Monday, 11 June 2012

CATALYSING THE CHANGE YOU DESIRE



The world seems to be changing so fast nowadays you couldn’t stay wrong all the time even if you tried.
                                                                                                                            -Speaker’s quote book.
To change and to improve are two different things.                                                      
                                                                                                                              –German proverb.

CHANGE
I feel with a deep sense of urgency, there’s change in the air. It’s time for change! In world politics, the business arena- small businesses to multinationals.  Things were not what they used to be and we can’t afford to run the new systems with the age-old methods.
The business and political systems are ever evolving, advancements in science and technology, information technology; the changes in the economy of the nations- notably the global economic meltdown, the Arab uprising and all, points to the fact that there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we do things this side of eternity. In essence, improved methods or approaches to problem solving and productive strategic thinking must be brought to bear in the management of the world’s politicoeconomic and socioscientific systems.
The envisaged change is not limited to these systems alone- judging by meteorological indices, man is finding it increasingly difficult to manage his immediate environment with dire consequences.
We all have a role to play in the evolving new world and I’d suggest you be the change you desire in your immediate environment. I foresee  a rising generation of technocrats and visionaries from all walks of life that would be catalysts of this revolution.
THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
I’d present these view of mine from the reference point of experiences gathered through the years as an IT consultant, LifeCoach, student and from years of interactions with opinion leaders and colleaguers.
Every organization consists of systems and humans that function within these systems. You exert an influence on the system which in turn exerts a reciprocal influence on you in a way which maybe you’ve not thought about until this moment. I dare say, not every change is improvement and not all improvement is change but the bottom-line is to maintain an upward stride in whatever system you find yourself. If you can’t add positively to the system, please don’t constitute a clog in the wheel. I’d love to see in the nearest future change agents who would have the courage to stand up for the right they believe in at all places and in the society, not only in Africa but all over the world.
I embrace every change I perceive is going to bring about an improvement and a progress notwithstanding my insecurities, egocentricities (or eccentricities?) and all the likes; and I believe that’s the way to live. The human race is an evolving one (don’t doubt it, we’re still evolving!) and evolution is both change and improvement- in structure, adaptability and genetic vigour… and human systems… the world system is an ever dynamic one that can only be sustained through and by constant change. A refusal to change is an acceptance of mediocrity.

CHANGE AGENTS NEEDED TO BIRTH A NEW WORLD
You may not have to be a leader but everyone is a leader of some sorts; so you’ve got no excuse , all that’s needful is a firm resolve to allow the wind of positive change blowing all over a safe passage.
The following suggestions might come in handy
1.       Sensitize your peers about the change you would like to see around you: you can organize fora for the ventilation of your ideas and seek information about the latest changes, innovations around you and how it would best develop your society.
2.       Be a plus and not a minus in any system you find yourself: a speaker once said, ”if you get somewhere and meet a standard, raise it a little bit more”.
3.       Always “be ready to walk on water” for a change:  discard your feelings of insecurity; most of those things we’ve always felt might “happen” never do.
4.       See every positive change around you as an opportunity to do something new; who knows, it might unleash a latent potential; something you’re cut out for – for self discovery is an ever ongoing evolutionary process.
5.       Learn to handle criticism and hostility. You don’t have to be scared… be firm and courageous; what if it turns out right afterall?
6.       Develop a world view of the change you desire.
7.       Stress brings out the strength in you. When facing challenges, try playing around the problem creatively; think out of the box; challenge the status quo; fashion out new ways of solving the life’s puzzles that comes your way daily.
See you when you get there! You’d sure do! 

Tuesday, 10 April 2012

YOU & YOUR MENTAL HEALTH IV

  Here i come with the last 5 of  our pills for a more rational thinking and effective acting about matters relating to mental health.
  Before you go through these concluding session, i'd like you to take a look at previous sessions so you can have a clearer picture of what we've been discussing by seeing these pieces not as disjointed articles but a complete whole, affording you the privilege of a broader perspective as it relates to you and your mental health.

having done that, here we go for the last time on this topical issue!


16. If you see someone you think is acting strangely, intervene in a concerned, gentle way to find out if anything is wrong and how you can help. Often listening to someone's troubles is all the therapy needed if it comes soon enough.


17. If you discover you cannot help yourself or the other person in distress, seek counsel of a trained specialist in the the area of mental health at your local clinic or hospital. In some cases, the problem      may seem to be a psychological one but is really physical, as with thyroid glandular conditions.


18. If it is not a medical problem, then consult a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist recommended by your family doctor, the health department or your local hospital.


19. Assume that everyone would be better off if they had the opportunity to discuss their problems openly with a mental health specialist; therefore, if you do go to one, there's no need to feel stigmatized.


20. As long as there is life, there is hope for a better life, and as long as there are hope, caring and determination, life will get better.


My last shot;  "Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out".           
                                                                                                                     -Vaclav Havel










Reference; Government, Society and Economy: psychology and life experiences. Faculty of  Social Sciences, University of Ibadan. Nigeria. Africa.

YOU & YOUR MENTAL HEALTH III

  This is a continuation of the discussion i started some few weeks back... those few weeks were like years, missed blogging and YOU.
  I've got reasons to believe you're coping with the challenges of life or living, and that, creatively. Yeah! you need to, -develop healthy coping mechanisms that's suited and relevant to the situations and circumstances that comes your way or in which you've found yourself.
Here we go! try this tips for size and see if it works for you, (it sure will) so you won't snapp! i hate to think about having another nervous breakdown...

11. Develop long-range goals in life- what you want to be doing five, ten, twenty years from now- and think about alternative ways of getting there.


12. Create time to relax, to meditate and to enjoy hobbies and activities that you do alone and by means of which you can get in touch with yourself.


13. Think of yourself not as a passive object to which bad things just happen, but as an active agent who at any time can change the direction of your entire life.


14. Remember that failure and disappointment are sometimes blessings in disguise, telling you that your goals were not right for you or saving you from bigger let-downs later on.


15. Don't judge your behaviour and that of others as "normal" or "crazy", but rather as situationally and culturally appropriate or inappropriate, and try to discover ways of modifying undesireable behaviour rather than undesireable people (including yourself).


I just hope these few tips has met a need... we have 5 more to go... till i catch you next time, CHEER UP! THE FUTURE IS SO BRIGHT IT HURTS MY EYES... NO MATTER, HOWEVER... 

Monday, 12 March 2012

You & Your MENTAL HEALTH 2

     This is a continuation of my series on You & Your MENTAL HEALTH; i do hope i'm being of help in my own little way, if so, it makes me feel so cooool...

5. Never say bad things about yourself; especially never attribute to yourself irreversible, chronic, negative traits- such as "stupid", "ugly", "uncreative", "incorrigible", "a failure". Find the sources of unhappiness in elements that can be modified.

6. Always take full credit for your successes and happiness.

7.Keep an inventory of all the things that make you special and unique, those qualities you have to offer to others. For example, a shy person can offer a talkative the gift of being a good listener. Know your sources of personal power.

8.When you feel intense physiological reactions, which you typically interpret as "anxiety", first analyze the components of this physiological reaction objectively (count your pulse, note as many bodily changes as possible). Then consider whether there is some explanation for your physiological reaction other than psychological "anxiety", perhaps you are excited, over eager; perhaps the room is too hot, etc.

9. When you feel you are losing control over your emotions (hyper excited or depressed), distance yourself from the situation you are in by:
     (a) physically leaving it;
     (b) role playing the position of some other person in the situation or conflict;
     (c) projecting your imagination into the future to gain temporal perspective on what seem like an  
          overwhelming problem here and now.

Catch ya next time with more tips. CIAO!.

You & Your MENTAL HEALTH

    As limitless as are the pathways to the fulfillment of the human potential, so too are the roads to the perversion of that potential of mind and spirit. We can, if we so choose, become our own worst enemy, able to destroy ourselves more totally than any adversary could with the most advanced weapons of modern technology. Suicide is but the most obvious way in which we reject the gift of life and fail to appreciate its purpose or to look beyond our mortal frailty to some greater meaning to our existence.

These are presented only as guidelines to encourage you to think more rationally and to act more effectively about matters that relate to mental health.

  1. Look for causes of your behavior in the current situation or in its relation to past situations, and not just for some defect in yourself
  2. Compare your reactions, thoughts and feelings with those of other comparable individuals in your current life environment to assess their relevance and appropriateness.
  3. Have several close friends with whom you can share your feelings, joys and worries.
  4. Don't be afraid to show others you want to be their friend or even to extend or respond to love.
  5. Never say bad things about yourself.