Building Self-Confidence - Education, Personality Development

Energy from self-confidence

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 10 May 2014 02:41:00 +0000

Dorothy Victor, may 10, 2014
Article from http://www.deccanherald.com/content

Self-confidence is a kind of energy. Flowing from within, it can ignite a person and fire him to greatness.

However, like other forms of energy, it must be generated painstakingly, stored prudently and used wisely. It will then illuminate our path and help us transcend all lurking obstacles in our journey through life.

It was with self-confidence that John F Kennedy decreed that he will put a man on the moon. The self-confidence in what he believed fuelled Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to take that “one step for man and one giant leap for mankind,” in history. Years later, the same self-confidence put Barrack Obama in the White House as the first African American President of the world’s super power.

Seemingly impossible challenges can be met, faced and won with this powerful tool of self-confidence in oneself and in the world around.

The story of how Henry Ford pioneered the V-8 engine is often quoted to stress the importance of self-confidence in one’s accomplishments Early in the age of the automobile, Henry Ford decided to produce his now famous V-8 motor. He chose to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed his engineers to produce a design for the engine.

The design was put on paper, but the engineers agreed, every one of them, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-cylinder gas engine block in one piece. Ford said confidently, “Produce it anyway.” “But,” they replied, “It’s impossible!” “Go ahead,” Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.”

The engineers had to go ahead without any choice. Six months went by, nothing happened. Another six months passed, and still nothing happened.

The engineers tried every conceivable plan to carry out the order, to no avail.At the end of the year, Ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed him they had found no way to carry out his orders. “Go right ahead,” said Ford. “I want it, and I’ll have it.”

They went ahead, and then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.Self-confidence, which is self-belief in a nutshell, is a commanding force in unleashing inner strength.

Waking up every day with self-confidence is perhaps the only sure way to beat pessimism, overcome impediments and march towards victory.

As Poet Walter D Wintle put it eloquently, “If you think you are beaten, you are; If you think you dare not, you don’t; If you’d like to win but think you can’t, it’s almost certain that you won’t. Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger man; But sooner or later, those who win are those who think they can!”

Dorothy Victor, may 10, 2014
Article from http://www.deccanherald.com/content

Taking a Selfie Has More to Do With Self Worth Than You Realize

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 03 May 2014 03:49:00 +0000

Molly Fosco
Posted: 03/05/2014 2:26 pm EST Updated: 03/05/2014 2:59 pm EST
Article from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-fosco/
Entertainment & Lifestyle Blogger

We are obsessed with ourselves. When I say "we" I effectively mean millennials. We invented the selfie, we tell everyone about the amazing things we're doing at any given moment via social media, and the newest addition to our self obsession -- the BuzzFeed quiz section where we can discover significant revelations about ourselves like which sandwich type best matches our personality.

It's no secret that the Internet has fed the flame of self-indulgence and for some, humility has completely gone out the window. But what exactly is the motivation behind all this self obsession? Have we always been selfish people and technology is the enabler? Are we just a bunch of narcissistic brats? It might sound crazy but I think it's possible that the millennial self-obsession is actually a lot more poignant than that.

What makes something go viral on the Internet? There are only a few publications these days that seem to really get it right in terms of creating viral content. The aforementioned BuzzFeed is of course one of the first names that come to mind when you think of virality. A recently published GQ article takes an inside look at the BuzzFeed Animals vertical, a team that has built their entire career out of understanding why one baby animal picture is cuter than another baby animal picture. Jack Shepherd, Animals editor (or Beastmaster as the Animals team members are referred to in the article), theorizes that the biggest reason animal content is so universally loved and consistently shared is because stories about animals tend to show humans at their best -- empathetic, caring, kind. Think people saving abandoned strays or raising awareness about an animal welfare issue. We want to believe that human beings are good people because we want to believe that we are good people as individuals.

I've heard the criticism that my generation expects too much out of life because many of us are the product of positive reinforcement as a parenting technique. Our parents told us "you can do anything," "you can be anything you want to be," "you're special." So when we get to our late twenties and we're still working at a job that has nothing to do with our college major or whatever prolific calling we thought we were going to fulfill by now, we become dejected and frustrated. We feel like we're not doing enough, we feel like there's so much more out there we're meant to do and be. So where do we look to find that fulfillment and self-worth? Yep you guessed it -- the good ol' interwebs.

Not only are we reading content that gives us a good feeling about ourselves, we're creating it too. The harshly judged practice of self picture taking, while perhaps excessive or annoying at times, can actually be a really simple way to feel really good about yourself. Dove is a company known for campaigning to raise self esteem among young women so that they don't get sucked into the objectification that media often bestows upon them. In one of their recent videos aptly titled "Selfie," they use the practice of silly self picture taking as a medium to help young women really see their beauty and self worth in a very honest way. Although our selfies might be veiled in narcissism, self-obsession or boastfulness I think that for many it's a genuine attempt to boost self esteem. Seeing a close up picture of your own face and willingly showing it to thousands of people with one click is a form of self-confidence that I don't think should be quickly dismissed. It's taking a risk and opening the door to criticism but hoping for positive reinforcement and love.

A ridiculous amount of my job is dedicated to understanding exactly what makes people not only read or watch something, but then also spend precious minutes of their time sharing that content. Working in the world of digital strategy you will learn that there are typically 4 main reasons why people share online. Content will be shared if it incites emotion, offers value, facilitates a connection or is in someway remarkable. And expanding on the BuzzFeed Animals virality theory, I believe that people will also view and share content that tells them something about themselves. Something that says "this is about me, this is the type of person I am, or this is who I want to be," and there's nothing wrong with that. It wasn't wrong for our parents to tell us we're special. If you believe you're meant to do great things in this world then you're going to be much more likely to actually do them. But first you have to find out what it is you really want to do! And if taking selfies and looking at baby animals online helps inspire you then why the hell not?

Generation "me" isn't so black and white (Instagram filters aside). We might come off as narcissistic brats sometimes, but maybe we're just trying to get to know ourselves better. Maybe we want and should believe that we're good people. Everyone wants to find a purpose in life and the millennial generation is looking for it on the Internet. Our version of soul-seeking just might annoy you a little bit more than the offline version. Sorry about that!

Molly Fosco
Posted: 03/05/2014 2:26 pm EST Updated: 03/05/2014 2:59 pm EST
Article from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/molly-fosco/

Self-Confidence Begins at Home

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:39:00 +0000

Sherrie Campbell, PhD Become a fan
Veteran, licensed Psychologist
Posted: 04/14/2014 3:15 pm EDT Updated: 04/14/2014 3:59 pm EDT

A child's sense of self is shaped by every interaction he or she has, but it is shaped most powerfully by how they are loved and parented at home. How a child sees themselves will influence every aspect of their life from their education, relationships to their overall well-being. Life is about feeling good enough, competent, loved, successful and happy, and the outer world doesn't always reflect this, so unconditional love and acceptance at home is the best catalyst for self-esteem.

9 Truths Our Children Must Hear About Themselves

1. They are amazing. Our children need to know they are amazing just because they are. They don't have to DO anything to be amazing. They are a gift, deserve to be loved and treasured and need to be disciplined to think and believe in their own greatness. When we see them having low self-esteem we must remind them that nothing can stand in the way of their greatness.

2. They are significant. When we love our children and treat them with respect, they learn they are important and significant. When we include them in our lives and also respect and parent in alignment with their changing developmental needs, we show them we see them and they are important. We must verbalize their importance, and encourage them toward their unique purpose in this world.

3. They are smart. When we raise our children we must raise them to see, believe in and use their intelligence. When our children hear they are smart and we find every opportunity to show them this through their own actions, we help them believe it about themselves. When they believe they are smart they behave smartly, perform smartly, communicate intelligently and they make wiser choices.

4. They are beautiful. We are all beautiful in our own unique ways. We must tell our children they are beautiful inside and out and give them that idea of themselves. If they live from this idea they will strive to maintain it because it feels good to feel beautiful. Beauty is subjective, and the world may not always mirror this to them, so if they have this as an internal belief they will be able to carry this through the harder times.

5. They are special. Our children are precious people. They are unique and different from us and we, as parents, need to celebrate and allow this. When we love them according to their special qualities, they learn to see themselves not as different but as genuinely gifted, unique and special. When we allow them the freedom to be in their uniqueness and we recognize them with interest and support, they naturally find a confidence in their individual expression.

7. They are capable. When we teach them they are capable, they learn they can stand up with all the confidence in the world. They can look any person in the face and be proud of the person they are; it won't matter what people say about them, because they know all that matters is what they think of themselves. When we believe in their capabilities they will naturally live up to higher expectations.

8. They are powerful. As we parent them with love, discipline, support and positive affirmation we teach them no one can stand in the of their greatness. We teach them that no one can stop them but them, that no one can get in their way but them. We teach that getting in their own way is not an option. We believe in them to dig deep and to find the power to surpass all challenge.

9. They are lovable. Our children learn how to love themselves by how we love them. We must always affirm their unconditional lovability. No one is perfect, and having confidence doesn't come as a result of being perfect. Confidence comes from learning to love themselves in their not-so-perfect moments. We must always tell them to love themselves, not just that we love them but that they need to love themselves.

When we implant confidence into our children though our parenting they get a head start in life. They start life with an inherent belief in themselves and what they are capable of. This way when life gets hard, their natural drive will be to maintain and strive for that original sense of well-being they were gifted from our parenting. When we love them with discipline and positive affirmation they learn to treat themselves in just this way.

Little Life Message: Our external parenting becomes the internal dialogue within our children so we must strive to make it positive.

Sherrie Campbell, PhD Become a fan
Veteran, licensed Psychologist
Posted: 04/14/2014 3:15 pm EDT Updated: 04/14/2014 3:59 pm EDT

The Fine Line Between Self-Confidence & Cockiness

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:08:00 +0000

By DEREK WHITNEY
Article from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/

We all know people who sing their own praises at every work or social opportunity. You may sometimes wonder if they know something about self-confidence that you don’t. Perhaps their annoying habit is a sign that they’ve discovered some secret to waking up every day feeling ready to conquer the world. Truly, the line between self-confidence and arrogance can seem finer than it really is.

Cocky or Confident?

Cocky people do have confidence, but it comes from a different place than true self-assurance. Arrogance is one result of building self-esteem from outward sources such as financial privilege or constant praise. However, yank the external support system away, and the person’s sense of self-worth goes with it.

You build true self-confidence from within and project it to the world. Confident people have a realistic picture of their own traits and abilities and trust themselves enough to respond to life authentically. They learn from failure rather than letting it define them, and they forge ahead a bit wiser.

A hallmark of the genuinely self-assured person is the ability to admit to a mistake without excessive apologizing or rationalization. A cocky colleague, on the other hand, is more likely to pass the buck.

Four Ways to Tell the Difference

1. Style vs. Bling Addiction.

True style is personal and has little to do with trends. Confident people enjoy what they have without defining themselves by their possessions. These are the folks who survive disasters with a strong and giving spirit. Their sense of self remains constant even if they must physically rebuild.

Arrogant people are more often emotionally devastated by material losses and may struggle harder to define their core values in the face of adversity. Not everyone who flaunts “stuff” is cocky, but ostentation suggests a distorted self-image.

2. Active Listening vs. the Monologue.

That person who insists on holding court in any gathering is probably a frightened jester rather than a monarch.

Arrogant people need to validate their belief of being better than others and are constantly looking for opportunities to sell themselves.

If you like yourself as you are, you free up energy to be genuinely interested in other people. You engage in active listening and ask sincere questions. In turn, people will respond positively to your attentiveness.

3. Ambition vs. Ruthlessness.

Ambition is not a crime. Confident people relish achievement and contributing their talents to the world. They don’t feel threatened by others’ successes and instead try to learn from them.

Cocky people need to believe that they are on top even if reality says otherwise. This can lead to unnecessarily manipulative or callous behavior as they focus on defending a power base at all costs.

4. The Human vs. the Greek God.

As a self-confident person, you accept that you are just a human being. You are intrinsically no better or worse than anyone else. In addition to your successes, you have flaws, failures and really bad hair days or even years. You treat yourself with compassion while taking responsibility for your choices, and you learn from misfortune and mistakes.

Arrogant people can’t risk the fragile persona crumbling in the face of defeat and run from criticism. They tend to go to extremes of either deflecting blame onto others or condemning themselves for being only human.If you wonder about your own cocky moments, you are probably in the ballpark of self-confidence.

Truly secure people evaluate their own behavior and face their doubts. By letting go of fear, you set yourself up for success.

DEREK WHITNEY
Article from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/

MARIA LUISA SALCINES: Develop self-confidence in your child

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:01:00 +0000

Posted: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 5:02 pm
Maria Luisa Salcines | MLSalcines@aol.com
Article from http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/columnists/

Raising a self-confident child can be tricky because sometimes in the name of making our child feel loved we overprotect, and make life too easy for our children.

Self-worth is what allows a person to be happy and pursue success. It lays the foundation for your future by giving you the confidence to succeed in school, persevere when times are difficult, and form healthy relationships.

Self-confidence is gained through years of unconditional love. Think of your children as a bucket of water you are filling that needs constant refilling because the water overflows.

Children are developing and changing on a daily basis, they can never hear the words “I love you” often enough. Your unconditional love has to always be a constant in their life.

Loving your child and telling him he is loved only when he behaves does not help a child gain self-confidence.

Children need to know that even when they make mistakes and choices you disagree with, they are still loved.

Parents need to encourage their child to try new things; they need to give their child freedom within healthy boundaries so that he can have the courage to try new things.

Trying new things and failing is what teaches a child to persevere. As much as it hurts

a parent to see their child sad, this learning process is an important part of life.

Parents who pamper and protect their children do more harm than good.

Helping your child gain a sense of self-worth is a slow process that continues throughout your child’s life.

Parents can help their children by teaching them responsibility. Give your children chores, and hold them accountable for their grades and behavior.

Show your children that you are proud of them. Make the effort to attend all of their school functions, especially when they get older. Teens often pretend they don’t care, but you’d be surprised how good it makes them feel when you show interest in the things they are involved with.

Listen to your children and try to learn how to communicate and fit in their world. Parents build a wall between their children when they are constantly talking about the past or about how they used to do things.

Be open to learning new things and they will be more open to letting you into their lives.

Regardless of how big or small, always celebrate your children’s accomplishments.

Allow your children to express their opinions in a respectful way. Sometimes we tell them we want them to talk to us, but when they do we don’t listen and are quick to give our opinion.

Advice is great, but sometimes listening is more important. When you allow your children to express their feelings you are letting them know that their thoughts matter.

Raising children is a challenge and parents you will make mistakes. When you do, don’t hesitate to apologize.

A parent-child relationship built on love, acceptance, and trust can always be mended.

Maria Luisa Salcines is a freelance writer, and certified parent educator with The International Network for Children and Families in Redirecting Children’s Behavior and Redirecting for a Cooperative Classroom. Follow her on Twitter @PowerOfFamily or contact her at her website at www.redirectingchildrenrgv.org.
Article from http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/columnists/

Economic Diversification an Important Buffer for Africa in Uncertain Global Environment

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:35:00 +0000

Posted May 13 , 2013
Article from http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/

Africa needs to forge a new model of growth based on inclusivity

Cape Town, South Africa – Economic diversification is essential for African economies to build buffers against vulnerability in a volatile world, panellists told a World Economic Forum on Africa session on Africa’s economic outlook.

Creating a savings culture and increased tax base to help fund intra-African trade and investment and reduce African countries’ dependence on customs revenues are other factors that could provide buffers against volatility and improve trade flows by lessening the incentive for countries to impose non-tariff barriers, participants said.

Sectors mentioned as being important for the future include agriculture, financial services, natural resource extraction, investment in IT infrastructure, housing, power supply and regional trading of electricity. Participants added tourism and healthcare as important sectors for Africa’s development and job creation.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance of Nigeria, said Africa’s growth rates are not a flash-in-the-pan as shown by the fact that, even in the uncertain economic climate globally, Africa continues to grow. But it is important to find ways to step up the growth and make it inclusive.

Her view was echoed by Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Finance of South Africa, who said it is not only the measurement of gross domestic product that is important, but the quality of that GDP. He said Africa needs to produce a new model of growth based on inclusivity and create new economic institutions both within and between countries to support it. The flow of capital out of the continent has to be stemmed to increase the availability of investible capital within Africa.

He said that, although foreign direct investment in Africa is growing, much of it is still going into the resources sector. The challenge of the next five years is to lay the basis for greater diversification based on countries’ comparative advantage. “The time has certainly come for Africa to start talking about what it is going to do for itself.”

Africans should take advantage of the increased confidence and interest in the continent by negotiating better terms of trade. However, he cautioned that the new self-confidence now evident in Africa itself should not lead to hubris. “We will be living in a risky world for some years to come.”

Benno Ndulu, Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, said natural resource wealth is a key opportunity for the future and, although past experience of leveraging it for development has been negative, lessons have been learned and the future is more positive. He added that Africa has a comparative advantage in its combination of cheap labour and a large youth population, which can help Africa to attract investment from Asia.

Okonjo-Iweala said that, while Africa is seeing increased FDI, increasingly Africans themselves are investing in Africa. She said that, for example, South African companies are among the biggest investors in Nigeria while Nigerian companies are expanding rapidly across West and East Africa.

Linah K. Mohohlo, Governor and Board Chairman of the Bank of Botswana, said for Africa to progress, it is important that a greater commitment is made to productivity and competitiveness.

With the support of the Government of South Africa, the World Economic Forum on Africa is being held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 8 to 10 May. Over 1,000 participants from more than 80 countries are taking part. Under the theme Delivering on Africa’s Promise, the meeting’s agenda will integrate three pillars: Accelerating Economic Diversification; Boosting Strategic Infrastructure; and Unlocking Africa’s Talent.

Posted May 13 , 2013
Article from http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/

Dodgeball Should Not Be Part of Any Curriculum, Ever

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 11 May 2013 08:14:00 +0000

Making kids play team sports in PE is neither healthy nor educational.

By Jessica Olien|Posted Friday, May 10, 2013, at 5:35 AM

Article from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/05/reform_physical_education_gym_class_shouldn_t_require_team_sports.html

Students play in the school gym at J.V. Junior High School in Dillon, S.C.

Photo by Tami Chappell/Reuters

As a kid, I wanted desperately to be good at sports. This was not because I enjoyed playing them. I did not. It was because I’d learned that physical education classes were key to my social survival. I knew my failure to make a basketball hit the backboard would have ramifications throughout the school year. In anticipation, as each summer waned, I’d do drills in my backyard. I’d practice dribbling balls, swinging rackets, serving volleyballs over a tree branch.

Once each school year started, it would take less than a week to re-establish my utter failure in sports and my place as an object of ridicule to my peers.

Every PE unit was a means for me to prove just how useless and uncooperative my body was. The cycle began with cautious optimism—maybe I’ll hit/kick/serve it this time!— followed shortly by a missed kick or fumbled serve that showed the class and teacher that I was terrible at everything. The culmination of each class was the annihilation of my self-confidence.

Every new sport was a fresh hell. I spent the majority of the time either on the sidelines or waiting to be picked for a team by one of the popular kids, the ones who already knew how to swing a bat and give unselfconscious high-fives. I ended up in the outfield with the boy who picked his nose.

I spent most classes trying to disappear. I had the tricks down: move as subtly as possible away from the ball; attempt a bathroom break when your team is called to the infield; when all else fails develop allergies or limp (this one rarely paid off).

After this ordeal, I’d shuffle through the rest of the school day deflated, sure that the students who’d watched me flounder at kickball now expected me to fail at life. Long division? Who, me? You must be mistaken; I can’t even catch. With the weeklong exception of archery in high school (my singular time to shine), this agony went on for 12 years.

Calling the class “physical education” was some sort of sick joke. The lesson I was learning about my physical body was that it was useless, inferior, and quite possibly infected with a cootie-like virus. We should have been learning about how complicated and capable our bodies were and how to make them healthier. Instead we were playing dodgeball.

Cheryl Richardson, the senior director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, the organization that produces national PE standards, says “dodgeball should not be part of any curriculum, ever.” But she admits it is difficult to know how many schools are adhering to the standards, which are not federally mandated. Richardson says NASPE advocates for a more balanced approach to physical education than that which many of us grew up with, one that teaches children good sportsmanship, builds on their motor skills, and helps them find a role in a group setting. But they do still advocate for competitive team sports.

The proponents of team sports in schools say it helps kids learn that they have a place in a team. In this, for me, sports were very effective. I learned early on that my place on a team was similar to that of the elderly antelope with a gimpy leg on a nature program. I was a good distraction, being mauled and eaten so the other, less obviously damaged could get away.

If I had not been subjected to such effective team-building exercises, maybe as an adult I would not be such a loner. Experiences in school can have a devastating effect into adulthood. A British study from Loughborough University showed that physical education in school can be so traumatic that it turns women away from physical fitness for the rest of their lives.

Needless to say, my physical fitness did not improve over the course of my school career. Instead, I developed a slouch and the impression that my perfectly normal body was disabled. A notion that, despite being in perfectly good shape, I held onto until I was 30.

As an adult, I certainly haven't played any of the varsity-style sports that I was expected to take quite seriously as a 10-year-old. For kids who do want to play sports, there are plenty of other opportunities. Most schools have programs outside of gym class for those who want to try their hand at team sports or work toward becoming a professional. Sports are certainly not so underappreciated in our culture that they need to be the standard by which we judge kids and teach them how to take care of their bodies.

To make matters worse, sports in a school setting are not even an effective way to get exercise. According to a 2006 investigation, high school students got an average of 16 minutes of actual exercise a in an hour of gym class. The notion that our school gymnasiums are the breeding ground for our nation’s professional athletes has kept physical education from actually educating children about their bodies or how to use them.

Some schools have changed their curricula to reflect a healthier, more inclusive view of physical education. Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative promotes healthy eating and a positive outlook to combat childhood obesity. However, many schools still teach that fitness has to be a competitive venture, which rewards those who are already comfortable in their bodies while making others flounder their way into adulthood needlessly diminished and damaged.

Due to budget constraints, some schools are doing away with physical education altogether. This would have looked like a miracle to me as a kid, but as an adult I can appreciate the value of physical fitness and how detrimental it is for children to remain focused and immobile all day.

Many states have passed bills to extend physical education time, adding 200 minutes a week. But according to a study from Cornell, 200 minutes translated to a measly eight-minute increase in active time. The study, based on an annual survey of high schoolers by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed that even students did not believe gym class was serving its purpose.

The solution seems pretty simple. Start teaching kids how to do the things they can do, better. Most kids can run and jump and skip. Let them. They don’t have to race or see who scores the most points. Teach them about what they can do rather than what they can’t. Show them their bodies can be a key to their future happiness, not an obstacle to it.

Jessica Olien|Posted Friday, May 10, 2013, at 5:35 AM

Article from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2013/05/reform_physical_education_gym_class_shouldn_t_require_team_sports.html

Teachers favor corporal punishment

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Thu, 09 May 2013 08:02:00 +0000

JEDDAH: FADIA JIFFRY
Thursday 9 May 2013
Last Update 9 May 2013 1:33 am
From http://www.arabnews.com/news/450963

The Kingdom is trying to implement a ban on chastisement in schools as part of a global initiative to end corporal punishment.

According to regular circulars issued by the Ministry of Education, schools in the Kingdom are advised not to use corporal punishment. This rule is applicable to all stages of general education and penalties have been created to prevent teachers from using force to discipline students. However, there is still no precise prohibition framework.

Teachers say that a ban on corporal punishment in schools might lead to undisciplined students.

“Students in this generation are very hard to control without beating,” says Ahmad Oraif, a high school teacher. “Corporal punishments in schools need to be allowed to reflect the teacher’s authority in class, at least to a certain degree. For example, in my situation, I find it very hard to control big students, especially when I try to reprimand them for their mistakes. They don’t pay attention to what I say and don’t treat me with the respect I deserve as a teacher.”

He adds that disciplining a child with a stick is much more effective than trying to discipline a child verbally. “Most of us teachers fear the vengeance high school students are capable of. After-school hours are usually the time when angry students attack their teachers.”

Oraif says he uses the ruler as a prop to maintain discipline for students he privately tutors. “Apart from just the respect it provides, I find these students producing results, which is why I think corporal punishment in schools is important, although I wouldn’t suggest severe punishment.”

“Banning corporal punishment in public schools will be a big threat to teachers,” says Afa Binladin, principal of a public school in Jeddah. “There are many complains that most high school students are already very tough to control and a ban on using sticks to discipline would only make it worse.”

“I don’t support such forms of punishment, especially not severe punishment, which causes facial mutilation and it creates many psychological consequences,” says Dr. Khalid Al-Oufi, consultant psychiatrist and medical director at Al-Amal Hospital. “Corporal punishment affects the self-confidence of a student. It leads to the development of weak personalities and provokes angry and hostile behavior among students.”

Al-Oufi says there are other ways in which teachers can deal with students.

“Teachers can use positive reinforcement, either by praising, thanking or encouraging them for good behavior. Teachers can also use negative reinforcement by depriving students of the things they like, by not allowing them to go for their break time, by asking them to stand up, by not giving them high marks or by using the psychological punishment such as time out.”

A global report released in 2012 to end legislated violence against children said 117 states worldwide had prohibited corporal punishment in schools, while 81 states had neither prohibited nor enforced the law yet, with Saudi Arabia listed among these countries.

The report also said 46.3 percent of the global child population was protected by law from corporal punishment at schools.

JEDDAH: FADIA JIFFRY
Thursday 9 May 2013
Last Update 9 May 2013 1:33 am
From http://www.arabnews.com/news/450963

Building Self-Confidence, Preparing Yourself for Success

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:47:00 +0000

From http://www.mindtools.com/selfconf.html

From the quietly confident doctor whose advice we rely on, to the charismatic confidence of an inspiring speaker, self-confident people have qualities that everyone admires.

Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, yet so many people struggle to find it. Sadly, this can be a vicious circle: people who lack self-confidence can find it difficult to become successful.

After all, most people are reluctant to back a project that's being pitched by someone who is nervous, fumbling, and overly apologetic.

On the other hand, you might be persuaded by someone who speaks clearly, who holds his or her head high, who answers questions assuredly, and who readily admits when he or she does not know something.

Self-confident people inspire confidence in others: their audience, their peers, their bosses, their customers, and their friends. And gaining the confidence of others is one of the key ways in which a self-confident person finds success.

The good news is that self-confidence can be learned and built on. And, whether you’re working on your own self-confidence or building the confidence of people around you, it’s well worth the effort!

How Confident do you Seem to Others?

Your level of self-confidence can show in many ways: your behavior, your body language, how you speak, what you say, and so on. Look at the following comparisons of common confident behavior with behavior associated with low self-confidence. Which thoughts or actions do you recognize in yourself and people around you?

As you can see from these examples, low self-confidence can be self-destructive, and it often manifests itself as negativity. Self-confident people are generally more positive – they believe in themselves and their abilities, and they also believe in living life to the full.

What is Self-Confidence?

Two main things contribute to self-confidence: self-efficacy and self-esteem.

We gain a sense of self-efficacy when we see ourselves (and others similar to ourselves) mastering skills and achieving goals that matter in those skill areas. This is the confidence that, if we learn and work hard in a particular area, we'll succeed. It's this type of confidence that leads people to accept difficult challenges, and persist in the face of setbacks.

This overlaps with the idea of self-esteem, which is a more general sense that we can cope with what's going on in our lives, and that we have a right to be happy. Partly, this comes from a feeling that the people around us approve of us, which we may or may not be able to control. However, it also comes from the sense that we are behaving virtuously, that we're competent at what we do, and that we can compete successfully when we put our minds to it.

Some people believe that self-confidence can be built with affirmations and positive thinking. At Mind Tools, we believe that there's some truth in this, but that it's just as important to build self-confidence by setting and achieving goals – thereby building competence. Without this underlying competence, you don't have self-confidence: you have shallow over-confidence, with all of the upset and failure that this brings.

Building Self-Confidence

So how do you build this sense of balanced self-confidence, founded on a firm appreciation of reality?

The bad news is that there’s no five-minute solution.

The good news is that building self-confidence is readily achievable, just as long as you have the focus and determination to carry things through. And what’s even better is that the things you’ll do to build self-confidence will also build success – after all, your confidence will come from real, solid achievement. No-one can take this away from you.

So here are our three steps to self-confidence, for which we’ll use the metaphor of a journey: preparing for your journey; setting out; and accelerating towards success.

Step 1: Preparing for Your Journey

The first step involves getting yourself ready for your journey to self-confidence. You need to take stock of where you are, think about where you want to go, get yourself in the right mindset for your journey, and commit yourself to starting it and staying with it.

In preparing for your journey, do these five things:

Look at What You've Already Achieved

Think about your life so far, and list the ten best things you've achieved in an "Achievement Log." Perhaps you came top in an important test or exam, played a key role in an important team, produced the best sales figures in a period, did something that made a key difference in someone else’s life, or delivered a project that meant a lot for your business.

Put these into a smartly formatted document, which you can look at often. And then spend a few minutes each week enjoying the success you’ve already had.

Think About Your Strengths

Next, use a technique such as SWOT Analysis to take a look at who and where you are. Looking at your Achievement Log, and reflecting on your recent life, think about what your friends would consider to be your strengths and weaknesses. From these, think about the opportunities and threats you face.

Make sure that you enjoy a few minutes reflecting on your strengths!

Think About What's Important to You, and Where you Want to Go

Next, think about the things that are really important to you, and what you want to achieve with your life.

Setting and achieving goals is a key part of this, and real self-confidence comes from this. Goal setting is the process you use to set yourself targets, and measure your successful hitting of those targets. See our article on goal setting to find out how to use this important technique, or use our Life Plan Workbook to think through your own goals in detail (see the "Tip" below).

Inform your goal setting with your SWOT Analysis. Set goals that exploit your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, realize your opportunities, and control the threats you face.

And having set the major goals in your life, identify the first step in each. Make sure it’s a very small step, perhaps taking no more than an hour to complete.

Start Managing Your Mind

At this stage, you need to start managing your mind. Learn to pick up and defeat the negative self-talk which can destroy your confidence. See our article on rational positive thinking to find out how to do this.

Further useful reading includes our article on imagery – this teaches you how to use and create strong mental images of what you'll feel and experience as you achieve your major goals – there’s something about doing this that makes even major goals seem achievable.

And Then Commit Yourself to Success!

The final part of preparing for the journey is to make a promise to yourself that you are absolutely committed to your journey, and that you will do all in your power to achieve it.

If, as you’re doing it, you find doubts starting to surface, write them down and challenge them calmly and rationally. If they dissolve under scrutiny, that’s great. However if they are based on genuine risks, make sure you set additional goals to manage these appropriately. For help with evaluating and managing the risks you face, read our Risk Analysis and Management article.

Either way, make that promise!

Tip:

Self-confidence is about balance. At one extreme, we have people with low self-confidence. At the other end, we have people who may be over-confident.

If you are under-confident, you’ll avoid taking risks and stretching yourself; and you might not try at all. And if you’re over-confident, you may take on too much risk, stretch yourself beyond your capabilities, and crash badly. You may also find that you’re so optimistic that you don’t try hard enough to succeed.

Getting this right is a matter of having the right amount of confidence, founded in reality and on your true ability. With the right amount of self-confidence, you will take informed risks, stretch yourself (but not beyond your abilities) and try hard.

So How Self Confident Are You? Take our short quiz to find out how self-confident you are already, and start looking at specific strategies to improve your confidence level.

Step 2: Setting Out

This is where you start, ever so slowly, moving towards your goal. By doing the right things, and starting with small, easy wins, you’ll put yourself on the path to success – and start building the self-confidence that comes with this.

Build the Knowledge you Need to Succeed

Looking at your goals, identify the skills you’ll need to achieve them. And then look at how you can acquire these skills confidently and well. Don’t just accept a sketchy, just-good-enough solution – look for a solution, a program or a course that fully equips you to achieve what you want to achieve and, ideally, gives you a certificate or qualification you can be proud of.

Focus on the Basics

When you’re starting, don’t try to do anything clever or elaborate. And don’t reach for perfection – just enjoy doing simple things successfully and well.

Set Small Goals, and Achieve Them

Starting with the very small goals you identified in step 1, get in the habit of setting them, achieving them, and celebrating that achievement. Don’t make goals particularly challenging at this stage, just get into the habit of achieving them and celebrating them. And, little by little, start piling up the successes!

Keep Managing Your Mind

Stay on top of that positive thinking, keep celebrating and enjoying success, and keep those mental images strong. You can also use a technique such as Treasure Mapping to make your visualizations even stronger.

And on the other side, learn to handle failure. Accept that mistakes happen when you’re trying something new. In fact, if you get into the habit of treating mistakes as learning experiences, you can (almost) start to see them in a positive light. After all, there’s a lot to be said for the saying “if it doesn’t kill you, it makes you stronger.”

Step 3: Accelerating Towards Success

By this stage, you’ll feel your self-confidence building. You’ll have completed some of the courses you started in step 2, and you’ll have plenty of success to celebrate.

This is the time to start stretching yourself. Make the goals a bit bigger, and the challenges a bit tougher. Increase the size of your commitment. And extend the skills you’ve proven into new, but closely related arenas.

Tip 1:

Keep yourself grounded – this is where people tend to get over-confident and over-stretch themselves. And make sure you don’t start enjoying cleverness for its own sake…

Tip 2:

If you haven't already looked at it, use our How Self Confident Are You? quiz to find out how self-confident you are, and to identify specific strategies for building self-confidence.

As long as you keep on stretching yourself enough, but not too much, you'll find your self-confidence building apace. What's more, you'll have earned your self-confidence – because you’ll have put in the hard graft necessary to be successful.

Goal setting is arguably the most important skill you can learn to improve your self-confidence. If you haven't already read and applied our goal setting article, you can read it here.

Key Points

Self-confidence is extremely important in almost every aspect of our lives, and people who lack it can find it difficult to become successful.

Two main things contribute to self-confidence: self-efficacy and self-esteem. You can develop self-confidence with these three steps:

Prepare for your journey.

Set out on your journey.

Accelerate towards success.

Goal setting is probably the most important activity that you can learn in order to improve your self-confidence.

From http://www.mindtools.com/selfconf.html

The UAE student who went from chubby to champ!

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:00:00 +0000

Jassim Mohammad Al Nassai weighed 120kg and was on the brink of developing diabetes when he decided to give up junk food and his sedentary lifestyle. Now, he's 40kg lighter and a powerlifting champion. He shares his story with Ranjani Ramesh

By Ranjani Ramesh for Friday magazinePublished: 00:00 April 13, 2012

Article from Gulf News

Squeezing myself into the chair at the front of the class, I was still wheezing from running up the stairs. "What a fatty," my friends sniggered. I was so busy trying to catch my breath that I didn't realise who the boys were talking about at first. I looked around to see who they were referring to, and they were staring directly at me. That's when it sank in.

These were my classmates, and they weren't being nasty, just honest. I was 16 years old, around 150cm tall and tipped the scales at 90kg. Up until then, I'd tucked into my favourite foods - fried chicken, burgers and pizza - simply thought my clothes were being shrunk in the wash, and that the chair at school was particularly small.

I couldn't stay in denial. I was overweight and hated it. But instead of spurring me on to improve my diet, my friends' disparaging remarks sent me to the fridge for comfort. Sprawled out in front of the television that night, I even had an extra portion of Chinese takeaway to make myself feel better.

I had always been on the fat side, perhaps because I didn't like sports much. It had never bothered me before. I was popular, had lots of friends and went out at the weekends doing what I loved - eating fast food.

I probably would have carried on like that if I hadn't fallen ill with a fever. It was so bad, around 104F, that I went to my doctor. He asked me to undergo a few tests and return the next day for the results.

After he'd examined me and studied the reports he said, "Jassim, you are going to have some serious health problems soon if you don't do something about your weight".

In that cold white consulting room his words seemed to echo off the walls. For the first time in my life, I felt scared. "Your blood sugar is high," he said, "and you could end up with diabetes." I stared at him, shocked. Could I really be on the brink of such a serious condition at my age? I was just a teenager.

"You have to change your lifestyle and diet," my doctor warned. "If you don't take care of yourself now, you could be in trouble later." I took the prescription to tackle my fever and went home in a daze. Extremely worried, I discussed with my parents what the doctor had told me. Of course, they were concerned and asked me to stop eating junk food. "You also need to get some exercise," they said.

My friends were also concerned and suggested I join a gym. "Please change your diet," they pleaded. I had always loved sweets and was never without a bag to munch on. For breakfast I'd used to eat a couple of burgers and wash them down with a fizzy drink. For lunch I'd have fried chicken and burgers with a milkshake and in the evenings I ate more burgers and maybe a Chinese takeaway too.

I tried to follow a proper diet for a few days, but then I spotted my favourite fried chicken and gave in. With oil dripping down my chin, the doctor's words echoed in my mind. Guilt made me order an extra portion.

Although my friends had started encouraging me to watch my diet and my weight, I didn't really listen to them.

A few schoolmates used to call me nasty nicknames such as ‘trailer truck' but I ignored them.

But I knew that I was putting on weight. My clothes were getting tighter, but somehow I just couldn't find the willpower to doing something about it.

At 21 I developed a large lesion on my back and had to undergo minor surgery. The doctors who operated on me told me that the lesion was related to my obesity and advised that I alter my lifestyle immediately.

That was the final straw. The pain I'd gone through with the lesion and surgery forced me to take control.

By that time I had ballooned to 120kg and my stomach and lower body were almost twice the size of my upper body. I wore size XXL clothes and I just couldn't bear to look at my reflection in the mirror.

Determined to change my life for the better, in the summer of 2008, I walked into Nashwan Gym in Jumeirah and asked to meet the fitness coach. "I need to get fit," I told the trainer, "and I'm willing to do anything you say."

Tough regimen

The first thing he suggested was that I visit a doctor. He then sent me to a dietician who worked out what I should eat. Beginning in the morning, I was told to have a large glass of lemon juice and a bowl of lettuce. After a rigorous hour-and-a-half workout I had a few slices of pineapple and more salad. Lunch was a large slice of grilled chicken and tuna. In the evening I had a serving of tuna and a large bowl of salad and later I had more tuna with pineapple juice. Luckily, I love tuna!

When I first started training at the gym, my body was crying out in pain. Even 30 minutes on the stationary bicycle was sheer torture, but my trainer kept the pressure on to keep it up.

He told me to stop looking in the mirror after every session to see if there were any changes, and instead to wait for my friends and family to start noticing the changes. After three weeks, my family started commenting on "something different" about my looks. I was happy and worked even harder with my trainer. He used to make me jog for at least half an hour, cycle, then stretch.

Sometimes it felt like a boot camp, but I believed in my trainer and for eight months I kept on training and dieting until my weight fell from 120kg to 85kg. My friends were amazed with the changes and kept encouraging me to keep it up. The health benefits I felt were almost immediate. I could climb a set of stairs without panting, walk for an hour and not end up wheezing and even jog for more than two kilometres without tiring. And finally, my blood-sugar levels were within a normal range.

I had lost a lot of weight, but I still felt that I looked unattractive. To tighten my body, my trainer put me on a muscle-building plan. I started weight training to tone my arms, legs and build up my chest. In a few months, my body started to look toned. I also kept to my diet religiously. I was allowed to snack on fruits if I was hungry, but that was it. For a guy who had always reached out for a pizza or burger at any hour of the day, I must say it was very difficult. But I kept my objective in mind and kept away from the fridge at home and from dining out with my friends.

After 12 months of training and following a diet, I was 80kg and went shopping for new clothes because most of my jeans and shirts were too loose. I felt so happy to throw away my XXL clothes. I found, to my absolute surprise, that I could fit into a medium-sized shirt and trousers! I looked into the mirror and knew that I was stepping out in style.

A new man

With a better and healthier body came a sense of self confidence and higher self esteem. I looked back on the days when my friends called me a ‘drum' or a ‘trailer truck' and I thought I should surprise them.

I hadn't seen my best friend, Mohammad Abdullah, for a while because I was always at the gym. So when I turned up at his place, he was stunned. "I cannot believe it is you, Jassim," he said. He actually didn't even recognise me at first. Seeing the astonishment and happiness in his eyes and in those of my other friends, was a huge motivator for me and I finally knew that I really did look different.

My confidence soared. I felt a lot happier about my body. I used to hate having my picture taken because I was embarrassed by my body, now I looked forward to posing for the camera.

Still, I wanted to challenge myself further. I have a dream of joining the police force so I need to be trim and full of energy. I also wanted to build muscle and tone my body, so decided to take up powerlifting. It became my new challenge and with my trainer's help, I decided to compete for the annual UAE Powerlifting Championship. All the big gyms in the UAE send their athletes to compete and I had just a year to get ready.

I started by lifting relatively light weights and after a year could confidently lift around 100kg. My trainer put me on a strict training plan where I built up my muscle mass. In 2010 participated in the UAE Powerlifting Championship in Umm Al Quwain and won the gold medal in the 80kg category! This medal still hangs in Nashwan Gym.

My life today…

When I wake up in the morning I have a glass of water or a large glass of juice then a shower and head straight for the gym. I lift weights for an hour before heading work and then to university in the evening where I am studying for a degree in information technology. Two years ago this would have been unthinkable for me as I could not have taken the pressures of a job and studies. But a regular workout helps in building stamina

I'm glad that I was saved in time by the doctor who warned me - I haven't had to go back since! - and my trainer who motivated me. I want to reach out to others who are living their lives on junk food and little exercise in the hope that my story will be their inspiration.

Getting him in shape

Nashwan Mohammad, co-owner of Nashwan Gym talks about Jassim's programme:

"When Jassim came to my gym, he wanted only two things: to lose weight and have a good body.

"We asked him a few questions about his diet and lifestyle and then did a weigh-in. We found that he needed extensive training to get his body into shape and improve his health. As any gym trainer will tell you, people expect miracles to happen in a few days and they want to see results almost immediately. But we make sure that customers understand that a body that has been neglected for many years without exercise and a nutritious diet will take time to correct itself. What one needs to have is patience.

"In Jassim's case, we got a detailed medical report from Rashid Hospital about his blood sugar, blood pressure and the condition of his heart before we decided to draw up a regimen that would include diet and exercise.

"We also did a physical examination of his body at the gym to see which parts of his body had accumulated fat and needed to be toned. I then started him on a set of cardio exercises including cycling and jogging.

"As with others who come to my gym, Jassim was also given a customised regimen and told to stay away from quick fixes such as steroids. We have a strict policy of checking for steroid use among those training with us and if we notice any trace of steroids in their system, we don't allow them to continue at the gym.

"Instead he was given a whey protein supplement that he could have regularly in addition to his customised diet meal plan."

Article from Gulf News

How to Build Self-Confidence for a Job Interview

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:06:00 +0000

By Raene Kaleinani, eHow Contributor

Article from eHow

Write out your interview answers and practice them out loud.

When it comes to interview skills, "practice" does indeed make "perfect." Practicing your answers on paper to commonly-asked job interview questions will prepare you to be more confident in an interview. Three commonly asked interview questions are: "Tell me about yourself," "What makes you the right candidate for the job?" and "What would your previous employer say about you?

Instructions

1 Write out the answers to possible interview questions on paper. Put some effort into making the answers thoughtful, informative and concise.

2 Sit upright properly in a chair in front of a full-length mirror. Place your hands in your lap. Place your feet together with your eyes directly forward. Observe your disposition and facial expressions. Adjust your demeanor to display confidence.

3 Record yourself. Practice your interview answers using a camcorder or an audio tape recorder. Listen to your voice inflections. Observe your body language.

4 Coordinate a mock interview with a friend as the job interviewer. Instruct your friend to be tough on you and ask questions in random order. Discuss improvements that will lead to a successful interview.

Article from eHow

Experts say exercise has multiple benefits for children

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:35:00 +0000

Article from Daily American

VICKI ROCK

Daily American Staff Writer

11:28 p.m. EDT, April 4, 2012

SOMERSET-— Alisha Black can see a difference in children's attention spans before and after recess.

"Sometimes it's a big difference," said Black, lead teacher for the Pre-K Counts class at Maple Ridge Elementary School in Somerset. "Some really need to burn off the energy."

Linda McDonough said children need exercise.

"It builds up their bodies and stimulates cognitive development," McDonough said. She is the director of early childhood education for the Head Start program through the Community Action Partnership for Somerset County, Tableland Services. "Children also need different kinds of activities: quiet and sedentary, and loud and gross motor skills active. These activities are needed for physical and cognitive growth."

The state requires Head Start and Pre-K Counts programs to have 45 minutes of play in a six-hour day. Those 45 minutes do not have to be in a block of time; the time can be divided through the day.

About 75 percent of preschoolers in the U.S. spend most of their days in child care centers and they are only active about 2 percent to 3 percent of the time, according to a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics. Dr. Kristen Copeland, a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said her research team found three main societal barriers to exercise: concerns about the children injuring themselves while at play; financial constraints that limited some centers' ability to purchase playground equipment; and a growing emphasis on academic learning over unstructured physical play time.

"Children develop mastery of gross motor skills — climbing, throwing and catching ball, skipping and learning to control their bodies — on their own at an early age, and these skills aren't taught in school," Copeland said in the article. "And children who are most comfortable with these skills show more self-confidence and have better peer relationships than children who don't."

McDonough agrees that in some cases there is pressure on preschools and elementary schools to stress academics. Some have cut recess time and gym classes.

Some parents believe that only boys need physical activity and that girls are content playing indoors. Dr. Pooja Tandon, a pediatrician and researcher at Seattle Children's Hospital, said her team's study shows that preschool girls are 16 percent less likely than boys their age to be taken outside by their parents to play. The study, published in the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, also shows that children who are cared for at home are more likely not to play outside. About 42 percent of those who don't regularly attend a child care center don't go outside to play daily.

"I think girls in general can be more content with sedentary stuff," McDonough said. "When I was growing up, even in high school, girls were not allowed to play full-court basketball or to climb the ropes in gym. It's great how times have changed. We encourage all parents to get their children outside to play."

Article from Daily American

Self Improvement Tips: Boosting Self Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:37:00 +0000

Article from News Olio

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could only waken up in the morning, brush our teeth and put on our self-assurance for the day?

But, for those of us who don’t have a wardrobe full, here are 4 simple strategies that will help you develop more confidence.

1. Play up the Good Things.

Be your own greatest mate. What do you tell a mate who’s had a go at something new, whether or not it went well? At least you had a go at something new- great for you!

Emphasize the strength it took in trying something, rather than the end product. (You’d do it for your closest buddy, wouldn’t you?) Each of us has limitations. The key is to accept that you have them and not focusing on them.

2. Dont worry in relation to the risk of something new.

If you are about to try on a different experience, do you spend your days focusing so much in relation to the outcome you aren’t enjoying the moment? If you look out at new events in your life as a opportunity to discover something, it opens up the likelihood of you becoming skillful at that something.

If you waste your days worrying about the outcome, you’ll transform any opportunity there may have been into a waste. What’s more, we cannot develop when we are frozen with terror. Don’t put yourself up to fail. If you do, look back at the number one step, over again!

3. Use self-talk to keep assumptions away.

We all use self-talk. The answer is to draw on it in a method that we don’t construct unhealthy feelings that may lead to lasting misgivings. Spot yourself utilising off-putting self-talk and replace it with something optimistic and not built on assumptions!

Develop confidence by not expecting perfection from yourself at all times. You can simply try your hardest at something. No one can do all things flawlessly, so why do you suppose that you ought to be able to?

4. Learn to depend on your self-assessment.

When you always depend on the attitude of other folk, you’ll constantly be worrying what they think! That does not a thing to encourage self-confidence – it tears it down, by giving up your individual force to other folk.

Concentrate on the authentic you, within, to discover how you think as regards your own actions, how you’ve been performing your job, etc. You’ll be building up a robust awareness of who you are.

It’s vital to keep in mind that no one can be self-possessed every day. In reality, you’ll develop self-belief faster and easier when your comprehend that.

For the most part individuals with poor self-esteem or who are lacking in self esteem are that way because of naive expectations. They expect more from themselves than they do other people.

An individual with low self-esteem will think nothing in relation to calling him or herself a ‘daft fool.’ They wouldn’t dream of saying that to anyone else. To build self-reliance it’s a safe suggestion to be your own greatest friend.

Article from News Olio

Speech contest tests self-confidence Silvia Radan

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:18:00 +0000

31 March 2012

Article from Kaleej Times Online

Imagine being asked, without prior warning or preparation, to go on a stage and speak in front of an audience about something like confidence or daring. Could you do it?

During a public speech competition that took place on Friday in Abu Dhabi, as part of a Toastmasters Area Conference, this is what some of the contestants had to face: giving an impromptu one-and-a-half to two-minute speech on the “if you want to swim, you first have to dip into water” theme.

The full-day meeting was all about choosing one winner from each of the four categories of speech contests, who will move on to the next level of the annual Toastmasters International Competition.

“Toastmasters is a non-profit educational organisation for people who want to develop their skills in leadership, public speech and their self-confidence,” explained Marwan Abdulla Shayea, advance communicator and advance leader of Toastmasters’ Ro’yah club in Abu Dhabi, formed specially for Gasco employees.

“It was established in the US in 1924 and now it has reached more than 270,000 members in over 13,000 clubs in 116 countries,” he added.

The way it works is for a group of minimum 20 people to come together and form a club. They will hold meetings once or twice a week, each member practising his or her public speech abilities, using a manual provided by the Toastmasters headquarters, meant to boost this person’s leadership skills and self-confidence. How to tackle a topic, how to prepare a presentation, how to use body language and humour are some of the issues that the speaker will learn.

The group will start having speech competitions, first among themselves, then with other Toastmasters clubs from an area, which covers about five clubs, then move on to the division (about 30 clubs) and eventually to the district competition, which, for this part of the world, means the GCC countries, Jordan and Lebanon. The district winner will get to compete in the final Toastmasters International in the US.

The UAE joined Toastmasters in 1996 and the first club was formed in the Capital – Abu Dhabi Toastmasters. Presently, there are at least 90 clubs in the country.

“The competitions are about public speeches and presentations may be made on any subject except religion, sex and politics,” explained Asma Al Amri, Toastmaster advance leader, advance communicator and area governor.

So far, no UAE member has made it to the US finals, but Mohammed Murad, an Emirati from Dubai, has progressed so well within the organisation that he is now one of the two vice-presidents of Toastmasters International.

“He used to be a policeman, and after he retired, he decided to better himself, so he joined a Toastmasters club,” pointed out Shayea.

“This is the point of Toastmasters — to help people develop their skills for the community,” stressed Shayea.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com

Article from Kaleej Times Online

18-Y-O 'Go-Getter' Needs Support For Leaders Conference

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:49:00 +0000

Article from The Gleaner

WHEN ST JAGO High School student Alcia Brown was chosen by her teachers and principal to represent her school and the country at the 2012 Global Youth Leaders Conference in the United States, she was delighted and proud.

The bright 18-year-old, who exudes self-confidence, said the honour means a lot to her and her family.

"I was ecstatic. I consider it an honour and I am preparing myself to ensure I represent my school and country well. My family and friends are humbled by it and are behind me 100 per cent," she said.

The annual summer conference, held at venues across the United States, China and Europe, is a unique leadership-development programme that brings together outstanding young people from around the world, to build critical leadership skills within a global context. Students are chosen to attend based on their leadership at school and in the wider community.

Eager to attend

Held since 1985, the conference offers students an opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with some of the world's top business leaders, policy officials, lobbyists, journalists, diplomats and academics. To date, more than 200,000 young people, 15 to 18 years old, from some 100 countries, have participated.

Alcia was selected for the June 26 to July 4 programme in Washington, DC, and New York, and is eager to attend, noting that previous attendees from her school have related that they have learnt how to better interact and function in different social settings.

"Their cultural awareness has improved because of the mixing and mingling with individuals from over 100 countries across the world. It focuses on social issues that affect nations, and there is emphasis on good leadership qualities," she said.

But, benefiting from such interaction and exchange comes at a cost, as Alcia is required to pay her own registration and tuition fees, and airfare. She said her family is helping, but she needs more support and is looking to corporate Jamaica for assistance.

"I have received assistance from one sponsor so far, and that covered my deposit. However, I need much more money to cover the remaining costs, which is approximately $200,000," she said.

The deputy head girl has won many awards, including the prestigious Oswald Powell award for excellence in the 2010 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations, and is very involved in the school, church and community. She is president of the school's Debate and Literary Arts Society; public relations officer of the student librarian body; secretary of the Sixth-Form Association; and is a member of the Environmental Network, Science and Technology Club, Inter-Schools Christian Fellowship, and the Sign Language Club.

Exceptional student

With a self-assurance born from accomplishment, Alcia argues that it is important that outstanding students, such as herself, are given every opportunity to excel and realise their true potential, noting that this augers well for the country's development.

"I believe that an exceptional student should be given the opportunity to be phenomenal. When you see potential, I think it is good for someone to assist in fostering that growth, and I believe I am someone who is on the path to becoming a reputable person in society," she said.

Alcia, who plans to contribute to the development of the country in the field of pharmacology, said she is inspired by her family, which has instilled in her "a sense of greatness".

Her mother, Gloreen Brown, who describes Alcia as a "go-getter", said she is eager for her to attend the conference, noting that, "It will enhance her deportment, development, and what we already see in her as an exceptional individual."

Persons or organisations wishing to assist can contact Sandra Swyer-Watson, principal of St Jago High School at 984-4312.

Article from The Gleaner

Gaining Self Confidence - Why is it So Hard and What Can You Do About It

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:57:00 +0000

By Ethan Beh

Article from ezine

There are numerous self confidence tips that can help you immediately boost confidence. However, for a deeper self confidence that resides within the core of your being, a different approach is required. First understand the misconception of gaining self confidence. Then, use your experiences to gain confidence and finally properly define your fear because when you have clarity on what you are facing, you will have confidence in taking it on.

The misconception about gaining self confidence

I know a lot of people who are seeking to develop self confidence, and I know that most of them will fail to achieve it. Yep, that's right. It does not matter what book they read, who they learned it from, what methods they used or even what their current level of ability is.

They think that by doing all that, they will one day gain that unstoppable confidence that will give them courage to take on life like never before. They view confidence like it is an object that they can get a hold of. It's either you have it or not. And once you have it, you will be transformed into a different person.

Well, usually sooner or later most of these people will start to give up because no matter how much they try, they seemingly cannot reach that place of supreme confidence. Well it's no wonder. It's because it doesn't exist!

People believe that successful individuals are naturally confident and do not have any doubts. That is not true. No matter how smart, successful, talented or capable someone is, no one is absolutely free of doubt. There is the possibility success and failure in every situation. Michael Jordan has doubts, so does Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci and everyone else.

However, these individuals have something that sets them apart from others. The difference is that these individuals are aware that the state of absolute confidence cannot be achieved. So unlike many others, they don't wait until they are confident enough, they don't wait until they have no doubts. Rather they take action in spite of the doubt. They prepare as much as they can, then take action. They don't try to dispel all doubts & be 100% confident before making a decision or taking a course of action.

If you want to be 100% confident before you even attempt something, you can bet that you won't be attempting many things. Preparation can only do so much for your confidence, after you have prepared as much as you can - Just Do It!

Self confidence or lack of self confidence is gained from experience

Self confidence is gained from experience. A past success or achievement gives us confidence that we can achieve it again or do something similar. Whenever we attempt to do something, our brain automatically analyzes the probability of success. It looks for signs and indications that support either success or failure. This is where we get our confidence.

Nothing gives a stronger indication than a past experience of success. With that, it is proof that something can be achieved because it has happened before. So why shouldn't it happen again.

Subsequently this becomes a cycle - the more success you experience, the more confident you become. This added confidence drives you to further success and so on. This is why confident people become more and more confident, and more and more successful.

So while gaining self confidence comes from past experience, unfortunately so do low self confidence. Just as the experience of success can help us in gaining self confidence, past experiences of failure will pull our confidence level down. So in the end, what matters is just not having experience, but rather the quality of the experience. Or to be more accurate, the interpretation of the experience. We can't control what happens, but we can control our interpretation of what happened.

Do successful people face setbacks? Do they have tough times? Of course they do. Though they experience setbacks, they never ever view those as failures. To them, those experiences are valuable lessons, gave them a chance to perfect their skills, gain knowledge and ultimately brought them closer to reaching their goal. By having an interpretation such as this, every single experience they have will be looked at positively and will contribute to gaining self confidence.

So rather than let past experiences of failures drive down your confidence level, interpret all your experiences in an empowering way so you will be gaining confidence from it no matter what the experience is.

It is not that hard to do. Don't ever think that you are lying or kidding yourself. Remember, every situation has both sides of the coin - positive & negative. Every crisis has an opportunity, every loss has a gain. In other words, by interpreting your experience positively, you are not denying yourself the truth, you are just focusing more on the positive than the negative.

Practice daily to respond to any situation in this way. Make it a habit to immediately ask yourself 'What can I learn from this?' or 'What's so great about this situation?' whenever you face tough times.

Gaining confidence in any situation: Clarifying your fears

Often times we don't clarify our fears and keep it very vague. This is a mistake as it gives the impression that the situation is unknown, and that decreases our confidence of being able to handle it.

By identifying the details, we can clearly see what we are dealing with, and that gives us more confidence in facing it. In addition, often times doing this will make us realize that the situation is actually much better than we initially thought. It is the vagueness that made it seem more difficult than it actually is.

Conclusion: The Best Cure for Gaining Self Confidence

So what's the best way for gaining self confidence? Just face every situation head on. The more you do, the more experience you have, the more you can call upon that experience to give you confidence. The ideas and methods above will help you with exactly that. This will create a cycle that builds more and more confidence.

So there you go. Use the ideas here to help build more self confidence everyday. Remember, true confidence comes from doing, not from preparing.

Ethan Beh is a business consultant and self improvement enthusiast who spent the good portion of the last decade finding, learning and practicing the best self improvement techniques available.

Visit his site for more information on self confidence tips

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ethan_Beh

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1350064

Article from ezine

How post-independence failures have helped the West change an image of who Africa’s heroes are

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:41:00 +0000

Article from The Independent

At the time of independence, Africa was basking with self-discovery and self-confidence. There was hope and confidence that Africans would shape their destiny independently. We were supposed to cooperate with others as equals. The first crop of post-independence leaders – Kwame Nkrumah (consciencism), Julius Nyerere (Ujamaa), Kenneth Kaunda (Humanism), Leopold Sedar Senghor (Negritude), Milton Obote (The Common Man’s Charter) even attempted to develop distinct ideologies for their countries. Even Mobutu Sese Seko had “Authenticity.” Many of these philosophies were ill conceived and generated failure. But they were an important effort to create a distinct view of who we are and how others should view us.

As a teenager growing up in an intellectually curious home, I was educated in the heroes of Africa to be Shaka Zulu, Omukama Kabalega, Kwame Nkrumah, Milton Obote, Ahmed Ben Bella, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Patrice Lumumba, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela. Our freedom fighters included Amilcar Cabral, Samora Machel, Sam Nujoma and Yoweri Museveni. Our struggle for freedom and dignity was organised under the ANC, NRA, PAIGC, UPC, CCM, CCP etc. At home and at school we read novels, poems and plays by Bethwell Ogot, Chinua Achebe, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Camara Laye, David Rubadiri, Mongo Beti, Cyprian Ekwesi, Okot P’Bitek, and Alechi Amadi.

This did not exclude western texts. I read ancient Greek and Roman civilisation beginning at age 10 – focusing on philosophy, literature and art. I admired Socrates. My heroes included John Stuart Mill (for his ideas on liberty), Thomas Jefferson (for his defence of press freedom) and I dared write a letter to Ronald Reagan at age 12. Although I was a proud African, I saw myself as a human being first.

Today, it seems the obvious and the perceived economic and political failures of the 1970s, 80s and 90s in Africa destroyed that intellectual tradition that made our leaders try to think independently. These failures are an attempt at a one-sided view of post-independence Africa. Perhaps our leaders and elites lost faith in locally developed solutions and turned to the West for answers. It is also possible this sense of defeat undermined our self-confidence. However, this development has given vent to outside intrusions to regain control over our sovereignty that was hard-won through wars of national independence.

Across most of Africa, we see a growing effort to usurp our sovereignty. Increasingly, Western intellectuals and activists have taken on the role of becoming our liberators. Secular missionaries have succeeded Christian missionaries. The latter dressed their mission in religion – to emancipate our souls; the secular missionaries use the language of ending poverty, democracy and human rights – to emancipate our political being. The old colonialism proclaimed its desire to liberate Africans from the tyranny of custom and the despotism of chiefs. The new colonialism promises to liberate Africans from material poverty and brutality of our leaders.

In this new era, Africa has new heroes – celebrities like Bob Geldolf, Angelina Jolie, Bono and George Clooney; academics like Jeffrey Sachs and Paul Collier; journalists like Anderson Cooper and Nicolas Kristof; humanitarian activists like John Prendergast; liberators like David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy (did you see how they “liberated” Libya?); philanthropists like Bill Gates etc.

As the Kony 2010 U-Tube documentary shows, we are not supposed to be active participants in our own emancipation. We are supposed to be passive spectators in the struggles that are shaping our destiny.

Thus, our human rights are defended by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International; our press freedom is fought for by Reporters without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists; our democracy is promoted by the National Endowment for Democracy and Freedom House; our lives are saved by Doctors without Borders and the Red Cross; our diseases are fought by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Global Fund; our economic policies are shaped by the IMF and World Bank; our struggle to overcome poverty is led by Jeffrey Sachs and Angelina Jolie; our hungry are fed by WFP; our refugees are cared for by UNHCR; our trade negotiations are led by Oxfam and Action Aid; our leaders’ crimes are tried by the ICC – the list is endless.

How did we come to this? One needs look at the main news about Africa in the mass media to see how our inherent inability to manage our affairs has been played and replayed. The news is about civil conflict, poverty, famine or disease. If it is about famine and hunger, for example, there will be an impoverished mother in dirty clothes, carrying a malnourished child on her back, stretching out her frail hand towards a white aid worker who is presented as an altruistic saviour.

Colonial attitudes have been recreated through the reporting of Africa today. Many of the promoters of colonialism were high minded Europeans like David Livingstone seeking to end slave trade, spread Christianity and “civilization.” Yet behind this seeming altruism also lay Western cultural hubris captured in Gen. Ian Smuts comment: “The African has largely remained a child type, with a child psychology and outlook.”

The imagery of Africa as a continent in need for Western help has not changed.

Visit an aid project in Africa. There will be a white aid worker in his 20s teaching an army of middle aged Africans how to use a condom, how many babies to produce, how to plant rice etc – as if they are children. In government ministries there will be an aid project with a 25-year old college grad from the USA working with an African PhD civil servant. He is paid 12 times better than his African counterpart. The African has to feed his family. Knowing the aid project serves interests of the donor than the recipient, he leaves office to attend to his private business, leaving the college grad to do all the work. In the evening, the “technical expert” retreats to a largely white drinking club and gossips to his friends how “Africans are lazy.”

These attitudes would be a sad but minor inconvenience if they were restricted to those who think about Africans this way. The fundamental problem is that they are most dominant among us African elites. We have been bombarded with the images of our incompetence, inferiority, and helplessness daily – and we seem to have succumbed to them. Any attempt to fight this image will be met with claims that such an African supports local dictators or corruption. Therefore, the first line of defence of these stereotypes are African elites themselves. The second will be western intellectuals, journalists and diplomats who will claim “you are exaggerating” the issue.

As these images are played out, another image appears on the horizon – the “international community” coming to our rescue. This will be a kind relief aid worker, volunteer doctor, an altruistic human rights campaigner who will have “sacrificed” the comfort of his Beverly Hills lifestyle to come to our rescue (in Darfur).

I was previously blind to the import of these images of Africa and their racist undertones until I lived in America – once in California and later in New Haven. In either case, I lived in a rich (read white) neighbourhood – the roads are well paved, the sidewalks done, the houses neat, the fountains work, the streets are lit at night etc. Just across the street is a poor (read black) neighbourhood – the roads filled with potholes, pavements broken, ramshackle houses. The police would stoke the neighbourhood every evening looking for black male youth to arrest for using or dealing in illegal drugs.

Why does the city council pave roads in the white neighbourhood but ignore the black neighbourhoods? Through discussions with friends, I was told black people do not show up at town council meetings, don’t vote and have therefore been politically excluded from public services. But why have they developed this self-destructive behaviour? It sounded abnormal. I would see politicians and preachers, both black and white, on American television castigating blacks for lacking “personal responsibility” hence their condition. I became critical of black culture, accusing African Americans of self-destructive behaviour as Barrack Obama does.

Over time, I began listening to African Americans rather than arguing with them. They referred me to books and research studies that have been done about the crisis of the black man in America. What I stumbled upon began a sobering journey of reflection. It became clear to me the “truth” is created. One truth in America that I took for granted was that gangster culture was among blacks because of trade in drugs. Yet statistics showed that white people in America are 13 times more likely to use drugs than black people. That notwithstanding, 78 percent of drug arrests are of black people. In Georgia, 98% of all people sentenced to death for drug related crimes are black. In New Jersey blacks are only 15 percent of drivers on its highways. Yet they constitute 46% of all traffic stops by cops and 76% of arrests.

Here was the puzzle: as an avid reader/viewer of the American press, I had never seen mass abuse of black people as an issue in the mainstream media. The media was always awash with self-congratulatory news about the greatness of the US. Black incarceration was only highlighted as a fringe issue. Civil rights advocates like the Reverend Al Shapton were often brought in only as comic figures fighting for an issue that had been settled. Nowhere in the news did I hear or read that up to 30% of adult African American males were in jail and that there were more black males of college going age in jail than college.

Leaving the worst injustices on black people in America, I returned to Africa to find white American journalists in the thick of a struggle for freedom on our continent. I would meet white human rights activists working to save the people of Rwanda, Zambia or Kenya from their “brutal and corrupt” governments. I would feature on TV and radio debates on BBC or CNN with white academics from America fighting for our democracy. I began to wonder why all these passionate defenders of our aspirations for freedom are silent about the freedom of their fellow black citizens at home.

Anderson Cooper who goes to Congo or Haiti to make special reports about the suffering of the people there has never done one special feature in a black ghetto in America. The US has the largest prison population in the world – even more than China- but the colour of prisoners is never an issue in the American media. The media were telling the truth and nothing but the truth, but they were not telling the whole truth.

Slowly, reluctantly, I began to re-examine my views about Africa and how I presented them as a journalist and publisher. Perhaps we consume ourselves with too much negative reporting (all true) to almost complete exclusion of our achievements. The constant barrage of news about failure makes us hate ourselves. We have no examples of our achievements – so we think we need others to liberate us.

I had been writing a book on aid to Africa and its effects. Then I found an agent and a publisher to work with. As we discussed the content of the book, I was shocked by what he told me: I had to be bold on how I presented Africa. He even suggested a title: stop aid now: how American (or western) assistance sustains corrupt and brutal regimes in Africa.

My agent was a smart and practical marketing man – no racist at all. He knew which batons to touch in order to sell a book about Africa in the West. I understood his point of view. But I did not agree with it. It was clear that to sell something about Africa in America and Europe one has to feed the prejudices. I had met this reality with many of my friends from Europe and North America covering Africa for international news media. Each time there was a good story, they told me their editors would not like it. But each time a famine struck a country, an epidemic ravaged a village, a war engulfed a town, a ritual murder was reported in an area, a warlord massacred people etc, my friends would hit the headlines across Europe and North America. I was not going to promote this narrative.

Racial bias shapes the news which reproduces and sustains racial bias in a circular flow of conscious and subconscious racism. It took me longer to reflect on this dynamic and even longer to begin changing my mind about how I, as an African journalist, need to go about my work. I am still reflecting and learning… But one lesson is clear: even in covering Africa’s failures, we should at least provide context.

amwenda@independent.co.ug

Article from The Independent

Building Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:38:00 +0000

Article from Ask Men

Credit:Digital Vision

As happy as you may be, chances are that you, like many outwardly content men, suffer from a lack of self-confidence. This is not to say that you are overly shy, nervous, inadequate in your daily routine or that you have any serious psychological hang-ups, but it could be a lack of self-confidence if you feel as though you are not living up to your potential.

Even if you're reasonably assured most of the time, it is beneficial to do a little mental strengthening every once in a while. It feels good to be self-confident, which perpetuates more confidence, impresses people and brings you success.

defining self-confidence

Simply put, self-confidence is a sense of certainty that your own personality is honest, capable and fulfilling. Self-confident people generally have a high self-esteem. If you have a diminished self-esteem, bolstering your self-confidence will help immeasurably.

Note that there is a distinguished difference between self-confidence and confidence in general. You may be confident that you can impress a woman or a boss, while at the same time you question whether or not you are interesting to smart women or have chosen the right job. Or, you might walk into a party and command the floor, but as soon as you have a moment to yourself, you wonder if you really fit in.

Confidence can exist without self-confidence, meaning that there can be a certain degree of falsehood -- of lying to one's self -- at play. Get a handle on it.

threats to self-confidence

Threats to your self-confidence can be felt in almost any challenging circumstance, from reading the bus schedule to getting fired. Different men are susceptible to diminished self-confidence on account of different causes. While losing the pick-up football game made your neighbor question his physical condition, it didn't bother you nearly as much as failing to impress your boss at today's meeting. The truth is that self-confidence can be attacked by almost anything.

Of course, there are common culprits. We each want to be the ideal man for our woman, so we struggle to be financially independent, physically healthy, intelligent, dependable, and have a strong character. If any of these issues have been wearing away at your manhood lately, take a deep breath and realize that we all have the same thoughts; there's nothing wrong with you.

Below are 5 great tips on how you can boost your self-confidence..

1. Surround yourself with good people

Make it a point to socialize with people that you share a mutual respect, and who are able to put you in the limelight during conversations. Friendship is a fundamental boost to the self-confidence of both parties. When your pal is quick to recognize that you're a cool cat, you'll notice it too.

2. Be well-rounded

Maintain interest and skill in all aspects of your life. In other words, don't neglect your model-building hobby, your public-speaking voice or your lawn-maintenance schedule. Meanwhile, don't let your job absorb all of your free time, and make sure your new partner doesn't keep you away from your other passions. To maintain a maximized level of self-confidence, you want all of your personal qualities to be exercised as often as possible.

3. Keep up with the world

Follow the news and do your best to know a little bit about everything. Learn something new every day, and make a point of having an opinion on things, from current events to long-term political issues. This way, you won't feel completely out of touch when you encounter old friends or new acquaintances.

4. Socialize with everyone

The bank teller, the bus driver, your doctor's secretary; it is beneficial to strike up a conversation with anyone who crosses your path. Sharpen your social skills and this will make you more sociable and confident with people, especially strangers. As a result, you won't feel threatened or insecure in unfamiliar situations.

5. Partake in things you excel at

Are you currently a bit overweight, but used to be a star point guard? Then stop avoiding the neighborhood pickup game and show them what you're made of. You will, more importantly, show yourself what you're made of and build your self-confidence. Even if you have to go out of your way, doing something that you know how to do well will boost your conviction and self-confidence when you do something else.

make it all happen

We all need to boost our self-confidence in different ways and for different reasons. The trick is to find out where you need to improve and then go out and do just that. When you have self-confidence and faith in yourself, life makes more sense and it becomes something you can tackle. So take the bull by the horns -- the bull is you.

Article from ask men

Patriarchy gradually paves way for gender empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:47:00 +0000

BY CORRESPONDENT

21st March 2012

Article from IPP Manager

Women in many parts of the world, especially in Africa, still face critical challenges due to a deeply entrenched patriarchal system and gender stereotypes in society.

Patriarchy is a social system in which men hold authority over and control women, children and property and inheritance is through the male lineage.

Gender stereotypes are simplistic generalisations or value judgments about gender attributes, differences and roles of individuals and groups. They are often harmful for they suppress individual expression and creativity and hinder personal and professional growth.

When people apply these simplistic assumptions or value judgments to others, they are consciously or unconsciously perpetuating gender stereotyping and unintelligent prejudice.

In some societies men think women are inferior to them and would not like to see them fully emancipated from this yoke of oppression. Some do not want to work under a woman and others do not want to be led by a woman because they think to be man you have to oppress a woman!

The media has played an active role in reporting on women’s issues and empowering them to fight for their rights and against gender stereotypes and violence and harmful practices in line with goal number 3 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which is about promoting gender parity and empowering women.

Some public leaders, parents, women role models, international organisations, gender-sensitive men, capacity building programmes, gender advocacy organisations and activists are also fighting for women’s rights and against attitudes and practices that humiliate, dehumanise and oppress women in society.

As a result, there is growing understanding that men and women are equal in dignity and should be accorded equal respect and opportunities to realise their potential. In short, men and women should treat each other as independent.

This was said at a videoconference workshop on leadership dynamics for senior women managers organised by the Tanzania Global Development

Learning Centre (TGDLC) in collaboration with the Kenya Institute of Administration (KIA) last week.

The workshop, which ran from Monday to Friday, utilised research findings that identify key factors that have proven vital to successful women leaders.

It aims at helping women develop self-confidence to realise their career potential and internalize practical skills required to lead themselves and others effectively and targets women managers who have the potential to take senior leadership roles in their organisations and who would welcome the opportunity to develop their self-confidence and leadership skills in a supportive manner.

In this way, women will be able to handle better some of the critical challenges facing them in leadership roles, recognise self-limiting behaviour and attitudes and act with more confidence, articulate an inspiring vision, apply techniques for increasing visibility and impact at work, assert themselves and influence others more effectively and create support to sustain personal and social progress beyond the workshop.

Analysing the type of chores men and women do daily from dawn to bedtime in both urban and rural areas, Kenyan and Tanzanian participants unanimously said women carried a heavier workload than men although they counted less in the eyes of men because of the patriarchal system and gender stereotypes, which had to be fought against at all cost.

“A rural or urban woman normally wakes up early in the morning to prepare children for school, prepare breakfast, prepare her husband’s clothes and shoes and so on until late night. If a woman can manage such a heavy workload from 05:00-22:00 or beyond on her own and still have time to do other duties, it means she is a good manager,” said Kenyan speaker Jane Mwangi.

Participants also said since men had been in leadership roles for quite a long time they were afraid of letting capable women of becoming leaders and being challenged.

However, they said there were both in Kenya and Tanzania gender policy achievements. These include, more enrolment of girls in schools, an increase in the number of senior managerial positions for women, an increase in the number of women representatives in parliament and establishment of gender desks, which they said empowered them to explore their leadership potential and contribute positively to social development.

“The stereotype view of women as housewives is archaic and has no justification. Men and women ought to complement rather than trample on each other on a gender basis,” said Dr Ellen Otaru-Okoedian, a facilitator at TGDLC. Dr Otaru-Okoedian is an educationist, who is proud of being what she is and cannot accept to be trampled on by men simply because she is a woman.

The Kenyan and Tanzanian development learning centres (DLCs) have been providing a practical platform for capacity training programmes and peer interaction.

The workshop came just a few days after the International Women’s Day was held on March 8 to celebrate women’s achievements across the world. Although much progress has been made to protect and promote women’s rights, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men, according to the United Nations Organisation.

UN statistics show that the majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women. On average, women receive between 30 and 40 per cent less pay than men earn for the same work.

Women also continue to be victims of violence, rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women worldwide.

The first International Women’s Day occurred on March 19 in 1911.

The inaugural event, which included rallies and organised meetings, was a big success in countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany and

Switzerland. The March 19 date was chosen because it commemorated the day that the Prussian king promised to introduce votes for women in 1848. The promise gave hope for equality but it was a promise that he failed to keep. The International Women’s Day date was moved to March 8 in 1913.

The UN drew global attention to women's concerns in 1975 by calling for an International Women's Year. It also convened the first conference on women in Mexico City that year. The UN General Assembly then invited member states to proclaim March 8 as the UN Day for Women's Rights and International Peace in 1977. The day aimed at helping nations worldwide eliminate discrimination against women. It also focused on helping women gain full and equal participation in global development. International Men’s Day is celebrated on November 19 each year.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is “Empower Rural Women - End Hunger and Poverty”. So, the theme fits well the videoconference workshop on leadership dynamics for senior women managers for that matter for it links empowering women to ending hunger and poverty.

Some women contend that, empowering women means creating opportunities that enable both men and women to access basic needs and services without discrimination and not favouring them to hold certain high positions or go for further studies.

If one can favour women to join politics or go for further studies, one can also create an enabling environment for them to explore their potential. The latter is preferable to the former.

Let us fight against all oppressive systems and practices that favour one class of gender and oppress the other for we all need each other and no gender is better than or above the other.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Article from IPP Media

How to curb a stammer

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Mar 17, 2012 :

Article from Deccan Herald

Is your child tripping on words while talking to you? That could be a sign of low self confidence, says Krishna Kumar.

The movie The King’s Speech stirred tremendous interest in stuttering. The film tells the story of King George VI and his efforts to deal with his handicap of stuttering.

We meet people in real life with speech dysfunctions like when the flow of speech is broken by repetitions (“li-li-like”), prolongations (“lllllike”), or abnormal stoppages (no sound) with sounds and syllables. This may occur when they are talking on the telephone, dealing with difficult situations such as job interviews or while answering a teacher. All this is nothing but stuttering.

Numerous research work has shown that stuttering has a strong link to self confidence. People who are low on self confidence appear to be shy; do not take initiative or make and keep friends; rarely whine or complain and display fear unnecessarily. They also do not share a dynamic relationship with parents and siblings.

Unfortunately, many youngsters are now becoming depressed at an early age — a pattern that was rare several decades ago. The rate of stuttering in youngsters is also increasing in the developed world.

About 1 per cent of the general population suffers from long-term severe stuttering, and 4 per cent of school-aged children suffer from the problem. The handicap typically reduces or gets alleviated in their early 20s but the damage may cause social stigma and negative perception of self, both of which can have long-term effects. Addressing stuttering in children as early as possible is essential.

Those with low self-confidence are known to stammer. They stammer because they are constantly worried that they may be speaking incorrectly, provoking their peers to laugh at them.

Children who are bullied by other children or are scolded by their parents over a period of time may fall into the low self-esteem trap and think very little of themselves, and thus stammer as then they have no control of their speech.

Children who are unable to frame emotions and lack confidence are usually tense around strangers, thus causing a stammer.

It is a known fact that unengaging and over-commanding parents cause a child’s self-confidence to deteriorate. While some parents believe that materialistic goods are more important to children than spending time with them, the child is subjected to a lot of pressure to perform well in academics, sports or fine arts to please the parents. This can lead to unnecessary stress at a very young age.

The increasing rate of divorces and children having to deal with moving from one parent to another and step-parents are also contributing factors to low self-confidence and stuttering.

A series of American studies indicate that children below the age of 10 with divorced parents are almost twice as more likely to develop stuttering.

Developing self-confidence and reducing stuttering in your child can be done through several methods.

*One of the most effective methods is by helping them improve their communication skills. Allowing them to express themselves and admiring their efforts are crucial.

Praise is the key factor in making a child confident.

*Dealing with embarrassing situations in a sensitive manner will help restore lost confidence

*Giving children opportunities to develop their talents and social skills also reduce language difficulties and stuttering in children to a great degree.

*Ensuring that your children are engaged in sports and extra-curricular activities, allowed to explore and learn, have the ability to discuss problems with you and feel like their opinion counts are also important

*Make sure you let them know that it is alright to make mistakes, even if the audience laughs when they get stuck for words.

The real cure for stuttering lies in knowledge and understanding. There are several speech therapy classes and facilities that specialise in helping people with stutters live a normal life, and all it takes is for people to understand.

At speech and hearing clinics, experienced speech pathologists spend time with parents and children for a detailed evaluation in order to find out if there is a problem.

Depending on the severity of the problem and other factors, a therapy plan would be drawn up for the child and parents are given a comprehensive explanation of the diagnosis and therapy techniques to be adopted, and the course of therapy.

(The author is an audiologist at Rajan Speech and Hearing Centre.)

Article from Deccan Herald

Rwanda: Self Confidence Vital for Women Emancipation

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:31:00 +0000

BY ERIC DIDIER KARINGANIRE, 12 MARCH 2012

Article from All Africa

Building confidence among women is vital for empowering women to play a more sustainable role in national development, women leaders have said.

In the past girls were left out of the national development agenda but over the last few years, the government has moved to promote and integrate women into development programs - a move that has started paying off.

"Now, if you look at different national programs like girinka and ubudehe , most beneficiaries are women," said Aloysea Inyumba, the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion.

Yet according to the minister, a lot still remains to be done to fully empower women to play their fundamental role in community development.

Inyumba says woman empowerment should start at family level because recent experience has shown that the family is "vital element" in national development.

The minister made the remarks during a media briefing about on-going activities to mark this year's International Women's Day.

Under the theme "Empower women and girls to sustain families," the month-long activities commenced on March 8.

The minister said that activities will focus on promoting welfare in families since it has becoming increasingly clearer that the challenges facing individuals in Rwanda today are best dealt with at family level.

"When you look at Rwandan society, a single family is [the basic unit] for national development," Inyumba said. The minister added that women need more attention because they are the managers of families.

To achieve this, the minister observed, education of women is essential.

However, families have not been supportive of in the education of women - in some cases preventing them from pursuing careers of their choice.

Family pressure

Gloria Kamanzi Uwizera, a 30-year woman, is one of the young women who faced with family pressure before she stood her ground to pursue her dream.

She is now one of the few women entrepreneurs and owns Glo Reations, an art and fashion business.

"When I decided to engage in painting textile, most of my family members discouraged and abandoned me. No one could understand what I was doing and they were pushing me to give up and find for me another job," she recalled.

She shared her inspirational story with young women in Kinyinya sector on March 8 during celebrations to mark the International Women's Day.

"We are born with different talents and we are the ones to discern them," she told fellow women. "If you believe that you can do something, be confident and do it."

She said her passion is in art and fashion, a business that she believes can be expanded to neighboring markets in the region.

"Although I had been interested in drawing since my early age, my passion for artwork was greatly inspired by the success stories of those who have made it in this profession," Uwizera said.

Her business that starting with working capital of Frw 30,000, now rakes in Frw 10,000,000 per annum.

"What I like most is being independent, discovering my skills and abilities and this enables me to know what I can offer. Since I ventured into business, I gained so much confidence and I have even become more passionate about my work," Uwizera added.

For Minister Inyumba, the month-long activities are meant to deal with such family pressure that that hamper women and girls from emancipation. Some home-grown solutions like Akagoroba k'ababyeyi (mothers' evening) will be used by parents to get together and discuss issues of concern at family level, she added.

"We hope that this will help in changing people's mindsets. Once this would be achieved, we are quite sure to get sustainable progress in development since all people will be freely reacting and translate their ideas into actions," she noted.

During the month, focus will be on areas such as promoting women's health and fighting malnutrition, economic empowerment of women, promoting girls' education and good governance.

Article from All Africa

Self-confidence, sense of self key for TV host Meade

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:03:00 +0000

3:21 AM, Mar. 13, 2012
Article from Montgomery Advertiser

For TV personality Robin Meade, what you see on her show is the real thing — she stays true to herself.

The host of “Morning Express with Robin Meade” on HLN said she spent many years in the broadcast journalism industry trying to adapt to different supervisors and consultants who are looking for one thing: better ratings. But along the way, she said, she lost the real Robin.

“You lower your own self-esteem by saying, ‘I want to be liked. What you think of me is way more important than what I think of me.’ It’s not saying that you shouldn’t try to fit in some way at work, but I was to the extreme.”

That shape-shifting is what she believes led to paralyzing panic attacks, which began when she was working at a station in Chicago.

“I was just kind of motoring along in my career and loving it, but I started to have these panic attacks on the air. I thought I was going to not be able to do what I do for a living.”

Now that she has her own show — it’s been on for 10 years now — what you see is the real thing.

“I might laugh out loud, and that’s my true authentic self.”

Staying true to oneself — and developing good self-esteem — is what she’ll talk about during her speech at the annual Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama Women of Distinction luncheon on Thursday.

Meade’s easy, conversational style comes through even on a telephone interview from Atlanta, where she works and lives. Now, in addition to being the host of her show, she’s also a published author (her book, “Morning Sunshine! How to Radiate Confidence and Feel it Too,” will be for sale at the luncheon) and a musician. Her full-length country album, “Brand New Day,” was released last year, and features a remake of the Don Henley song “Dirty Laundry,” which she said is a “wink and a nudge” to what she does for a living.

Singing has always come naturally to the Ohio native, whose father was a minister.

“I thought everyone could sing, and it was normal to be up on stage. Someone said to me, ‘Don’t be nervous.’ It was a novel idea to me. I was like, you’re supposed to be nervous? So it was natural and I really enjoyed that, and don’t feel stress from performing.”

Through her work at HLN, she’s encountered several people from Nashville who worked in the recording industry, which eventually led to her recording career.

“I think when you feel passion about something, that just shows, even if you aren’t trying,” she said of performing.

A few years ago, she interviewed country star Kenny Chesney not long after his annulment from actress Renee Zellweger made headlines. The experience left him wary of reporters, but he felt comfortable enough with Meade — making people feel comfortable is something she takes pride in as an interviewer — that he asked her to join him on stage at his Atlanta concert.

She was thrilled to sing a couple of rounds on his song “When the Sun Goes Down,” and they’ve kept in contact ever since.

After that, Chesney’s record label asked Meade to host some events in Nashville. “I just kept coming back to Nashville. During all those visits, I would meet artists, and keep in contact with them.”

That’s how she met singer/songwriter/producer Victoria Shaw, who co-produced Lady Antebellum’s first big album and has recorded three albums of her own.

“I introduced myself, and asked if she would help me learn to write country songs,” Meade said. “Lucky for me, she said yes, because she could have been like, ‘Go back home, who are you?’

“But that’s what I’ve found about people in the South and in Nashville. They’re so generous with their time and talents.”

Several big stars helped her with the album, including Bo Bice, John Rich and Kix Brooks.

“The caliber of people, whether they were co-writers or session players, it was stunning to me who was willing to work on it. But I know they were willing to work on it because Victoria Shaw was attached to that project, and I thank my lucky stars.”

That sense of thankfulness and gratitude is something she carries with her today, she said, thanks to some advice she received from her parents over the years.

“One of them from my mother is, make sure you sign what people want. If they want to take a picture with you, you do that, because not everyone is going to want your picture all the time!

“In other words, the rest of your life, no one may give a care! So if they want you to sign their book, you sign it now!”

Article from Montgomery Advertiser

POIRIER: Q & A with Coach Ed

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:35:00 +0000

BY COACH ED POIRIERSunday, March 11, 2012 1:12 AM EST

Article from The Sun Chronicle

I want to thank readers for the positive feedback I've received about encouraging young people in our community to be more physically active and to make better food choices.

Along with the feedback, I've also received questions about coaching. I hope to answer some of those questions to provide insight as to what I coach and, more important, why I coach.

Q. Where did you get your training?

A. I owe my start to Bill Wynn who, at the time, was the assistant track coach at Providence College and head coach of the Providence Track Club.

My athletic career started at 30 years old. I, like many other adult runners, read the running books and magazines and coached myself into injury and mediocre performances. Coach Wynn helped put my training schedule together and in a year I was winning races, running injury free, and enjoying the sport even more. I was amazed at the difference coaching made, and I knew I wanted to be a coach and to help others reach their full potential. After a quick apprenticeship, I was asked to coach the Providence Track Club's first women's team. I moved on to coach men and women for New England Multi Sport, which is an adult triathlon and track team, and then spent three years coaching individual male runners from Venezuela. During those 13 years of coaching adults, I honed my skills by consulting with various college coaches.

In 1996, my wife Diane and I started the Jaguar Youth Track Team at the Attleboro YMCA as volunteers. I received USA Track and Field coaching certification from the USA Olympic Track and Field Training Center in San Diego in 2001.

Q. What makes a good youth coach?

A. A good youth coach's first concern is developing the individual athlete. Developing the team as a support structure comes second and winning is not a concern at all. If individual development takes place within a supportive group, winning just happens.

"Bench sitters" should not exist in youth sports. If anything, less talented and less experienced athletes need more support and coaching help than the stars. Coaches should encourage all athletes to do their best - not just "try" their best. When an athlete does their best, whatever the outcome, they have accomplished something much more important than winning.

Coaches need to instill an appreciation of the sport, respect for fellow athletes, and the knowledge that their efforts and dedication will bring rewards. Everyone wins with that philosophy. Q. How has your work with kids has evolved? Are you more into it than you were or are you winding down?

A. From starting the Jaguar track team as volunteer in 1996, I was offered a position at the Y in 2003 to help youth who struggle with health risk associated with inactivity and poor nutrition. I'm involved with youth more now than ever. I lecture in schools, and the programs and activities I have developed in the community have influenced thousands of kids to get active and eat smarter. Winding down? I don't think so.

Q. Any highlights from youth coaching that you would like to share?

A. A big highlight was seeing a young athlete who started with the Jaguars at age 6 continue with the sport through high school and college. What makes that even more rewarding is that often these athletes take time from their high school and college schedule to come to the Jaguar practices to work with the younger athletes, which is something very special.

Q. Why do you enjoy working with kids?

A. I have hundreds of stories about children accomplishing things they would never had thought possible. This letter I received from a parent best sums up the reason why I coach:

"Coach Ed, My daughter has learning disabilities and her self confidence suffers quite a bit because of her perception that she is not as "smart" as everyone else. Having you stop her and tell her she was doing great was a great boost to her ego. She really loves the Jaguar track program and plans on continuing with it, now more so than ever. Sometimes without even realizing it, something you say makes a difference. Last night, you made a little girl stand up just a little straighter. Thanks for making a difference."

Coach Ed Poirier can be reached epattleboroymca@yahoo.com.

Article from The Sun Chronicle

Appreciation imparts Life

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 01:44:00 +0000

A Humble Pat On The Back Or A Warm Handshake

Article from Greater Kashmir

Appreciation is very essential to boost self confidence of an individual; it helps in reducing the most unwanted tension and bitterness which prevails in many relationships.

Madiha comes home after her day’s hardwork and painstakingly prepares delicious Zarda Pulaw to keep her parents-in-law happy. She wanted to develop a good relationship with them and anticipated a kind gesture from them in turn but all that her “Perfectionist” mother-in-law does is to count the number of cardamoms and cinnamons Madiha had used to flavor her special dish. Although she relishes the dish and licks her fingers but fails to say a word of appreciation for her daughter-in-law. The hurting incident leaves poor Madiha blue for days together and the taste of Zarda Pulaw gets lost in it. Little did her mother-in-law know that a little appreciation can spur the recipient onto greater achievements even while bringing a warm smile on her curious face and eventually warms up the cold air.

Little Mahi hops into the room waving her report card shouting “I have done it papa, I have stood first in the class” but papa, busy with his ledgers shoos her away with, “Can’t you see I am busy and don’t shout and don’t come to the room with those muddy shoes on”. Mahi’s little mind registers the hurt and she silently goes to her room. As a sort of retaliation, she gets angry- turns short tempered and stops studying well.

Similarly if a husband instead of saying a kind sympathic word cursing the insipid tea, spanking the “spoilt children” and only finding faults with the ways of the poor wife. Surely, these will shatter the beautiful relation between a husband-wife and ends up into a big disaster.

Little, insignificant incidents in day today life! Yet, the common factor, the missing link in the form of a kind word of appreciation, a humble pat on the back or a warm handshake, in short , a gesture of appreciation becomes the wet blanket playing havoc with self confidence, efficiency and even relationships in life. The reasons for the lack of expression are as varied as is ‘human nature’. If it is envy in one instance, it could be a perfectionist nature in another. If it is false pride in some which inhabits them from expressing their appreciation, it could be just plain indifference, jealousy and insensitivity in many others.

In real life, some sort of encouragement and appreciation does boost ones ego and provide the much needed self confidence essential for progress. After all, Mother Teresa or Lal Ded have been rather too few amidst us. Most of us are just ordinary mortals thriving on the approval and goodwill of those we love and with whom we live.

A gesture of appreciation is the least expensive of gifts that could be given to any individual, yet ironically enough, most of us are too stingy in gifting it.

Hopefully, I would get the most cherished gift from the esteemed readers in the form of a little bit of appreciation.

Thanks a lot.

Article from Greater Kashmir

From exercise to self-confidence, the benefits of horseback riding are many

noreply@blogger.com (RIDO) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 03:06:00 +0000

11:00 PM, Mar. 2, 2012
Article from postcresent.com

Maddie Apriesnig, 11, of Appleton pets a horse after grooming at Meadowood Farm in Brillion. / Kasi Koshollek/for The Post-Crescent

Written by
Jennifer Hogeland
For The Post-Crescent

Horses have the ability to intrigue and to capture the interest of people of all ages.

These gentle beasts stole the heart of retired principal Bobbi Schmidt more than 30 years ago. She spent vacations taking trail rides, but it wasn't until two years ago that her dreams to own a horse came true with the purchase of Chase.

While she boards Chase at Meadowood Farm in Brillion — a 20-minute drive from her Appleton home — Schmidt is able to ride nearly every day. She said, "It has been the best thing in the world."

Avid riders can rattle off countless ways these animals have influenced their life. Schmidt and others passionate about horses outlined five benefits to horseback riding.

Form of exercise

Nearly every muscle group is engaged when riding or caring for a horse, from trotting and cantering to cleaning the stalls and filling the feed cart.

"When you are taking lessons and learning how to effectively ride a horse, you realize how much exercise you get," Schmidt said. "There is so much involved in being an active rider."

Even at a walk, the horse is constantly shifting its body with each movement. The rider has to attempt to balance to stay in the saddle. Once the rider graduates to trotting or cantering, all muscles are engaged to stay on. Arms even get in on the action as riders develop the strength to give the horse direction by moving the reigns.

"It's an incredible workout for your core muscles because that is where a lot of your balance comes from," said Schmidt, who describes the time spent with her horse as a functional fitness session because beyond the exercise she gets when riding, she also gets a workout as she helps with the barn chores.

Mark Holm, owner of Meadowood Farms, said horseback riding is a sport. But in this case your teammate is a 1,000-pound animal.

According to healthstatus.com, an hour of trotting on a horse or an hour of horse grooming for a 155-pound person burns more than 400 calories.

Relieving stress

The vision of wind blowing in the hair and riding off into the sunset comes to mind when people talk about horseback riding. While that is really only done in the movies, horseback riding is a remarkable stress reliever. Children learn how to manage emotions while adults find riding a way to relax.

"The feeling you get after you ride is incredible. It is a real emotional lift. All the stresses of the world disappear," Schmidt said.

Holm suggests horseback riding is often a getaway for adults. For one hour, they are able to escape life's daily pressures.

"Riders don't have to worry if their boss or spouse is mad at them. They don't have to fret over sick children," he said.

Another plus is the feeling of accomplishment, of completing a task.

"When people are done riding they clean the stalls and then they are finished. Rarely at home are we ever able to finish a task. Horseback riding is finite," Holm said.

Developing self-confidence

Horseback riding offers an abundance of emotional and overall wellness benefits. Both children and adults find a sense of self-confidence when succeeding at a new skill, including learning how to ride.

Suzanne Hitter of Appleton saw firsthand the confidence horseback riding gave her daughter, Chloe, 11. Hitter noticed Chloe's caring, compassionate heart early on. Around the age of 6, she decided to sign her up for horseback riding, assuming it would nurture her already strong love of animals. The once timid little girl became more daring.

"Since riding she isn't scared to try new things," Hitter said. "We've seen a willingness for adventure and an improved confidence level in Chloe."

While Chloe is more drawn to horses, she inspired her older sister, Claire, 14, to take lessons, too.

Schmidt believes the key to developing confidence and forging a bond with a horse comes from having a good trainer.

"They can keep riders interested and teach them how to ride effectively, which enhances all the physical and emotional benefits of riding a horse."

Learning patience and self-discipline

Horseback riders learn persistence, self-discipline and the importance of follow-through.

"Horseback riding doesn't come naturally," Schmidt said. "You have to practice and have patience with yourself and patience with the horse."

There is a great deal to think about when sitting on the back of a horse. Hands must be held a particular way. Moving the reigns a certain way guides the horse. Finding balance takes time.

"Riders are a little astounded at first when working with such a large animal, but it turns to joy when they realize they can control the horse," Holm said.

"To watch a child's or adult's face when it all comes together and they've ridden the horse successfully it is a real powerful feeling," Schmidt said.

Chaps Academy in Shiocton uses these clever animals to assist in therapy sessions with children.

"Everything we do has a therapeutic value," said Ann Dake, executive director of Chaps Academy. "Horses aren't always the most cooperative animals so we are able to give kids structured activities to create situations where we can address their frustration or deal with anger management."

Forming a bond

While they are big and majestic, horses have an affectionate, loving presence. They also have a way of sensing emotions. Horses by their nature reflect in their behavior the emotions of their human handler, a valuable tool for Chaps Academy.

But, for many other animal lovers, this means the time and care put into riding and grooming a horse is rewarded with an unbreakable bond.

"It is the same benefit of having any pet," Schmidt said. "You have that touch and sense of being with another living creature."

Horses are their own being. Just like people, some days they may chose not to cooperate or follow directions. Riders need to find ways to re-engage the horse.

"Sometimes horseback riding is hard or it doesn't go especially well, but Chloe realizes if she sticks with it the reward will be there," Hitter said. "She realizes you get out multitudes of what you put in."

Article from postcresent.com