not live for themselves.

Hence they last forever.

Therefore, the True Person leaves self behind

and thus is found in front,

 is not guarded and thus is preserved,

is self-free and thus is able to find fulfillment.

                                                                    Lao Tzu

 

Windfalls are not way of life but they do happen, how and when only HE knows, it is his grace. They are in fact nature’s way to help. Nothing specific about them: You may get the most appropriate advice from an unknown source just a stranger or from established sources like parents. Your own imagination and occurrence at crucial time-real windfalls from conscious always nearby. Scriptures say: continue to take care of others, their welfare and happiness, you would be looked after well by the God. 

When decides to Bless you, He will cause the situations to come together in your favour, no matters what others try to do.

                                                                Christie Joyner

Intuition is immediate apprehension by mind of future events. It gives you knowledge of the things to come. It is one’s inbuilt survival senor which detects dangers before one is consciously aware of them. Intuitive understanding protects from harm, recognize it, without analyzing intuition, if warning bells are ringing danger is lurking, act in time and save yourself from stress.

This word “intuition” is beautiful. You know the other word, ‘tuition’; tuition means somebody else is giving it to you. Intuition means nobody is giving it to you; it is growing within you. And because it is not given to you by somebody else it cannot be put into words.

                                                                  OSHO

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and rational mind is faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

                                                         Albert Einstein

The Lord has given everyman something extra and has hidden it in etcetera – that would stand in good stead at opportune time.


Friday, 17 July 2020

Why Organizations Fail

Why Organizations Fail

Management & Organization

Cause and Effect

 

Organization - a group of people working together for a cause, a task or a goal - is the normal way of life world over. We are born in an organization and leave life in an organization. When this does not happen there is something wrong. Life goes as a part of some group always: may be parents, family, society, community, nation, employer, friends, school, or just a crowd on road side. All organizations must be effective and managed smoothly, for healthy life, society, even the nation. Fact is, that no society can provide its members, with a high quality of life, unless it has effective organizations-that is able to meet their objectives, perform and deliver. Working together brings power, even to as small organization as a family of four, not to talk of multinationals. We in India have some best organizations like Delhi Metro Rail, ISRO, National Disaster Response Force, Armed Forces the best in the world etc.

  

Despite what is said above, intentions and efforts; organizations fail either because of management or the people working in and for it. Either way it is a national loss, irrespective whether an organization is public or private. Why it so happens, perhaps many are not able to find an exact answer and sell such failed concerns without going deep into the causes and making an effort to correct it. There can’t be instant answer to this intricate and underneath issue. It has always been easy to point out shortcomings than to correct them and that too for success. Sale is just an admission of incapability of such great institutions as Govts and against the welfare of the people.

 

Why organizations fail, they are created to succeed. Obviously they do not run with the time, whereas they should be ahead of the time. Technology that too which changes over night is the great invention and a marketing strategy of 20th and 21st Century, we do not know what would happen in 22nd Century. It tries to cater to every wish a human mind can think of- variants in variants with a capacity to throw away obsolete. One has to leave the inertia, if you are pulled back, you are titling to wrong side of success.

“You can’t ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.”

                                                             —Steve Jobs

Covid19 is a great teacher. Now India is after self-sufficiency, indianisation of everything, increasing local production, reducing imports, giving employment to skilled and unskilled labour at its place of origin. This took India just four-five months and we have done much. Lesson of the story is that we should adapt ourselves to solve problems. Problems are part of every management process. We should be quick enough to solve them, any delay would kill the organization.

Labour intensive organizations are prone to failure because of lack of national work culture-which presently is goad continuously with punishment which for obvious reasons is not possible for any managerial model. Other disadvantage attached to such concerns is that the slightly senior employees use their position and trust for personal gains, a termite to destroy the very foundation of the concern. The only saving devise is intensive inspections with ruthless punishments and linking the wages with performance: basis being perform and get paid. 

Inter-personal Relations: The inter-personal relations among the employees should always contribute to higher productivity and helping attitude towards one another.  The managers and supervisors must use their position and experience for the purpose. This is true of all positions, otherwise bottlenecks and stumbling blocks kill smoothness required.    

Every company has two organizational structures: The formal one is written on the charts; the other is the everyday relationship of the men and women in the organization.

                                                         Harold Geneen

Chief Executive Officer, to whom everybody looks for guidance and development, has to be more than  prism-when white colour rays pass through the prism they become a beam of seven colours; to succeed a CEO should reflect only the colour needed. Owner CEO are very effective and so are the men of passion to succeed, devoted to their job-the total quality people. But such people are limited but their success stories are unlimited. The third alternative for the CEO is to employ professionals highly qualified give them on the job, experience, training and profile skills. But fact, remains that to perform and degree are two entirely different things and so is the training may be from the highly placed schools. Appointment to higher positions from the men who joined the organizations at lower levels, give an advantage of lot of experience and the situations they had faced earlier. Many a times they prove gem of men and are able to take the concern out of red. To perform and deliver is in their blood, they like to have their own say.  

 

There is another option normally not used by many but in Govt it is used for all important assignments that matter for the country. Appointment by invitation, whereby an invitation for appointment is sent for the position in view. It requires intensive study of both national and international resources as well an authentic account of the proven capabilities of the prospective incumbent. It is bit costly proposition since one has to take care of all the responsibilities of the individual concerned and his honour.

Competition is something that keeps a concern on toes and going when going itself is tough. It is slightly easy to deal with domestic competition as there is level playing field except for the intrinsic worth of individual assets. Here goodwill, quality of the goods and competitive price play. International competition is a wild guess, nobody can predict when it will hit, how and why. Dumping that is selling below the cost price is common where the price difference is compensated by the foreign Govt by subsidies, rebates, duty draw backs, lower taxes and tariffs etc. In such a situation Govt has to play its part otherwise industry is doomed as has happened with SMSEs in India on account of the Chinese highly subsidized goods. Here collective bargaining bodies like FICCI, CII in India of should take care of industry. 

WTO Agreement is far more liberal than GATT, intend to establish world as a village, has opened up the frontiers beyond nations and is prone to exploitation also. Profit motive everywhere has killed many local industries as industrialists world over shifted to places with less restrictions and more profit. In India many SMSEs failed as similar imported products available were cheaper than Indian brands. Nation has to safe guard its own interest, if they do not will find themselves in odds when they are required to in evens. 

Liberalization is another killer of enterprises in India, as domestic market was opened without ensuring capability of enterprises here to meet the international standards, norms, competition and technology. Many SMSEs have suffered a lot. Liberalization should have meant ease of doing business, whereas SMSEs face many hurdles at State and Local level like pollution and local body compliances.

Weak regulations relating to Money Laundering has done a great damage to the industry and trade which is reflected by the mounting Banks NPAs.  Loans taken from the Banks have been diverted for personal assets within the country and abroad. 

Loans to industry are available at lower rate of interest: which create an urge not to repay, delay repayment, this has led to diversion of the funds and created indiscipline in the financial market which has made many financial institutions including Banks to fail. 

Govt policy of disinvestment is result of Govt’s policy to get rid of loss making concerning instead of taking steps to correct their operations and generate employment and revenue. This has encourage marginal public sector undertakings (PSUs) to hasten the process for early disinvestment. Privatization is not a cure for every evil. Normally PSUs are big concerns so it has also led to shut down of private industries supplying parts and raw materials to such big concerns.

Culture of people affects the working of industries. There are a few countries where industries and organizations do not fail because they have learnt it hard way to protect themselves and be the best everywhere is their way of life. So is with Law, if people have respect for law or implementation is strict, people are more obedient by nature that affect health of industries and enterprises. We here in India are slightly away from these things. Hence industries fail.

Attitude of the owner a great factor in success of a concern. Most of the owners consider it as a profit earning machine. It is really bad, you have to nurture what you have created like children only then they will survive. In public sector many of the Departments consider these as the dumping grounds for those who are unfit or have to be adjusted and many take undue advantage from these enterprises. With attitudes like this the concern has to fail it is only the question of time. In such tiring situations it is integrity of the CEO that is put to hard test-many compromise the same as they are not personally put to loss but are the trusted employees of the owner Govt, so concern in doldrums.  In fact, nobody monitors whether the business is on right track or not. When the owners wake either it is too late or it requires a surgery of the highest order.

Inter-face is another aspect of the organizations. Inter-face with whom-with all those who matter, marketing network, raw material suppliers, work force, real consumers, shareholders, banks and financial institutions the source of cash and capital can provide insight into the working of the company. But majority do not bother for such an exercise and where done it is not a serious matter but a perfunctory one without any results and leads. 

Monitoring is a correction tool if done at an appropriate level; has so many benefits and very few financial implications. Higher the level of monitoring   more are the benefits. Stricter the norms, prescribed and performed, corrections become easy and smooth. It can turn the red into green. Monitoring brings out concealed errors and slips. The only ifs are monitor in time and have sharp eyes and ears, to read what is not written and to listen which is not being said-the way to find a needle in a haystack. If monitoring is not done seriously it become “Money Torn”. 

Diversification - the process of a business enlarging or varying its range of products or field of operation is need of the hour but the people do not see writing on the wall –the result is concerns go into losses and hence fails. Some concerns continue with the initial business even after it has become socially obsolete - a fatal approach. In fact, the process of diversification should start as soon as the concern becomes operational or with first adverse sign, like loss of goodwill, excess inventory of finished products, employees leaving etc. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. 

Innovation and Creativity Innovation and creativity are essence of life and work. They give job satisfaction and pleasure. Those who indulge in these should always be encouraged. Lack of recognition discourages employees and hits the organization hard. These are the tools to kill the competition and put you much ahead of the others, must use and invest in them.   

Innovation is the lifeblood of an organization. Knowing how to lead and work with creative people requires knowledge and action that often goes against the typical organizational structure. Protect unusual people from bureaucracy and legalism typical of organizations.

Max De Pree

Sum up

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.                                                      -Albert Einstein

“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart.”

                                                                     —Thomas Watson

“Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen.”

                                                                     —Wayne Huizenga

Failure does not exist, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Failure is simply the absence of appropriate action at opportune time.


Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Encounters with Him, Relieve Stress


Encounters with Him,
Relieve Stress

Learn to Talk to Him with
Humility & Total Surrender

My eldest brother took me with him to the place of his posting when I was in sixth class. His in-laws were also in the same town. We were frequent visitors to his in laws. Their home used to bubble with life and laughter as those were the days of large families - husband, wife, six sons, three daughters, two daughters-in-law, one son-in-laws plus persons like me and others.

One day when I with my brother went to them that laughter was missing and everybody was serious. I had no guts to ask anybody as I was too young for those matters. Subsequently, it transpired that their eldest son had been transferred to interior North East and he did not want to go there perhaps afraid of distance and conditions there in those days of late fifties. What to do. Family had middle class means and almost no contacts with higher up anywhere. So his going was certain. One day head of the family who was freelance priest told his son that he can request Him to bestow His blessings on his son and he has to ensure his stay at the same place for a short period probably 2-3 weeks. My Masserji as I used to call him started his routine and he used to do a Jaap-Chanting, for almost two hours daily. One fine evening son came from office and told that the transfer order had been modified and he was retained at the same place, life and laughter also returned. I was too young to understand this at that time but now I am sure our Masserji was able to convince Him-the Lord about their prayer. What was the Jaap-repeating a spiritual name again and again, or mantra nobody was aware, but it was fruitful.

Decades later, once I went to Dargah Shariff, Priest put a part of Chadar wrapped on Dargah on me and I bowed with all the obeisance and reverence, immediately the Supreme gave me a feeling, an experience beyond explanation, something unique and exceptional. What it was I can’t say but felt so light and nourished.

The path of Love of God is such a path that whosoever steps into it, loses himself.

On another occasion on pilgrimage, saw people in a temple talking to the deity as if it was present before them, some were weeping too. When I turned back I saw my son was also having tears in his eyes while praying to the Lord. We reached home in the evening and saw a telegram lying at entrance. This fulfilled what was prayed for by my son. The open secret is Lord grants what you sincerely ask from Him.

How to pray, different people adopt different ways like chanting a mantra, performing Yagya-haven, satsang kirtan etc. Recitation of mantra is most common.

Chanting the Lords name cleanses our selfish ego and allows true light of love within our soul to shine towards God and all living beings.
                                          – Radhanath Swami  

When one chants the names of the Lord and has faith in the names of the Lord, every situation becomes auspicious because of the pure consciousness.
                                           -Radhanath Swami

Mantra in religious practice is a scared word, chanter sound that is repeated, also called Jaap, during meditation to facilitate spiritual power, concentration and transformation of consciousness. Mantras are, in fact, energy based sounds which create positive energy waves. Mantras are tools of positivity and destroyers of negativity. This practice is prevalent in all the religions and faiths world over from time immemorial. Many religious teachers, even at present, give their disciples guru mantra when taking them in their fold.  

One must know the exact and true meaning of a chosen mantra along with the context, so that he interacts with it from the inner soul. Just repeating a mantra is not enough your conscious must feel it from the core and have firm belief that would save us from all negativity. This knowledge of meaning brings one nearer to the spirituality and divinity.

The secret of success of mantra is that one must have firm belief that it is replica of Almighty and must have firm faith that it will relieve him of all evils and bring him success and prosperity. Purity of conscious is most important, when one is reciting a mantra or chant, should be free from all other thoughts and mental permutations and combinations. He and He only He be with you mentally, physically and all round.

Mantras-Jaap-Chants exist from time immemorial. In fact, they are the essence of spiritual treaties by the supreme masters. They work. The word "mantra" is derived from two Sanskrit words. The first is "manas" or "mind," which provides the "man" syllable. The second syllable is drawn from the Sanskrit word "trai" meaning to "protect" or to "free from." Therefore, the word mantra in its most literal sense means “to free the mind" from all entanglements.

Mantra is, at its core, a tool used by the mind which eventually frees one from its vagaries. The journey from mantra to freedom is a wondrous one. The mind expands, deepens, widens and eventually takes a dip into the essence of cosmic existence. On its journey, the mind comes to understand much about the essence of the vibration of mind. Knowledge, as we all know is power.

People may not believe in the power of Mantra, but almost everybody chants sometimes mantra like “Om Namah Shivay” (I bow to Shiva), “Jo Bole So Nihal Satshri Akal” (Whosoever say Satshri Akal would be blessed), "Wa ʿalaykumu s-salāmu wa-raḥmatu -llāhi wa-barakātuhū"  (upon you be peace, as well as the mercy of God and his blessings). Some people do it intentionally others inadvertently without any involvement. Reciting the various names of God are equally powerful to relieve stress. Simple say like “Shukar Hai Malik” (O Lord thank you) serve the purpose provided you are true to inner self-His replica.

People ask what are the most fruitful mantras, because there are so many from the same religion and different faiths. This is because most of us want instant results, for obvious reasons this is not possible because when one thinks nature should do instantly it is violent, aggressive, full of ups and down and destructive. Slow and steady the nature moves.  

How to choose a chant, no criterion can be prescribed. Although the answer is not simple, it all depends how sincere you are to your own-self. Select the words that you feel would bring you in contacts and feel whom you worship. If you are able to select such words, no need to follow any specific mantra or words or sentences, rituals or procedures,  follow you soul and inner self because He listens without a language and voice. We are part and parcel of the Creator, he lives in us, a feel and realization is enough to make a mantra, a jaap fruitful.

However every dharma, religion, faith, sect have their own Jaaps which are time tested and trusted, without any specific procedure anybody can adopt any such mantra, jaap, word or a sentence. Some people still go through rituals before adopting a particular mantra.

How to proceed with mantra, chants and recitations.  Bhagavad Gita say that Yoga (Union with the Lord) is not possible for the one who eats too much or the one who does not eat at all, who sleeps too much or who keeps awake, but for the one who is moderate in eating, recreation, working, sleeping and waking and this destroys sorrow. Sit in a firm seat neither too high nor too low in a clean and comfortable place, preferably facing East the sun rises in the East, or in the north, there is great power of the north pole with a symbol of God at eye level.

Sit alone, having the mind and senses under control, free from desires and attachments for possessions during the time you are with HIM and try constantly to contemplate on the Supreme with whom you have the rapport-your Ishat Dev, Kul Deva or Kul Devi. Hold the waist, spine, chest, neck, head straight and firm. Sit motionless and steady. Fix the eyes and the mind steadily between eyebrows. Do not look around. Sitting and concentrating mind on a single object, controlling the thoughts and activities of senses practice mantra for self-purification. One should be mentally alert and awake and physically stable, motionless and comfortable.

The best time to connect with HIM is from 4 to 6 A.M., known as Amritwela (when Nature showers Nectar on its creations) in spirituality. In fact, this is time when physical needs and disturbances are minimum and mind is fresh after a good night sleep. If this is not possible, do it as soon as you wake up. In fact, there is no fixed time, it is the intensity, sincerity and depth of your feelings that matters most. It is bliss-permanent peace Anand (no exact translation) , once whosoever experiences, it is a permanent treasure of stress free life. 

There is now, new way to meet HIM when people arrange for Satsang as directed by the founder, there is no body to sing, no instruments to be played, everybody has to sit alone with mobiles off, His Bhajans are played for a limited period say 60-120 minutes, you have to listen with silence and involvement, if you are able to do, it is such a beautiful experience that one feels refreshed.

There is but one God,
True is His Name,
Creative His personality,
And immortal His form,
No Fear, No Hatred,
Image of The Undying,
Beyond Birth,
Self-Existent,
By the Guru’s grace,
He is obtained.
Japji Sahib

You are never alone.
He is always with you.
Call Him, Make Him Listen,
 Speak in the language He understands
 And Have Him.
Anonymous


Chant and Meditate
True in the Primal Beginning
True Throughout the Ages
True Here And True Now, O Nanak
Forever and Ever True
Japji Sahib

Make a sincere effort and you will find Him near you ready to listen and grant.

Thursday, 2 July 2020

Academic Examination’s Stress An Opportunity of Life


Academic Examination’s Stress
An Opportunity of Life

(For Parents, Teachers and Students)

While in office, a colleague told that the boss had gone to hospital for some hypertension problem and subsequently he was on medical leave for ten days in hospital. When I went to him to say “get well soon”, he told that his son who had appeared in X+2 of CBSE, filled only one form for entrance to Engineering, and he thought that the boy would lose one year if he did not come in merit in that exam, while the boy was alright taking care of his father. When the result of the competition came, the boy was at a high merit opted for computer hardware. After his engineering degree, he spent a few years abroad, now a Professor in Alma Mater (real incident but a positive one).

The moral of the story is that examination stress is caused by parents to children and vice versa. Parents, teachers and students are in fact the three pillars of stress and management of academic stress.

There are many reasons. Parents know their child from the day he is born, his habits, character, capabilities, attitude, nature, physical fitness, value systems and of course the genes. While knowing so much they should be able to assess him in more realistic manner. But the stress is caused by the fact that we want best of things for him and consider he can do anything which we desire or have failed to achieve in our life; when this does not happen it causes stress to both. More realistic the parents are, lesser is the stress. It is wisdom of the parents is, to bring out the genius in their child in the field in which he is, not in the field they desire, if they succeed, way to success is clear otherwise stress & strain all round.  

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid.”                 – Albert Einstein

Failure is not end of the road,
It is cross road, gives you three more chances, to correct your steps, you are lucky having failed.           
                                                                 Anonymous

Parenting is a complex issue. We should develop the child that he is not afraid of discussing anything with his parents. No specific guidelines for this. But at least one meal a day preferably dinner, should the family take together, everybody has whole of the day events to tell. Taking meal separately is just filling the belly, it is not meal which should have taste and love in every bite.

Talk to any parents in India whose children are studying in LKG, UKG, and primary classes; almost everybody would say that their child secured first position in the class and everybody knows that in a class only one can be a the top. A child is made to feel that he has to at the top; when this does not happen later, he is under stress.

Parents must assess the capabilities and interest of the child in the most honest and realistic manner. Now a days, many parents take help of professionals also to find out this aspect of the child’s personality. There is no harm to do so it plays the part of additional assessment that can help the parents. No parent should make a child perfectionist that creates more stress than the advantage accruing. Make the child face to face with the reality. Parents must teach the child to play the game well and not to bother for the goals. Every small thing whether academic or otherwise must be done by the child meticulously. Parents must help the student to keep a positive outlook and attitude. Marks and studies though important but are not the only aspect of our existence. Teach your child to do things in time. He would always be first in the row not the last in the queue.

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same amount of hours per day that were given to… Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Di Vinci… and Albert Einstein.”
                                      – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Admission to graduate courses in local University is based on total marks in X+2, open to all nationals so the cut of merits marks are up to 97-99 %. The greatest cause of stress to the parents and students. Seats are always insufficient as well the professional and technical course. So student concentrate on marks and not on the preparation, a negative and reverse pattern which increases the intensity of the stress.

Some students are afraid of a particular subject rather they have phobia that causes stress; compulsory the paper, more is the stress. Best remedy is to leave the subject. But to a stage it is not possible, here comes the role of the teacher in play, he has to make it more interesting, answer every question asked by the students irrespective whether easy, difficult or the absurd and build up confidence of the student. If it so happens many improve their performance and are free of stress.

Teachers must be highly educated, devoted and dedicated to their profession. He should be ready to go extra mile, should talk to the inner self of a child make the child to realize his potential, be positive in his approach and remarks, he has to be a psychologist, that would help a child to perform better and reach his dream.

Student has to play his part. Our teaching system must make the student proficient in every lesson they teach right from the day one and categorization of the students for the stream of their liking and competence must start from the very beginning.  It is not that easy, as said but the responsibilities lies on the shoulders of parents, teachers and students. This would boost the confidence level of the student and he need not cram everything at the last moment and create stress for him. We should develop the attitude of the student for the best not for the perfect, whatever stage he reaches there is always a scope for improvement.

Student should keep the routine intact that is enough sleep, diet, relaxation and play are also important otherwise it gives the child black outs, nearer the exams, as if he has not prepared well.

No result can be achieved without labour and sacrifice; so whatever is achieved that is one’s reward. Do not insult your labour and hard work accept the reward. Everybody can’t be IAS and if you get a Central Service that is good enough. Satisfaction from whatever you do is important, there is always a scope to excel in every field, it is passion that has the magic not the stress, it depends on how we see the things.

Concentration in class and while studying at home is rock foundation for stress free exams.  While in class concentration is result of the efforts put in by the teacher and the student. A teacher should always come well prepared; answer questions odd and irrelevant with eye-contact. Discipline and decorum contribute to the quality of concentration and content.

While at home find a suitable environment, create a startup ritual, block distractions, divide the time, study for about 25 minutes take 4-5 minute break after 3-4 such session take a 20 minute break and break lessons in manageable time slots. Always concentrate on skills not on grades. Grades would automatically follow skills.

Physical regular exercise is another trick that benefits not only your body, but also your brain. It improves, in the short-term your focus up to two to three hours by increasing blood flow to the brain. Regular exercise improves mood and sleep, while reducing stress and anxiety. My experience in life is it is better to study in the early morning hours than late at night- even scriptures say morning time is meditation time-time of concentration.

Write what you have learnt – an old technique –it gives you words, expression, control and a start which you so badly need in the examination hall as how to start a narrative answer.

When you write down your ideas you automatically focus your full attention on them. Few if any of us can write one thought and think another at the same time. Thus a pencil and paper make excellent concentration tools.
                                        -Michael Leboeuf

Never think you can do the best first time, certainly not, otherwise the dictum that there is always scope for improvement would prove wrong so practice – that makes a man perfect. More you practice more the intricacies would clear up themselves.

Conscious and sub-conscious mind are two great friends of a human being. If something is lying stored in the sub-conscious mind and conscious mind is in need of it, former is too quick to come to the help of the latter. So whatever one has learnt during the day should be revised mentally without books and without any other help just before sleeping as it goes straight to sub-conscious mind. It is of immense value to improve your performance in examination and with lesser stress.

Intuition that when God, your soul, your inner, the Lord speaks to you or send you a message, listen carefully, do not ignore, it takes a few minutes only. What is the relevance here? My experience in life is that sometimes your conscious tell a lesson or a question that is likely to appear in the question paper and it does. If you have read there are no regrets otherwise stress with ifs and buts.

Anxiety before exam is natural, may cause acidity also. Indian grand-mothers formulae are very useful. Normally that is done as a good omen. But what is that. It is simple curd and shukker (unrefined sugar) mixture, a   good antacid, a cooling agent, full of energy and all nutrients: that will help to concentrate during exam.

Reading and revising up to the last minute creates confusion and minor mental blackouts as if one has not prepared at all which is factually incorrect. One should keep his balance and have confidence on his mental faculties: stop reading sufficiently before exam you have prepared well that should be the feeling.

We don’t grow when something is easy. We grow when something is challenging. While amidst exam tough paper is always good it brings out the best a child has. Read the questions two-three times you know many answers or part thereof and start writing; at the end you have done what you wanted to achieve.

Keep your mind at peace, positive and focused on broader goal that improves concentration.
  
For he who has no tranquility there is no concentration.
                                                  -Bhagavad Gita

Give whatever you are doing and whomever you are with the gift of your attention.
                                                  -Jim Rohn

Stress is the essence of life, without stress one cannot achieve anything. But how much quantum of stress. It is difficult to quantify. But one example would give you a fair idea of how much stress. There is always a friction present between the surface of the floor and sole of the shoe that is why we are able to walk. If this friction is increased by broken floor and uneven shoe sole one would find it difficult to walk. Similarly if friction is reduced by polishing the surface of the floor and sole of the shoe there are chances that one may slip. One should have stress as much as friction necessary to walk on the floor.  Stress provides us a forward moving force and is welcome. One has to take care of preparation. Such a stress is called Eustress – the positive stress and a person has the capacity to convert any stress into Eustress instead of distress.

No system for assessment of individuals abilities is perfect; so is with examinations. Nobody can analyze the X factors ingrained in a person and there is time when a man blooms to his fullest; so appear in exams with as much preparation as one can manage and accept the result that is one aspect of life and there hundreds others that are still to be  fruitful. Nobody is good at everything, but everybody is good at something, find that something and focus on your strengths. Anything that is unexpected in one’s personality is X factor. Don’t copy others, find out X factor of your own personality you would be in advantageous position. However till a fuller system is developed we have to live with examinations so prepare well.

We can keep the academic examination stress under reasonable limits provided the parents, teachers and students play their part well.

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."
                                         —Maya Angelou

Don’t stress. Do the best. Forget the rest.