Education is a methodical effort towards learning basic facts about humanity.

And the core idea

behind value education is to cultivate essential values in the students so that the civilization that
teaches us to manage complexities can be sustained and further developed. It begins at home and
it is continued in schools. Everyone accepts certain things in his/her life through various
mediums like society or government.

Value education is important to help everyone in improving the value system that he/she holds
and put them to use. Once, everyone has understood their values in life they can examine and
control the various choices they make in their life. One has to frequently uphold the various
types of values in his life such as cultural values, universal values, personal values and social
values.

Thus, value education is always essential to shape one's life and to give him an opportunity of
performing himself on the global stage. The need for value education among the parents,
children, teachers etc, is constantly increasing as we continue to witness increasing violent
activities, behavioral disorder, lack of unity in the society etc.

The family system in India has a long tradition of imparting value education. But with the
progress of modernity and fast changing role of the parents it has not been very easy for the
parents to impart relevant values in their wards. Therefore many institutes today conduct various
value education programs that are addressed to rising problems of the modern society. These
programs concentrate on the development of the children, young adults etc. focusing on areas
like happiness, humility, cooperation, honesty, simplicity, love, unity, peace etc.

Value education is education in values and education towards the inculcation of values. Implicit in this
definition is the conviction that value education is a universal phenomenon intrinsic to all learning and
education, whether at home or in an institution. It is not. Neither teaches us to be critical thinkers or to
regard ourselves as proactive beings in relation to ourselves, our community and humanity at large.
Unwittingly and through habit we accept most things handed out to us by the media, the government
and the polity. Unfortunately when there is so much talk about individual capabilities and potentialities,
there is so little confidence on the part of the individual about his own power to make a difference. Our
educational system is of little help. We are not trained to be proactive thinkers because we are told so
little of the life values that are the basis for creative thinking.

What really is education? It is not literacy, nor information. Education is a systematic attempt towards
human learning. All learning is subjective and self-related. Educational activity starts with the individual
—Who am I? Where am I going? Where have I come from? It is only with an understanding of the Self
that we can begin to understand our relationships with others and the environment.

Knowledge should not be made remote from individual reality and irrelevant to the individual.
Knowledge can never be 'learned'. Knowledge is the fruit of experience and experience is the sensation
of the individual. Individual experience is an internal happening and is the function of awareness. And
one of the processes of knowing ourselves, of raising our awareness, is to be able to identify and clarify
our values. Education in values is essential in helping each one of us directly encounter the values that
we hold, understand them completely, so that we may order our relationships to the environment that
lies outside us. Once we are clear about values we shall be better able to sift and control information of
the natural world, make wise choices and be creative in our mental processes.

'Know thyself' is what each of us needs to do, yet modern life moves at such a pace that we seldom take
the time to examine ourselves. We become strangers to our own selves. We follow the dictates of
others blindly. Why should any debate be left to a few 'experts'? Why is not critical thinking an integral
part of everyday life? It must be so if we are to create a sane society.

For this to happen we must be equipped to examine our values. These are our internal guideposts.
Much of the great literature of the world—from Bhagavad Gita to Socrates to Hamlet—has dwelled on
value choices and moral dilemmas that are bound to occur when your values are clearly defined. Values
do conflict. Making value choices is not easy, but it is this very thing we must confront and make part of
our lives if we are to be truly creative human beings. Moral dilemmas are only possible for those who
have strongly held principles and it is through these moral dilemmas that new and revolutionary thought
processes emerge and character develops.

Value conflicts are the strongest test of character. Yet, today, moral dilemmas are considered a waste of
time, a domain for 'losers'. Ultimately we declare all value assertions unscientific and relative, hence
dispensable. We do not realize that value conflict is healthy, necessary and by eliminating it we are also
erasing all conviction. Confucius once said: "If a man carefully cultivates values in his conduct, he may
still err a little but he won't be far from the standard of truth."

It is time to clarify these values that we speak of. It is up to each one of us to determine the society we
will create by deciding upon the values we will emphasize today. But first, let us be clear about the
categories of values. These are three-universal, cultural or ethnic and individual or personal values.

UNIVERSAL VALUES

Freedom consists not in refusing to recognize anything above us, but in respecting something which is
above us; for by respecting it, we raise ourselves to it, and, by our very acknowledgement, prove that we
bear within ourselves what is higher, and are worthy to be on a level with it.
—Goethe
 Universal values reveal the essence of the human condition. These arise out of the
fundamental questions-Who am I? What is my essence? Who am I when I remove myself from my social
and cultural environment? Is there anything in me that cannot be explained by heredity, environment
and society?

It is universal values that indicate the essence of the human condition. It is through universal values
that we link ourselves with humanity and the cosmos, it is through these that all barriers of time, place
and ethnicity are eliminated.

These values are not manifest. They must be experienced, as one experiences a sunrise, the beauty of a
flower, as one experiences joy, pleasure, bliss, awe, serenity. These values cannot be contained by
words. That the Upanishads and the Bible have remained relevant today as they were centuries ago,
tells us that at the core, there are some constants in human condition, that time has not changed. That
we are still moved by the wonder of the Taj Mahal, the music of Mozart, the life of Hamlet, the
perennial philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita speaks volumes about the mystery and timelessness of
universal values.

Universal values can be experienced as life, joy, brotherhood, love, compassion, service, bliss, truth and
eternity.

CULTURAL VALUES

If you see in any given situation only what everybody else can see, you can be said to be so much a
representative of your culture that you are a victim of it.

—S.I. Hayakawa Cultural values are the social values of the day. They are specific to
time and place and can be used just as much as misused. These values are concerned with right and
wrong, good and bad, customs and behavior. They are meant to maintain social order.
Cultural values are speculative and there is nothing wrong with speculating. But it becomes wrong when
speculation becomes 'truth', when opinion becomes 'fact' and when prejudice becomes the 'cause'.
When cultural values are elevated to the status of universal values, there is the risk of intolerance,
oppression, demagoguery, brutality and aggression. A cultural value may serve a function in a particular
situation and circumstance, but in no way can it be seen as the only or the best way of doing things. A
spoon can serve the function of lifting food but so can a fork, a knife, a spatula or bare fingers. A cultural
value similarly has limited relevance and the fact that it serves a particular function in a given society
does not imply that it is the only or best way of doing so.

When seen in this light, cultural values have the advantage of becoming a source of insight into a time
and society. Creative development of ideas often emerges out of an interaction of different cultural
values and an understanding and respect for differences. Much of what we find exciting and interesting
has in fact come from a meeting of cultures. The Renaissance came about from a meeting of the ancient
Greek and medieval European cultures. Jazz is African-European music and the American
Transcendentalists studied the Indian Vedas and Upanishads. The East heavily influenced writers such as
Aldous Huxley, Somerset Maugham and Carl Jung. Gandhi drew inspiration from Tolstoy, and Martin
Luther King Jr. was in turn, deeply affected by Gandhi.

If all one knows is one's own culture, there is narcissism. The study of other cultures gives us a wider
frame of reference. And the study of other cultures is through its sacred (poetic, mythic, religious)
traditions and not only through studying history.

Cultural values are reflected in language, ethics, social hierarchy, aesthetics, education, law, economics,
philosophy and social institutions of every kind.

INDIVIDUAL VALUES
That civilization perishes in which the individual thwarts the revelation of the universal.
—Rabindranath Tagore

Individual values are our private principles, the result of individual personality and
individual experiences. Parents, teachers and one's peer group shape individual values. Personal values
determine the differing reactions of people to similar events. A crisis may dim one person's enthusiasm
and land him in depression, while another may be propelled into greater action.
Individual values are reflected in individual goals, vows, relationships, commitments and personal
preferences. These are often colored by memories of the past and therefore there are differences in the
meaning attributed to a common experience. To one person children denote happiness and strength, to
another they may denote bondage. Individual values are malleable, often contained in a time and
memory warp. They can transform themselves into universal values when you practise awareness and
living in the moment.

After clarifying our values, we must determine which of the three are most meaningful for us after
considering the relative priority of each category, so that we may be able to confront these and
understand our own psychological and social conditioning.

>Beyond our ego (sense of self) and identity (sense of belonging to a group) that dictates what we know,
think, feel and how we act lies the universal identity. Dissonance between ego and identity can create
anxiety and alienation but acting upon universal values will not, for here it is authentic action emanating
from an authentic Self. Universal values are at the top of the list. The others have their place but it is
through universal values that we experience a sense of oneness with the human race.

Universal values must be our foundation if we are to enjoy a rich, profound and fulfilling life. Our
personal and cultural biases limit and distort our perception of the universal wonder that is life. Even as
the hands of a clock are powered from the center that remains ever still, so the universal values remain
ever at the center of human life, no matter where the hands of time are pointing—past, present.

Values education is a term used to name several things, and there is much academic controversy
surrounding it. Some regard it as all aspects of the process by which teachers (and other adults)
transmit values to pupils.[1] Others see it as an activity that can take place in any organisation
during which people are assisted by others, who may be older, in a position of authority or are
more experienced, to make explicit those values underlying their own behaviour, to assess the
effectiveness of these values and associated behaviour for their own and others' long term well-
being and to reflect on and acquire other values and behaviour which they recognise as being
more effective for long term well-being of self and others.

This means that values education can take place at home, as well as in schools, colleges,
universities, offenders institutions and voluntary youth organisations. There are two main
approaches to values education. Some see it as inculcating or transmitting a set of values which
often come from societal or religious rules or cultural ethics . Others see it as a type of Socratic
dialogue[2] where people are gradually brought to their own realisation of what is good behaviour
for themselves and their community.

Definitions
There has been very little reliable research on the results of values education classes, but there
are some encouraging preliminary results.[3]

One definition refers to it as the process that gives young people an initiation into values, giving
knowledge of the rules needed to function in this mode of relating to other people, and to seek
the development in the student a grasp of certain underlying principles, together gfjmgkj,gjkwith
the ability to apply these rules intelligently, and to have the settled disposition to do so[4] Some
researchers use the concept values education as an umbrella of concepts that includes moral
education and citizenship education[5][6][7] Themes that values education can address to varying
degrees are character, moral development, Religious Education, Spiritual development,
citizenship education, personal development, social development and cultural development.[8]

There is a further distinction between explicit values education and implicit values education [9][10]
where:

 explicit values education is associated with those different pedagogies, methods or

programmes that teachers or educators use in order to create learning experiences for
students when it comes to value questions.
 Implicit values education on the other hand covers those aspects of the educational
experience resulting in value influence osex r learning, which can be related to the
concept of hidden curriculum.

This discussion on implicit and explicit raises the philosophical problem of whether or not an
unintentional action can be called education. Similarly one should clarify the distinction between
a teacher and an educator.

[edit] Commonality in Many "Educations"

Moral education

Morals as socio-legal-religious norms are supposed to help people behave responsibly. However
not all morals lead to responsible behaviour. Values education can show which morals are "bad"
morals and which are "good". The change in behaviour comes from wrestling with questions
about right and wrong.[11][12][13][14]

American psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg who specialized in research on moral education and
reasoning, and was best known for his theory of stages of moral development, believed children
needed to be in an environment that allowed for open and public discussion of day-to-day
conflicts and problems to develop their moral reasoning ability.[15][16][17]

Teacher education

Cross has made a start at documenting some teacher training attempts.[18]

[edit] Multinational School-based Values Education Schemes

[edit] Living Values Education Programme (LVEP)

This project of worldwide proportions inspired by the new religious movement called the
Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University incorporates twelve values (unity, peace, happiness,
hope, humility, simplicity, trust, freedom, co-operation, honesty, courage, love),[19] and has
formed the basis of thekiss whole-school ethos approach in schools such as West Kidlington
Primary School, Kidlington whose head master Neil Hawkes and Values education coordinators
Linda Heppenstall used the work and other programmes to help them form a values-based
school.[20][21] The LVEP website lists 54 countries where values education projects are
undertaken.[22]

[edit] World Peace Ethics Contest (World-PEC)

The 'Path of Progress' is based on a textbook of the thirty-eight values of Mangala Sutta.[23][relevant?
– discuss]

[edit] Character Education

Main article: Character education

Character education is an umbrella term generally used to describe the teaching of children in a
manner that will help them develop as personal and social beings. However, this definition
requires research to explain what is meant by "personal and social being". Concepts that fall
under this term include social and emotional learning, moral reasoning/cognitive development,
life skills education, health education; violence prevention, critical thinking, ethical reasoning,
and conflict resolution and mediation. Lickona (1996) mentions eleven principles of successful
character education.[24] It seems to have been applied in the UK[25] and the United States[26]

[edit] Examples of Values Education from around the world

Taylor[27] gives a thorough overview of values education in 26 European countries.

[edit] Australia

The Australian Government currently funds Values education in its schools, with its own
publications and funding of school forums on values education at all levels of education. [28] A
conference on "Moral Education and Australian Values" was held in 2007 at Monash University.
[29]

[edit] Japan

Promotion of moral education by a large number of teachers in Japanese primary and junior high
schools was reported in 1988 to be cautious because of fears of relapsing into pre-war style
moral education the subject remaining a controversial matter.[30]
[edit] Singapore

Teacher training institutions in Singapore all have curricula for learning to teach moral and civics
education programmes - but students do not take these as seriously as they should due to lack of
assessment. The reason has been said to be the lack of innovative teaching approaches such as
the discourse pedagogy.[31]

[edit] Sweden

Values education is a part of Swedish schools. Whereas the formal curricula is about educating
students to be competent democratic citizens by practising student participation, qualitative
studies have shown that in everyday school life, values education and school democracy often
appeared to be reduced to traditional disciplining with high focus on rules and regulations. [32][33]
[34]
This in turn evokes some critiques among students.[35][36][37][38]

[edit] Thailand

In Thailand, values have traditionally been taught within the context of Buddhist religious
education. Since 1982 there has been a revival of applied values as an extracurricular activity
suitable for Buddhist, Moslem and Christian students alike to prepare Thai students for the
effects of globalization.[39]

United Kingdom

Since 1988 the British government, although not recognising or calling it values education, has
promoted and inspected values in the guise of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
(SMSCD) leaving the initiative to individual schools to decide how values education standards
should be met. It is not clear whether there are standards of values education. It should be noted
that the Government and state school systems have never called it "values education". Values
education courses in Britain may be implemented in the form of government supported
campaigns such as Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) [40] but are more often
provided by local experts in the form of LVEP, [41] SSEHV, Penn Resiliency or Character
education.

Today, the education imparted to our children is almost solely limited to what Sri Ramakrishna
characterized as ‘education for bread and butter’. Students are led to believe that by developing the
ability to gather, store, and retrieve vast information, they stand educated. But, Swami Vivekananda
points out, “Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there,
undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making and character-making assimilation of
ideas.”  

Mere academic knowledge without deep rooting in moral and spiritual values will only fashion lop-
sided personalities who may become rich in material possessions, but will remain poor in self-
understanding, peace, and social concern. Emphasizing this fact, Swami Vivekananda said, “Excess of
knowledge and power, without holiness, makes human beings devils.”  
 As a humble step towards achieving the goal of exposing and sensitizing our children to the
educational vision of national heritage, Ramakrishna Mission has undertaken a project ‘Be and Make –
Education for manifesting Perfection’.
The concept is to reach school children with a series of books which will be books with a difference.
The main aim of these books will be to help our children to imbibe certain fundamental values and
internalize them in their daily life and interpersonal interaction. 

We intend to bring out these books at two levels: one, value education story books and two, diary-
cum-personal journals. While the story books would expose the children with the philosophy and
sublimity of value education ideas, the diary-cum-personal journals would form in them healthy habits
calculated to develop introspection, capacity of self-evaluation, etc.   

Examples:-

Juvenile crime turns focus on value education

CHENNAI: Taking note of the increase in the number of individuals with good educational
background indulging in crimes such as abduction, extortion and cyber crime, the school
education department has asked schools to lay more stress on instilling values in students and
moulding their character into becoming responsible citizens of the country and not merely
focusing on students' academic progress.

At a meeting of representatives of city schools conducted by the department of school education

on Tuesday, officials urged teachers to pay more attention to student behaviour and correctional
measures.

"The officials told us that matriculation schools were good at producing results but that we
needed to work on strengthening the value system of the community by working to instil values
in our students. They asked us to be aware of the behaviour of students and to correct it while we
still can.," said a spokesperson of Everwin Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Kolathur.

Department officials asked schools to maintain a cumulative record of students with behavioural
issues in school and keep parents updated on what their children are up to. The school is
expected to inform the parent of each act of indiscipline committed by a student and get the
signatures of the parents, class teacher and the school principal in the record. The corrective
measure adopted is also to be noted. Experts working with children say the best way to do this is
to help teachers become role models and empower them to integrate  value education with
regular classroom teaching.

At the meeting, officials also followed up on the recommendations of the National Commission
for Protection of Child Rights to create more awareness on the provisions of the Right To
Education Act in the state.

The heads of matriculation schools in the state were clearly told to follow the Act in word and
spirit, with the execution of provisions such as not detaining students till Class VIII, even if they
did not turn up for the exam; to continue to admit students till six months after school reopens; to
not insist on the parents enrolling a child in school and instead to admit children brought in by
guardians with the consent of parents; to not insist that the students caste be revealed if the
parent or guardian wishes not to; to stick to the neighbourhood school policy; and to not insist on
birth certificates or transfer certificates to admit a student in school.

Though government and aided schools in the state were given these instructions around four
months ago, this is the first time that private unaided schools are being told to follow these
measures. The department released a booklet on able school administration and districuted it to
the schools.
2. Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated regularly and tend to occur subconsciously,
without one being conscious about them.[1][2][3] Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons
exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine
tasks. Habituation is an extremely simple form of learning, in which an organism, after a period
of exposure to a stimulus, stops responding to that stimulus in varied manners. Habits are
sometimes compulsory.[3][4]

Contents
[hide]

 1 Formation
 2 Habits and goals
 3 Bad habits
o 3.1 Will and intention
o 3.2 Eliminating bad habits
 4 See also
 5 References
 6 External links

[edit] Formation
Habit formation is the process by which a behavior becomes habitual. As behaviors are
repeated in a consistent context, there is an incremental increase in the link between the context
and the action. This increases the automaticity of the behavior in that context.[5] Features of an
automatic behavior are all or some of: efficiency, lack of awareness, unintentionality,
uncontrollability.[6]

Habit formation is modelled as an increase in automaticity with number of repetitions up to an

asymptote.[7][8][9]

[edit] Habits and goals

The habit–goal interface is constrained by the particular manner in which habits are learned and
represented in memory. Specifically, the associative learning underlying habits is characterized
by the slow, incremental accrual of information over time in procedural memory.[10] Habits can
either benefit or hurt the goals a person sets for themselves.
Goals guide habits most fundamentally by providing the initial outcome-oriented impetus for
response repetition. In this sense, habits often are a vestige of past goal pursuit.[10]

[edit] Bad habits

A bad habit is a negative behavior pattern. Common examples include: procrastination,
fidgeting, overspending, nail-biting.[11]

[edit] Will and intention

A key factor in distinguishing a bad habit from an addiction or mental disease is the element of
willpower. If a person still seems to have control over the behavior then it is just a habit.[12] Good
intentions are able to override the negative effect of bad habits but their effect seems to be
independent and additive—the bad habits remain but are subdued rather than cancelled.[13]

[edit] Eliminating bad habits

According to author Bill Borcherdt, the best time to correct a bad habit is immediately, before it
becomes established. So, bad habits are best prevented from developing in childhood.[14]

There are many techniques for removing bad habits once they have become established. One
example is withdrawal of reinforcers—identifying and removing the factors which trigger the
habit and encourage its persistence.[15] The basal ganglia appears to remember the context that
triggers a habit, meaning they can be revived if triggers reappear.[16]

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

In his #1 bestseller, Stephen R. Covey presented a framework for personal

effectiveness. The following is a summary of the first part of his book, concluding with a
list of the seven habits.

Inside-Out:  The Change Starts from Within

While working on his doctorate in the 1970's, Stephen R. Covey reviewed 200 years of
literature on success. He noticed that since the 1920's, success writings have focused
on solutions to specific problems. In some cases such tactical advice may have been
effective, but only for immediate issues and not for the long-term, underlying ones. The
success literature of the last half of the 20th century largely attributed success to
personality traits, skills, techniques, maintaining a positive attitude, etc. This philosophy
can be referred to as the Personality Ethic.
However, during the 150 years or so that preceded that period, the literature on success
was more character oriented. It emphasized the deeper principles and foundations of
success. This philosophy is known as the Character Ethic, under which success is
attributed more to underlying characteristics such as integrity, courage, justice,
patience, etc.

The elements of the Character Ethic are primary traits while those of the Personality
Ethic are secondary. While secondary traits may help one to play the game to succeed
in some specific circumstances, for long-term success both are necessary. One's
character is what is most visible in long-term relationships. Ralph Waldo Emerson once
said, "What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot hear what you say."

To illustrate the difference between primary and secondary traits, Covey offers the
following example. Suppose you are in Chicago and are using a map to find a particular
destination in the city. You may have excellent secondary skills in map reading and
navigation, but will never find your destination if you are using a map of Detroit. In this
example, getting the right map is a necessary primary element before your secondary
skills can be used effectively.

The problem with relying on the Personality Ethic is that unless the basic underlying
paradigms are right, simply changing outward behavior is not effective. We see the
world based on our perspective, which can have a dramatic impact on the way we
perceive things. For example, many experiments have been conducted in which two
groups of people are shown two different drawings. One group is shown, for instance, a
drawing of a young, beautiful woman and the other group is shown a drawing of an old,
frail woman. After the initial exposure to the pictures, both groups are shown one picture
of a more abstract drawing. This drawing actually contains the elements of both the
young and the old woman. Almost invariably, everybody in the group that was first
shown the young woman sees a young woman in the abstract drawing, and those who
were shown the old woman see an old woman. Each group was convinced that it had
objectively evaluated the drawing. The point is that we see things not as they are, but as
we are conditioned to see them. Once we understand the importance of our past
conditioning, we can experience a paradigm shift in the way we see things. To make
large changes in our lives, we must work on the basic paradigms through which we see
the world.

The Character Ethic assumes that there are some absolute principles that exist in all
human beings. Some examples of such principles are fairness, honesty, integrity,
human dignity, quality, potential, and growth. Principles contrast with practices in that
practices are for specific situations whereas principles have universal application.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People presents an "inside-out" approach to

effectiveness that is centered on principles and character. Inside-out means that the
change starts within oneself. For many people, this approach represents a paradigm
shift away from the Personality Ethic and toward the Character Ethic.
The Seven Habits - An Overview

Our character is a collection of our habits, and habits have a powerful role in our lives.
Habits consist of knowledge, skill, and desire. Knowledge allows us to know what to do,
skill gives us the ability to know how to do it, and desire is the motivation to do it.

The Seven Habits move us through the following stages:

1. Dependence: the paradigm under which we are born, relying upon others to take
care of us.

2. Independence: the paradigm under which we can make our own decisions and
take care of ourselves.

3. Interdependence: the paradigm under which we cooperate to achieve something

that cannot be achieved independently.

Much of the success literature today tends to value independence, encouraging people
to become liberated and do their own thing. The reality is that we are interdependent,
and the independent model is not optimal for use in an interdependent environment that
requires leaders and team players.

To make the choice to become interdependent, one first must be independent, since
dependent people have not yet developed the character for interdependence.
Therefore, the first three habits focus on self-mastery, that is, achieving the private
victories required to move from dependence to independence. The first three habits are:

 Habit 1: Be Proactive
 Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
 Habit 3: Put First Things First

Habits 4, 5, and 6 then address interdependence:

 Habit 4: Think Win/Win

 Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
 Habit 6: Synergize

Finally, the seventh habit is one of renewal and continual improvement, that is, of
building one's personal production capability. To be effective, one must find the proper
balance between actually producing and improving one's capability to produce. Covey
illustrates this point with the fable of the goose and the golden egg.

In the fable, a poor farmer's goose began laying a solid gold egg every day, and the
farmer soon became rich. He also became greedy and figured that the goose must have
many golden eggs within her. In order to obtain all of the eggs immediately, he killed the
goose. Upon cutting it open he discovered that it was not full of golden eggs. The lesson
is that if one attempts to maximize immediate production with no regard to the
production capability, the capability will be lost. Effectiveness is a function of both
production and the capacity to produce.

The need for balance between production and production capability applies to physical,
financial, and human assets. For example, in an organization the person in charge of a
particular machine may increase the machine's immediate production by postponing
scheduled maintenance. As a result of the increased output, this person may be
rewarded with a promotion. However, the increased immediate output comes at the
expense of future production since more maintenance will have to be performed on the
machine later. The person who inherits the mess may even be blamed for the inevitable
downtime and high maintenance expense.

Customer loyalty also is an asset to which the production and production capability
balance applies. A restaurant may have a reputation for serving great food, but the
owner may decide to cut costs and lower the quality of the food. Immediately, profits will
soar, but soon the restaurant's reputation will be tarnished, the customer's trust will be
lost, and profits will decline.

This does not mean that only production capacity is important. If one builds capacity but
never uses it, there will be no production. There is a balance between building
production capacity and actually producing. Finding the right tradeoff is central to one's
effectiveness.

The above has been an introduction and overview of the 7 Habits. The following
introduces the first habit in Covey's framework.

FROM DEPENDENCE TO INDEPENDENCE

Habit 1:      Be Proactive

A unique ability that sets humans apart from animals is self-awareness and the ability to
choose how we respond to any stimulus. While conditioning can have a strong impact
on our lives, we are not determined by it. There are three widely accepted theories of
determinism: genetic, psychic, and environmental. Genetic determinism says that our
nature is coded into our DNA, and that our personality traits are inherited from our
grandparents. Psychic determinism says that our upbringing determines our personal
tendencies, and that emotional pain that we felt at a young age is remembered and
affects the way we behave today. Environmental determinism states that factors in our
present environment are responsible for our situation, such as relatives, the national
economy, etc. These theories of determinism each assume a model in which the
stimulus determines the response.
Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who survived the death camps of Nazi Germany.
While in the death camps, Frankl realized that he alone had the power to determine his
response to the horror of the situation. He exercised the only freedom he had in that
environment by envisioning himself teaching students after his release. He became an
inspiration for others around him. He realized that in the middle of the stimulus-
response model, humans have the freedom to choose.

Animals do not have this independent will. They respond to a stimulus like a computer
responds to its program. They are not aware of their programming and do not have the
ability to change it. The model of determinism was developed based on experiments
with animals and neurotic people. Such a model neglects our ability to choose how we
will respond to stimuli.

We can choose to be reactive to our environment. For example, if the weather is good,
we will be happy. If the weather is bad, we will be unhappy. If people treat us well, we
will feel well; if they don't, we will feel bad and become defensive. We also can choose
to be proactive and not let our situation determine how we will feel. Reactive behavior
can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. By accepting that there is nothing we can do about our
situation, we in fact become passive and do nothing.

The first habit of highly effective people is proactivity. Proactive people are driven by
values that are independent of the weather or how people treat them. Gandhi said,
"They cannot take away our self respect if we do not give it to them." Our response to
what happened to us affects us more than what actually happened. We can choose to
use difficult situations to build our character and develop the ability to better handle
such situations in the future.

Proactive people use their resourcefulness and initiative to find solutions rather than just
reporting problems and waiting for other people to solve them.

Being proactive means assessing the situation and developing a positive response for
it. Organizations can be proactive rather than be at the mercy of their environment. For
example, a company operating in an industry that is experiencing a downturn can
develop a plan to cut costs and actually use the downturn to increase market share.

Once we decide to be proactive, exactly where we focus our efforts becomes important.
There are many concerns in our lives, but we do not always have control over them.
One can draw a circle that represents areas of concern, and a smaller circle within the
first that represents areas of control. Proactive people focus their efforts on the things
over which they have influence, and in the process often expand their area of influence.
Reactive people often focus their efforts on areas of concern over which they have no
control. Their complaining and negative energy tend to shrink their circle of influence.

In our area of concern, we may have direct control, indirect control, or no control at all.
We have direct control over problems caused by our own behavior. We can solve these
problems by changing our habits. We have indirect control over problems related to
other people's behavior. We can solve these problems by using various methods of
human influence, such as empathy, confrontation, example, and persuasion. Many
people have only a few basic methods such as fight or flight. For problems over which
we have no control, first we must recognize that we have no control, and then gracefully
accept that fact and make the best of the situation.

SUMMARY OF THE SEVEN HABITS

Habit 1:  Be Proactive

Change starts from within, and highly effective people make the decision to improve
their lives through the things that they can influence rather than by simply reacting to
external forces.

Habit 2:  Begin with the End in Mind

Develop a principle-centered personal mission statement. Extend the mission statement

into long-term goals based on personal principles.

Habit 3:  Put First Things First

Spend time doing what fits into your personal mission, observing the proper balance
between production and building production capacity. Identify the key roles that you
take on in life, and make time for each of them.

Habit 4:  Think Win/Win

Seek agreements and relationships that are mutually beneficial. In cases where a
"win/win" deal cannot be achieved, accept the fact that agreeing to make "no deal" may
be the best alternative. In developing an organizational culture, be sure to reward
win/win behavior among employees and avoid inadvertantly rewarding win/lose
behavior.

Habit 5:  Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

First seek to understand the other person, and only then try to be understood. Stephen
Covey presents this habit as the most important principle of interpersonal relations.
Effective listening is not simply echoing what the other person has said through the lens
of one's own experience. Rather, it is putting oneself in the perspective of the other
person, listening empathically for both feeling and meaning.

Habit 6:  Synergize

Through trustful communication, find ways to leverage individual differences to create a

whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. Through mutual trust and understanding,
one often can solve conflicts and find a better solution than would have been obtained
through either person's own solution.

Habit 7:  Sharpen the Saw

Take time out from production to build production capacity through personal renewal of
the physical, mental, social/emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Maintain a balance
among these dimensions.

an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary: the habit
of looking both ways before crossing the street.
2.
customary practice or use: Daily bathing is an American habit.
3.
a particular practice, custom, or usage: the habit of shaking hands.
4.
a dominant or regular disposition or tendency; prevailing character or quality: She has a habit of
looking at the bright side of things.
5.
addiction, esp. to narcotics (often prec. by the ).
6.
mental character or disposition: a habit of mind.
7.
characteristic bodily or physical condition.
8.
the characteristic form, aspect, mode of growth, etc., of an organism: a twining habit.
9.
the characteristic crystalline form of a mineral.
10.
garb of a particular rank, profession, religious order, etc.: a monk's habit.
11.
the attire worn by a rider of a saddle horse

Many kids have habits that can be downright annoying. Four of the most common ones that
children develop and parents complain about are:

1. nail biting
2. thumb sucking
3. hair twirling
4. nose picking

Although your child's habits may bother or even worry you, relax. In most cases, a habit is just a
phase in the normal developmental process and is not cause for alarm.

What's a Habit?

A habit is a pattern of behavior that's repeated, and the person usually isn't even aware of it.
Although kids may be blissfully unaware of a habit, their parents aren't so lucky.

And if your little one usually has one hand stuffed in the mouth and the other entwined in the
hair, don't be surprised: Habits tend to occur in clusters. Here's the lowdown on the most
common habits among kids and teens:

Nail Biting

If nails chewed to the nub are familiar to you, you're not alone. One of the most common
childhood habits is nail biting or picking.

Some studies estimate that 30% to 60% of kids and teens chew on one or more fingernails. And,
occasionally, a child may also bite his or her toenails.

Boys and girls appear equally prone to the habit in earlier years; however, as they get older, boys
are more likely to be nail biter

Hair Twirling

If one of your kids is a hair twirler, odds are it's your daughter. The majority of children who
twist, stroke, or pull their hair are girls.

Hair twirling may appear in early childhood as a precursor to hair pulling, either with or without
hair loss. But many hair twirlers and pullers stop as they get older. For those who don't, simple
behavior modification can help them break the habit. However, for those who start hair pulling
as older kids or teens, the habit is harder to break and may be a sign of anxiety, depression, or
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Nose Picking

Nose picking appears to be a habit that, although it usually begins in childhood, may actually
linger into adulthood. If you find that hard to believe, consider that a 1995 study of adults found
that 91% picked their noses regularly — and about 8% of them reported that they eat what they
pick!

Thumb Sucking

The popularity of the thumb as the preferred digit to suck might suggest that it's more flavorful
than, say, the index finger. But the preference for thumbs appears to be an accidental choice,
resulting from the thumb coming into contact with the mouth during random movements made
by an infant.

Some kids also suck their fingers, hands, or their entire fists in addition to, or instead of, their
thumbs. Most thumb suckers are younger kids. In fact, anywhere from a quarter to half of 2- to
4-year-olds suck their thumbs.

Many kids suck their thumbs to calm and comfort themselves. But frequent or intense thumb
sucking beyond 4 to 5 years of age can cause problems, including dental problems (such as
overbite), thumb or finger infections, and being teased.

What Causes a Habit?

Why do your son's fingers appear to be an extension of his mouth, and why is there always a
propeller of hair circling above your daughter's head? Experts admit that they're not always sure
what causes a habit, but that it is a learned behavior that usually provides a positive outcome for
the child.

Habits may develop as entertainment for a bored child or, more commonly, as a coping
mechanism to soothe an anxious one. The next time you see nail-biting or hair-twirling, try to
recall if your child has recently had a stressful experience. If so, the behavior might be your
child's attempt to relieve tension just as you would by working out at the gym.

On the other hand, some kids engage in habits when they're relaxed, such as before falling to
sleep or quietly listening to music. Other habits may be left over from infancy. In infants, thumb
sucking is a common self-comfort behavior that has pleasurable associations with feedings and
the end of hunger. So it may linger into childhood because of its positive associations.

Or perhaps the explanation for your child's nail biting is in your mirror. Do you bite your nails?
Studies suggest that nail biting may have a strong familial or genetic component.

Still, other kids will engage in habits to attract attention or as an attempt to manipulate their
parents. If kids feel that their parents are ignoring them, they may engage in the annoying habit
because they know that it will provoke a reaction from Mom or Dad.
Coping With Your Child's Habit

The good news is that most habits disappear, usually by the time a child reaches school age,
because the child no longer needs it or outgrows it.

But if you think it's time to help your child break a habit, consider these steps:

 Calmly point out what you don't like about the behavior and why. This approach can
be used with kids as young as 3 or 4 to help increase awareness of the problem. Say
something like, "I don't like it when you bite your nails. It doesn't look nice. Could you
try to stop doing that?" Most important, the next time you see the nail-biting or hair-
twirling, don't scold or lecture. Punishment, ridicule, or criticism could cause the
behavior to increase.
 Involve your child in the process of breaking the habit. If your 5-year-old comes
home crying from kindergarten because the other kids made fun of his thumb sucking,
understand that this is a way of asking you for help. Parents can ask their kids what they
think they could do to stop the habit or if they want to stop the habit. Come up with some
ways to work on breaking the unwanted habit together.
 Suggest alternative behaviors. For example, when if your child is a nail-biter, instead of
saying, "Don't bite your nails," try saying, "Let's wiggle our fingers." This will increase
awareness of the habit and may serve as a reminder. To occupy your child's attention, try
providing a distraction, like helping you in the kitchen or working on a craft.
 Reward and praise self-control. For example, allow your little girl to use nail polish if
she lets her nails grow. Or every time your son refrains from sucking his thumb, reinforce
the positive behavior by praising him and giving him a sticker or other small prize.
 Be consistent in rewarding good behavior. If you fail to notice good behavior, it will
disappear over time. The new, positive habit must be firmly established before the old
one will disappear.

For the best success, it's important that your child is also motivated to break the habit. And
because habits take time to develop, they're also going to take time to be replaced by alternative
behavior, so be patient.

When Is a Habit No Longer Just a Habit?

In some instances, a habit may be the result or the cause of a physical or psychological problem.
For example, a nose-picker may be uncomfortable because there's actually an object stuck in the
nose. And the habits themselves may cause some medical complications, such as:

 nosebleeds in the nose picker

 ingrown or infected nails in the nail biter
 dental problems, such as malocclusion (the failure of the teeth in the upper and lower
jaws to meet properly) or thumb or finger infections

A habit may no longer be a simple habit if it negatively affects a child's social relationships or
interferes with daily functioning.
Older kids who constantly suck their thumb might be experiencing significant stress or anxiety.
If kids are the subject of teasing at school or have difficulty talking because they won't take their
thumbs out of their mouths, the behavior has progressed beyond a simple habit. Kids who pull
their hair out may have trichotillomania, a condition that results in hair loss. And habits that are
in response to obsessive thoughts may be a sign of OCD.

However, most habits don't cause any significant problems and tend to improve as kids get older.
But if you're concerned about your child's habits, talk with your doctor.

3.Conversation Confidence

Do you know how to make a great first impression? Whether you're talking to a business
associate... on the phone... or at a party, Leil Lowndes shows you how to exhibit great speaking
skills. Always entertaining and informative, she explains the secret of small talk and
communication skills - and how to go beyond it into deeper conversation. You'll discover how to
establish rapport with anyone, how to work a party like a politician works a convention hall
floor, how to know if you're making a good impression, or how to revive a faltering
conversation.

Word Power

English vocabulary is directly linked to career advancement, to the money you make and even to
social success. To move ahead in your career, your business vocabulary level must at least equal
the average level of the members of your profession. To excel, your vocabulary must surpass that
of your colleagues. Every day, people judge you by the words you use. Rightly or wrongly, they
make assumptions about your intelligence, your education and your capabilities. Nothing makes
a better impression than a solid mastery of the English language. Improve your vocabulary today
with a vocabulary builder and start down the road to advancement.

Listening to Win

Do you possess the "Power Listening" skills of great leaders? Winners listen. Now you can have
the powerful secrets of many of the greatest communicators of our time. Winners listen. They
pay attention when you speak and they hear what you say. Winners respond only when you have
finished talking. Their secret is that they have learned how to listen well. Now you can share this
powerful secret with them.

It might sound an over-simplification, but it's true. The best way of improving communication
skill is through practice. There are some easy and fun ways that you can improve your, though,
so you needn't worry about it being too hard to do. You will probably be really glad in a short
space of time that you bothered to improve your communication skill.

Remember that communication can be either written or spoken. Both of these improve with
practice and here are some fun ways to do that:

1. Write down your thoughts

Just write down anything. It can be impromptu and you Don't have to show these ideas to
anyone. This helps you to be able to order your thoughts logically.

However, if you find that you enjoy this way of expressing yourself, you could join an online
community or article database which will publish your articles. There are lots of opportunities
like this online and some even offer payment, but what is probably more important and more
gratifying is knowing that people are reading your opinions.

You may even find a site where articles are ranked by your peers. If you dare to subject yourself
to such ranking, then you can be pleasantly surprised at how highly regarded your writing
becomes.

2. Learn from other communicators

Watch speakers on TV or go to lectures. See how the experts do it. You can learn a lot this way,
seeing what you liked about their way of putting their message across.

In improving communication skill, it's important to have the confidence to get your own style.
Getting some tips from others is fine, but no-one has all the answers and you may well have
some good ideas yourself. Your communication style needs to be individual to you and you need
to feel comfortable communicating in this way for it to be really effective.

3. Try the telephone

Telephone conversations take a different set of skills. Obviously, one big difference is that you
can't read body language of the person you're talking to on the end of the telephone line. Also,
without this body language to read, silences can seem much longer over the phone.

They are still important pauses to allow people to think, though, so you need to learn not to be
frightened of these pauses in conversation.

4. Chat to people

Try holding a conversation with anyone you meet - the bank cashier or the man you pay for your
gas when You fill up the car. Anyone. It's the practice that matters.

5. Strike up a debate
One way of improving communication skill that you may not have considered is getting a few
friends together and having a friendly debate. Pick a current topic in which you are all interested.
It doesn't have to be anything weighty or in any way controversial; in fact, whilst you are just
starting out improving them, it really should be something light and fun in which everyone can
participate.

Serve up the coffee and have fun with the debate. It can be casual and low-key and if you really
want to have fun with it, which not switch to argue on the opposite side a little way into the
debate. That's a great way of improving communication skill. Keep it impersonal and remember
not to directly attack anyone and you can have a really fun time and also learn a lot in the
process.

So, try a few of these tips and see how much more comfortable you feel in communicating with
other people, both people you know and strangers. You will soon be improving them in all areas
of your life and you should be enjoying it too.

Good communication is the foundation of successful relationships, both personally and

professionally. But we communicate with much more than words. In fact, research shows that
the majority of our communication is nonverbal. Nonverbal communication, or body language,
includes our facial expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture, and even the tone of our voice.

The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication is a powerful tool that will help you
connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build
better relationships at home and work.

In This Article:

 Power of nonverbal communication

 Nonverbal communication in relationships
 Types of nonverbal communication
 Using body language
 Improving nonverbal skills
 Related links
The power of nonverbal communication and body language
Nonverbal communication, or body language, is a vital form of communication. When we
interact with others, we continuously give and receive countless wordless signals. All of our
nonverbal behaviors—the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how
close we stand, how much eye contact we make—send strong messages.

The way you listen, look, move, and react tell the other person whether or not you care and how
well you’re listening. The nonverbal signals you send either produce a sense of interest, trust,
and desire for connection—or they generate disinterest, distrust, and confusion.

I Live in a Communication Challenged World

M y life has been one of communication challenges. I have lived in two cultures

most of my adult life (and I don't mean man and woman). My husband and I speak Spanish, yet
my children and I speak English. My son is dyslexic which presents all kinds of communication
challenges. And I read and speak energy, which most of the known world does not. I've learned
some simple but very effective techniques to help improve my communication with clients,
family and friends. Try these and see if your own communication challenges improve!

Warning: These tips start practical and become gradually more subtle. If you are a "if-you-can't-
see-it-or-hear-it-it-doesn't-exist"person I suggest you try a couple of the more "far out"
techniques and see if they work. You just might surprise yourself!
7 Easy Steps To Increase Your Concentration Power
by Jeff Cohen
The power of concentration is a skill that is easy to master, that is if you have the willpower to
do so. 

“If there is a will, there is a way” according to one saying, the same goes with concentration. 
Popular television newscaster and personality Diane Sawyer was once asked about her secret to
professional success. Her response was that paying attention was her secret.

The question therefore remains, “How does one basically maintain focus and concentration?”

The following are helpful tips to improve your ability to concentrate in the best way possible.
These suggestions apply whether you are in the office busy with work, school, business meeting,
or if you are trying to finish a particular project.

1. Do five more

There are actually two types of people in the world: those who know how to eliminate frustration
and those who wish they are able to work through it. 

Focus and concentrate on doing just five more things. This sort of mantra is best said when you
feel like giving up. 

For instance, if you feel like you no longer want to read or write any more pages, tell yourself to
do just five pages more. Finish just five more math questions. Stay five minutes more on the
treadmill.  Take note that athletes build their own physical prowess by pushing their bodies to the
point of exhaustion while they develop mental stamina.

2. Take one step at one time

There are instances when you feel like your mind is loaded with many ideas like that of a
scatterbrain. The key is to control your brain. 

Rather than worrying on many matters, prioritize tasks and do only those that are needed.

For instance, you cannot help but think of mounting debt problems and this causes you to lose
focus on the presentation you need to do in five minutes.  Tell your mind that you will think of
ways to pay off your bills after your presentation. Your mind will then establish closure and
allow you to focus on the presentation.

3.  Train yourself to have tunnel vision

You can actually cup your hands around your own eyes.  This may serve as a trigger to tell your
mind to focus on a particular responsibility.

For example, you are in a room and you need to study but there are many things preventing you
from concentrating. Cupping your hands around your eyes may help your brain switch to focus
mode and keep it on its track. 
4.  Have a handy pad

When a thought pops into your head and causes you to lose focus, jot down this thought
immediately.

Writing it down is an effective way to get it out of your mind.  After which, consciously focus on
the task that you need to accomplish at the moment.

5. Take a break

Remember that you are not a machine.  You need to take a break to continue focusing on the
task at hand. 

Taking breaks is a good way to break down the tasks into parts that are a lot more manageable. 
You can take a walk or eat lunch out. 

6. Record your start and end times

When doing work, try to record the time you began and the time when you mind begins to drift. 

Doing so helps you know just how much time you spent doing actual work and the time when
you started losing your concentration.

7.  Vary your activities

It is advisable to vary the activities you do in order to keep your mind active and not bored. 

A bored mind will just easily float and drift away to oblivion. 

All in all, these activities and tips need to be practiced regularly for you to concentrate and focus
on the things that really matter most for you.

Do you have trouble focusing on the task in front of you? Do you often find your mind
wandering somewhere out in the weeds when people are talking to you? Do you want to start a
new workout routine, or hobby but can't seem to commit? Do you often find yourself bouncing
your knee while sitting, fidgeting or chewing your nails? All of these things are related believe it
or not. They all demonstrate how much of a slave to your mind and it's impulses you really are.
See the mind loves its freedom and does not want to be disciplined. It loves to wander and will
try to trick and deceive you every chance it gets in order to get it's way. Most people are slaves to
their mind and it's impulses, which can affect every aspect of your life including your career,
relationships and overall success. So many people I talk to say things like "man I'd really like to
be able to do that", after seeing some demonstration they enjoyed. The mind and the thoughts
that pass through it are not you. The mind is just a tool that's available for us to use. How
successful and good your life is depends on your ability to use it and master it. I will give you
some ideas on things to do to strengthen your focus and concentration, but pretty much anything
that involves you devoting your focus and attention to one object or idea for extended periods of
time will work. Feel free to make up your own exercises once you understand the premise. Here
are a few exercises you can use to improve your focus and concentration:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions
Things You'll Need:
 the desire to become the master of your mind
 the desire to improve concentration and focus
 a quiet space where you will not be disturbed
 5-10 minutes/day

1. 1

For most of these exercises you will want to be in a quiet place where you will be
undisturbed. As you get better, you will want to slowly include small distractions such as
the TV running in the background for increased training intensity. The first is counting
down backwards from 100. Sit with your back straight and your eyes open, and count
down. Try to block out all thought but the numbers. You will almost immediately notice
how your mind will get bored with this task and start to introduce other thoughts. Stay
focused on the numbers. If you find your mind wandering and concentration broken, start
over again.

2. 2

Another exercise is counting backwards from 100 but this time by 2's. Like
100,98,96,94,92,90...so on and so forth. Then you can do this and the previous exercise
with your eyes closed and try to visualize the numbers as you say them. Closing the eyes
will probably add some difficulty as now you are dealing with a different part of the
mind.

3. 3

One of the simplest exercises is simply to pick a very very simple object that has very
little to no detail and focus on it. Start off trying to focus on nothing but it for 3 minutes,
then 5 minutes, then 10 and 15. The less interesting the object the better. Some use just a
black dot on the wall to focus on. When something isn't interesting to your mind, your
mind will try to come up with other things to do that are interesting to it. This is what we
are trying to break. You want your mind to do what YOU want it to do, not what IT
wants to do.

4. 4
 Another exercise is to pick a thought and try to hold it for as long as you can. For
instance, think of "my car stereo" for as long as you can. This is a good one because for
most people, their mind will immediately start moving towards all of the different artists
and music you listen to with that stereo. You don't want to do that. Remember you want
just the stereo itself. Think of all of the buttons, what they look like. Think of the digital
display and it's details. Think of it's location in the car and how it helps create the
environment in that car. Just think of the physical stereo itself for as long as you can.
When you find yourself thinking about the music it plays or the song you heard on the
way to work, start over. Try for 3 minutes, then 5, then 10 then 15.

5. 5

This next exercise is a physical on. For those of you who would like to strengthen their
mind over their body, this one's for you. This is another form of concentration and focus.
Everyone knows what the push-up position is roughly. Get into the push-up position and
hold it for as long as possible. Then take a break and try again. Notice all of the things
your mind brings up to try to distract and weaken you from your goal of holding the
position. Physical strain is a good way to see how your mind squirms under pressure.
You must train it to be still and focus your energy on the task at hand, holding you up.

6. 6

Lastly, try to sit with your eyes closed and think of nothing. In other words, do not have
any thoughts at all. When you find yourself thinking of something start over. Just try to
quiet your mind. Forget all of your problems, and stresses, just sit. This exercise is
probably the hardest and should only be attempted after developing proficiency at the
previous exercises. To sit without any thought at all is quite difficult.

7. 7

Now that you have the idea, you can see how you can come up with your own exercises.
Anything that will force you to discipline your mind to do your will instead of it's will is
good for you. You should do these exercises daily.

Techniques to Improve Concentration

1. Jot down things that are on your mind before you study, then set this list to the side. Add to it
anything that distracts you as you are studying. Take care of the list later.

2. Study at the same time each day. A regular schedule can help you frame this as “study time”.

3. Set a timer for an hour, don't allow yourself to stop studying until it goes off.
4. Take breaks. A three minute break for every 30 minutes of study is a good guideline. Take a longer
break after 90 minutes.

5. Set goals for your session that are realistic (number of problems to solve, pages to read, etc.) When
you have met one of your study goals, reward yourself with a short break. Then, return to your study
area.

6. Study in an area away from distractions such as a library, study lounge, or an empty classroom.

7. Make sure you have everything that you need before you begin.

8. Make sure your environment is conducive to studying, no TV, no telephone, no roommate, no

boyfriend/girlfriend.

9. Make studying an active process; take notes and make review sheets. Intersperse different kinds of
study into one session, e.g. reading, writing, taking notes, memorizing, etc.

10. Identify how what you are studying is relevant to your life. Draw connections between things you
already know.

11. Insure that you are sleeping enough, eating well, and getting regular exercise. Your mind will be
more alert, and you will be less likely to fall asleep or daydream.

How to improve your concentration and attention and why is it important?

Paying attention to what you are doing is one of the most important keys to success. If you are
not able to hold your attention on one thing for some time, how can you accomplish anything?

Successful people are able to focus their mind on their goals day and night, until they accomplish
them, be it money, fame, power, self-improvement or meditation. How can you improve your
ability to focus your mind on your goals, when there are so many things that distract your
attention?

Napoleon Hill said the following words about attention: 

“Controlled attention is the act of coordinating all the faculties of the mind and directing their
combined power to a given end. It is an act, which can be achieved only by the strictest sort of
self-discipline.”

“Learn to fix your attention on a given subject, at will, for whatever length of time you choose.
You will have learned the secret to power and plenty! This is concentration.”

“Keep your mind on the things you want and off the things you don’t want!”
This is good advice for anyone one wishes to learn how to improve the concentration and
attention. 

I have written several articles on this important subject. Here are a few of them:
The Power of Concentration
Concentration Exercises

Tips to improve concentration and attention:

1. Never tell yourself you cannot concentrate. Telling yourself that you cannot concentrate only
makes it more difficult. By doing so, you program your mind to lack concentration and attention.

2. Whenever you need to focus your mind, tell yourself over and over again that you can
concentrate. Tell yourself that you can develop this ability.

3. Remember that in order to improve your concentration you need to train it, like any other skill.
If now you cannot fix your mind on one subject for more than a few seconds, in time, if you
persevere, you will be able to fix the mind on anything for a longer time.

4. Make deals with your mind. If there is something that is distracting your attention, such as
emotional problems or unresolved business problems, tell your mind that all these problems can
wait for a little while, and that you will attend to them after you finish what you are doing. If this
does not help you, then write down on a piece of paper what problems you have to think about or
solve. This will, to some extent, temporarily remove the problems from your mind.

5. Do one thing at a time. Jumping from one thing to another will only teach your mind to be
inattentive and lose attention quickly, besides that this kind of mental restlessness can be tiring in
the long run.

6. When you focus your attention on anything, be alert, and when you find yourself thinking on
something else, try to stay patient, and bring your mind to the subject again and again.

7. Often, when you remember, try to fix your attention on whatever you happen to be doing at
the moment.

When learning how to improve memory power and concentration, ensure that you doing
something that you enjoy or you will not continue to do it. Your first step should be to look into
techniques that you will find interesting personally. Even this exercise will train you to
concentrate and to focus in on a mental task which will improve your memory power. Here are
some techniques that you can use right now to improve your memory power.

1. If there's something that you find hard to remember, try to look at it with a completely
different perspective:
If you have to memorize something that is mathematically based and you hate mathematics, try
to translate some of the formulas into more concrete objects. For instance, use a diagram for
remembering the formula for calculating the volume of a cylinder.

2. Using repetition is a great way to increase your level of concentration:

If you repeat certain words or phrases over and over again in your mind, you will lock those
phrases into your long-term memory. Make sure that you envision each word in order to solidify
the memory of each word.

3. Physical exercise can increase the amount of oxygen going to your brain:

Try to exercise at least 30 minutes three times a week. This will increase the amount of oxygen
going to your brain which will enhance your ability to remember.

Good luck with your goal to improve your memory. I know that you will enhance your ability to
memorize abstract concepts and items if you perform the above techniques on a daily basis.

INTRODUCTION.
ANURAG (209)
It is of the utmost value to learn how to concentrate. To make the
Cool goIITian greatest success of anything you must be able to concentrate your entire
thought upon the idea you are working on. The person that is able to
concentrate utilizes all constructive thoughts and shuts out all destructive
ones. The greatest man would accomplish nothing if he lacked
 41  [43 rates] concentration.

LESSON 1. CONCENTRATION FINDS THE WAY. Our two

natures; one wants to advance; the other wants to pull us back. The one
we concentrate on and develop determines what we will become. How
you may change your whole career and accomplish miracles. We can be
completely controlled by our concentrated thought. How can you make
an "opportunity". One man's opportunity is usually another man's loss. A
very beneficial practice. Why we get back what we give out. A
wonderful encouraging tonic. Every man that is willing to put forth the
necessary effort can be a success. The man that is best prepared to do
total posts: 35 things. How to make your services always in demand. How to reach the
    top. The man selected to manage is not usually a genius. He does not
Offline
possess any more talent than others. What he does possess that others do
not. Why a few succeed and so many fail.

LESSON 2. THE SELF-MASTERY. SELF-DIRECTION POWER OF

CONCENTRATION. Very few men possess the power to concentrate as they should. The
cause of poor concentration. A very good practice. Concentration means strength of mind. The
person unable to concentrate never accomplished a great deal. How many weaken their powers
of concentration. How concentration can only be developed. How to control your every thought,
wish and plan. What concentration is. The person that is able to concentrate gains the Power to
control others. Concentration makes the will and intellect act in unison. Why some people are
not magnetic. When a powerful personal influence is generated. How to become influential. The
cause of spasmodic, erratic concentration. How to centralize your attention. A quick way to
develop concentration. The development of physical and mental concentration. How to learn a
valuable lesson. One of the best ways to influence another. A good exercise. The real benefit of
physical culture usually lost sight of. How to hold the facilities at work.

LESSON 3. HOW TO GAIN WHAT YOU WANT THROUGH CONCENTRATION. The

mistake made by those that do not understand the power of mental attraction. How to get what
you want. We are not living in a "fairy age." Not the age for a "dreamer." The secret of getting
what you concentrate on. How a messenger in a bank became its president. "Power to him who
power exerts."

LESSON 4. CONCENTRATION, THE SILENT FORCE THAT PRODUCES RESULTS

IN ALL BUSINESS. The power of thought. An experiment showing the power of thought. By
concentrated thought you can make yourself what you please. How to greatly increase your
efficiency. The face reflects how a person has spent his life. How to awaken possibilities within,
you never dreamed of. How to inspire confidence in those you deal with. The value of
concentrating your thoughts in the proper channels. How to attract the good things without a,
great effort. By concentration you can revolutionize your life and gain happiness greater than
you can imagine.

LESSON 5. HOW CONCENTRATED THOUGHT LINKS ALL HUMANITY

TOGETHER.

How you may become successful. The barriers to success can be controlled. How to realize your
fondest ambitions. How to overcome destructive forces. How to become the master of
circumstances. Through concentration you can mold your environment. You can get what you
want. Sowing the thought seeds of success. Mind forces that are hardly dreamed of at present. A
method for removing unfavorable conditions. Concentration makes you happy and gives you
plenty to do.

LESSON 6. THE TRAINING OF THE WILL TO DO. The great secret of any
accomplishment. Everything Is possible today. The inner energy that controls all conscious acts.
How you can become a genius. A mighty force at your disposal. Rules that will make you a
"man" among men. The spirit that wins. Concentration develops determination and perseverance.
Some special instructions. What will power is. You have as strong a will as anyone. You
determine your own fate. The importance of learning to use your will.

LESSON 7. THE CONCENTRATED MENTAL DEMAND. The attitude of the mind affects
the expression of the face. The wonderful power of the concentrated mental demand. How to
desire something and exclude all distracting thoughts. The silent force of wonderful power
within all of us. How to make plans work out. The mightiest power in the world is free for you to
use. The motive power which supplies the energies necessary for achievement.
LESSON 8. CONCENTRATION GIVES MENTAL POISE. The man that can concentrate is
well poised. What you must do to be successful today. Concentration that is dangerous. How to
make those you come in contact with feel as you do. The man that becomes a power in the
world. You can control your life and actions. Successful lives are the concentrated lives. Why
people do not get what they "concentrate" on.

LESSON 9. CONCENTRATION CAN OVERCOME BAD HABITS. Habit is but a powerful

enemy and wonderful ally of concentration. Most people are controlled through the power of
habit. Most people are imitators and copiers of their past selves. All physical impressions are the
carrying out of the actions of the will and intellect. How everyone could be made happier and
successful. Some wonderful maxims. Habit the deepest law of human nature. How to overcome
undesirable habits. Some special instructions by Dr. Oppenheim.

LESSON 10. BUSINESS RESULTS GAINED THROUGH CONCENTRATION. A

successful business not the result of chance. Failure not caused by luck. The intense desire that is
necessary to make a business a success. Those that achieve permanent success deserve it. The
man that is able to skilfully manage his business. How to realize your ambition. The successful
business attitude. Your opinion should be as good as any one else. How many ruin their
judgment. The man that gets the best results. A successful business not hard to build up; may be
built up In a few years now whereas formerly it took a lifetime. How to do more and better work.
How to attract the ideas thought out by others. Many attract forces and Influences that they
should not. Broaden the visions of those you come in contact with.

LESSON 11. CONCENTRATE ON COURAGE. Lack of courage creates financial, as well as

mental and moral difficulties. The man without courage attracts all that is contemptible,
weakening, demoralizing and destructive. It is just as easy to be courageous as cowardly.
Courage concentrates the mental forces on the task at hand. Cowardice dissipates both mental
and moral forces. How to banish doubts. No one knows what they can do until they try. Once
you understand the law everything is possible. How to build up courage to do as you wish.
Difficulties soon melt away before the courageous.

LESSON 12. CONCENTRATE ON WEALTH. No one was intended to be poor. Through

wealth we can uplift ourselves and humanity. Uncongenial and unpleasant conditions are not
conducive to proper thought. First step toward acquiring wealth. Most men of all ages have been
comparatively rich. Wealth not altogether the result of being industrious. No one can become
wealthy from his earnings. Why some have to be taught such painful lessons. How many attract
poverty instead of riches. Why it is necessary to give a fair exchange for what we receive. How
to make your society not only agreeable to others but sought after.

LESSON 13. YOU CAN CONCENTRATE, BUT WILL YOU? All have the ability to
concentrate. More ability not used than is used. Sometimes only a trifle keeps one from
becoming a success. The fault is all your own. How to discover the cause if you are not making
good. Make conditions favorable and do not expect them to shape themselves. Stumbling blocks
but stepping stones. Hard Passages can be bridged if you just concentrate on them. Why more
people do not succeed. Don't be afraid of a rebuff. The man that knows no such thing as failure.
Be ready for an opportunity when it comes, No circumstances can keep the determined man from
succeeding.

LESSON 14. ART OF CONCENTRATING WITH PRACTICAL EXERCISE. A daily

habit will wonderfully increase your concentration. Seeing yourself as you would like to be.
Instruction of the greatest importance. The great creative spirit of the universe. Why things
manifest as they do. The cosmic intelligence. A most desired state. How to receive messages
from the universal mind. How to develop power, unknown to you before. Make your mind a
powerful transmitter of thought. The best time to practice concentration exercises. How to
rejuvenate every cell of your brain and body. An exercise that will give you a self-poised
manner. Instead of a nervous strained appearance. Concentrating on the powers within.
Concentration will save your energy. How to keep from getting irritable or nervous. The Eastern
way of concentrating. Exercise in controlling desires.

LESSON 15. CONCENTRATE SO YOU WILL NOT FORGET. Why people forget. An
easy way to remember. How to deepen your impression. Exercise in Memory Concentration.

LESSON 16. HOW CONCENTRATION CAN FULFILL YOUR DESIRE. The desire to do
implies the ability to do. Man has within him the power to gratify his every wish. If you have
been unable to satisfy your longings, it is time you learn how to use your God-given powers.
Priceless knowledge and unlimited possibilities within you that Is foreign to most people. How
to concentrate on what you want and get it. The miraculous help we apparently receive at times.
How one man started a business on thirteen cents and in six years built up a business that pays
him $6,000 a year. When you put forth the necessary concentrated effort you will receive great
help from unknown sources.

LESSON 17. IDEALS DEVELOP BY CONCENTRATION. Your happiness and success

depends upon your ideals. A valuable lesson. Through concentration we can work out our ideals
In physical life. What a different world this would be if we would build the right kind of ideals.
Every time you change your ideal you think differently. Life is one continuous unfoldment. You
can be happy every step of its way or miserable as you please. How our grandest thoughts come
to us.

LESSON 18. MENTAL CONTROL THROUGH CREATION. An inventor's vision. Why It

is easy to project your thoughts to another. How your mental powers can draw to you forces of a
helpful nature. The big business man must possess mental power of control. How to make a
friend or relative succeed. How to generate enthusiasm and the spirit of success. Your
environment is either helpful or harmful. Mental starvation. How to instil your thoughts and
ideas into others. Influence that must be shaken off before you can advance. Our attitude has
more to do with success than you realize.

LESSON 19. A CONCENTRATED WILL DEVELOPMENT. A most effective and practical

method of developing the Will. Practical exercises. Will training without exercises. Will-power
can overcome big obstacles. The Will to win. Man an unknown quality until his powers are
developed. Ability plentiful, but organizing, initiative and creative power not so plentiful. The
driving force within.
LESSON 20. CONCENTRATION REVIEWED. Those unable to concentrate will generally
suffer from poverty and unhappiness, The best instructor will only help you to the extent you put
it into practice. Gaining the mastery of your work, life powers and forces. Concentrate the
dominant quality that makes men successful. Everyone can learn to concentrate better. An
experiment to try. Final instructions

4. What are moral values?

Moral values are the standards of good and evil, which govern an individual’s behavior and choices. Individual’s
morals may derive from society and government, religion, or self. When moral values derive from society and
government they, of necessity, may change as the laws and morals of the society change. An example of the impact
of changing laws on moral values may be seen in the case of marriage vs. “living together.”

In past generations, it was rare to see couples who lived together without the benefit of a legal matrimonial
ceremony. In recent years, couples that set up household without marriage are nearly as plentiful as traditional
married couples. But, not only are such couples more plentiful, they are also more accepted by other individuals in
our society. In earlier society, the laws and morals simply came from the Roman system of law, which was largely
based on the Ten Commandments. As society moved into the modern era, that earlier system of laws became more
and more eroded.

Moral values also derive from within one’s own self. This is clearly demonstrated in the behavior of older infants
and young toddlers. If a child has been forbidden to touch or take a certain object early on, they know enough to
slowly look over their shoulder to see if they are being observed before touching said object. There is no need for
this behavior to be taught; it is instinctive. Once, however, any form of discipline is applied to modify the child’s
behavior, the child now gains the capacity within himself to distinguish his right behavior from his wrong behavior.
Now, the child can make correct choices based on his own knowledge. The choices that are made by an individual
from childhood to adulthood are between forbidden and acceptable, kind or cruel, generous or selfish. A person
may, under any given set of circumstances, decide to do what is forbidden. If this individual possesses moral values,
going against them usually produces guilt.

Religion is another source of moral values. Most religions have built-in lists of do’s and don’ts, a set of codes by
which its adherents should live. Individuals who are followers of a particular religion will generally make a show of
following that religion’s behavioral code. It is interesting to note that these codes may widely vary; a person whose
religion provides for polygamy will experience no guilt at having more than one spouse while adherents to other
religions feel they must remain monogamous.

Christianity goes beyond all other religions in that it is more than just a system of do’s and don’ts; it is a relationship
with the living God through His Son, Jesus Christ. A Christian’s set of moral values go beyond society’s mores and
selfish instincts. Christians ideally behave correctly because they love God and want to please Him. This is at once a
high calling and a low position. It is a high calling because God has required that all who love Him should keep His
commandments; therefore it is an act of obedience. John 14:15 says, "If you love me, you will obey what I
command.” It is a low position because we must totally deny our own will to do what pleases the Lord. Christ Jesus
as He lived His life on earth is our supreme example; if we pattern our behavior after Him then our lives are most
valuable. John 15:10 says, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my
Father's commands and remain in his love.”