Workshops at the DAVs in Navi Mumbai

Just finished 6 back-to-back workshops at the DAVs in Navi Mumbai (New Panvel and Kharghar). I covered Multiple Natures (finding your ideal career) and a bit of the Laws of Learning. Attendees comprised students from classes 9-12. These kids are in a unique position–they are fluent in English and globally aware…however it is clear that our education system is far behind them. Let’s hope the new reforms trickle down far enough and have enough impact to enable these kids to realize their potential. For now, there’s far too much emphasis on Math and Language and memorizing facts. We need to observe the entire spectrum of human abilities…not just the narrow bandwidth of “visible light” that is measured through written assessments.

Fatty foods affect your brain’s performance

Have a look at this article that talks about the negative effects of fatty food on your brain. Here’s a clip from the post:

Eating fatty food appears to take an almost immediate toll on both short-term memory and exercise performance, according to new research on rats and people.

Other studies have suggested that long-term consumption of a high-fat diet is associated with weight gain, heart disease and declines in cognitive function. But the new research shows how indulging in fatty foods over the course of a few days can affect the brain and body long before the extra pounds show up.

Delinquent Behavior Among Boys ‘Contagious,’ Study Finds

I often tell parents that they should help their kids choose their friends carefully. Here’s an article that supports my perspective.

Impulsive boys with inadequate supervision, poor families and deviant friends are more likely to commit criminal acts that land them in juvenile court, according to a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. The most surprising finding from the 20-year study, conducted by researchers from the Université de Montréal and University of Genoa, was how help provided by the juvenile justice system substantially increased the risk of the boys engaging in criminal activities during early adulthood.

You can read the entire article here.

While the research mainly focuses on children who affected others during association in detention, its implications extend far beyond that–even to simple circles of friends.

Add a Job

We are currently working on our new Job Matching website, and need your help!

Please visit www.jiva.com/addajob and add a job to the database. It only takes a minute to post 1 job. We are aiming at 500 jobs in the next 2 weeks.

The site is meant to help students find jobs that are compatible with their natures. My belief is that when people find a job that aligns with their personality type, work becomes play. When they are in their “Element” (as Sir Ken Robinson describes it), they get energy from their work, they get into flow, and find bliss from their professional activities.

I believe too many people wind up in the wrong jobs because they never got the proper guidance, and as such wind up doing work that is counter to their natures. And when they land in such situations, it’s like wearing a shoe that’s too tight or too loose–irritating you to the point that all you can think about is getting that shoe off your foot.

So please do lend a hand and add a couple of jobs to the database! You just might make some student aware of a job that she never thought about that is ideal for her.

It really only takes a minute, and it’s fun.

Flow, Mentors, and Your Children

When world champion Peter Hart taught me how to windsurf in 1982, little did I realize the life-lesson that I learned. It was the lesson of “flow”.

Here is an article I wrote about the importance of mentors on children. If you have kids and want to know how to get them motivated, I have provided a secret in this write up of how to do so. Check it out.

Outliers and the Importance of Practice

If you’ve read the Tipping Point and Blink, you might, like me, enjoy Malcolm Gladwell’s expertise in finding unique perspectives on life phenomenon, backing it up with relevant research, and wrapping it all together in delightful stories and elegant prose.

In his latest book, Outliers, Gladwell identifies the criteria that make a person successful. One of them is hard work–that those who are on the top in their field are not there because they work just harder or much harder–they are there because they work much much harder.  With respect to education, he refers to research that shows there is a direct correlation between students who work harder and the ones who do well on maths exams. And that the students who are willing to stick with a problem for a few minutes (rather than give up after 30 seconds), are the ones who bring home higher grades in maths.

His other interesting point on this topic is that those who become accomplished in their fields do so only after having practiced their craft for about 10,000 hours. This includes artists, musicians, computer programmers, sports people and so on.

This aspect of Outliers ties directly into my Law of Learning #6  is “Teach Your Kids to Practice”.

As a parent, you really need to stand behind them–just as a good coach does–pushing them to their potential. Of course you need to be careful not to overdo it and risk sending them over the edge. But my experience with parents and children leads me to believe that the vast majority do a poor job at guiding their kids into their zone of maximal achievement.

Gladwell doesn’t address the aspect of how to encourage kids to practice harder, which is a good thing, because it leaves room for folks like me to do so.

Thank’s Malcolm.

In the 10 Laws of Learning, I tackle the topic of practice head on. Stay tuned for more…

Running and Living

I met Rahul Verghese a few months ago at an afternoon party one Sunday in New Delhi. A few minutes into our conversation, I asked Rahul about what he did, and was surprised by his answer: “I organize running events.” He went on to explain how he worked for years in high profile jobs in the IT industry, and one day he discovered running. First it was a 5K run, then a 10K. In a short while, he was doing full marathons.

Rahul’s passion led him to a crossroads and a question: Do I keep on working and earning in my job, or do I take the plunge and follow my passion? After deep consideration, he decided to take the step, and founded the organization Running and Living. Through R&L, Rahul sets up events that focus on getting professionals out of their offices, into their sneakers, and into running mode. They are celebrating their first anniversary run on June 7th (get in touch if you want to join them).

What inspires me about Rahul is the fact that he had the courage to follow his passion. While he was in mid-life, and had a secure, well-paying job, I’m sure that people must have told him he was crazy to take such a risk. However, if you meet Rahul today, you would surely congratulate him for taking such a bold move. His runs have attracted thousands, and are now sponsored by Reebok, Max Healthcare, Red FM and other companies who also share his vision and recognize how important physical exercise is in our lives.

Over the past few months, I have been writing about how important it is to encourage children to follow their passions. Even though their dreams might seem far-fetched or unlikely to enable them to earn a living, if they are doing what they love, success will surely follow.

My Laws of Learning explain the process:

1. Take care of yourself
2. Believe in Yourself
3. Explore your world and find your passion.
4. Set your goals.
5. Plan
6. Practice
7. Learn the Rules of the Game
8. Play
9. Learn the Tricks of the Game
10. Perform Like a Champion

Rahul has indeed demonstrated he is a champion. Keep on running, Rahul!

The pursuit of happiness

Everyone in life wants to be happy, and in that sense can be said to be in the pursuit of happiness. The problem comes when two or more people are trying to chase their dreams, and when they come in the way of each other. This is why we need rules. Rules are essentially tools that enable us to pursue our goals freely without undue interference from others, and to enable others to do the same.

Law of Learning 7, Learn the rules of the game, focuses on just this. My aim is to get kids to understand the myriad rules that govern different spheres–school, family, sports, the arts, etc., which will enable them to achieve their goals and get along with others in the process.

The Element

What’s your passion? When do you feel most alive? If money were not a criteria and you could do whatever you wanted, what would that “whatever” be? These are the questions Sir Ken Robinson poses in “The Element”, a book about the importance of finding one’s calling(s) in life.

He explains how the Western, linear manner of thinking gave rise to the industrial revolution, and how education subsequently evolved into the information-based, factory-like style of instruction that exists today. As a result, people have become alienated from the environment and from themselves—from their “Element”.

The book has implications not only for parents or teachers, but for all those who feel they are missing something in life—that they lost a passion they once had, or that they are yet to find a compelling, motivating goal in their lives. It is as much an invitation as it is a guide to discovering and realizing one’s potential.

Although I feel the content could have been better structured and concepts better synthesized, I think Sir Ken makes some remarkable observations about the need for education to be more geared toward helping people identify their inherent abilities, and the need for teachers and parents to do a better job in creating opportunities that enable children to flourish.

While reading it, I realized that my 10 Laws of Learning are an attempt to help parents create environments that help children find their “Element”.

BTW, the key points that he discusses are covered in this TED talk—which is one of the best (and funniest) talks I’ve watched.

The Importance of Play

My 8th Law of Learning is: Teach Your Kids to Play.

The role of play in human development is considerable. Check out my article on The Power of Play from the latest Jiva Newsletter. I’ve dedicated an entire chapter to play in my upcoming book: the 10 Laws of Learning.

You might also enjoy this TED talk by Stuart Brown, MD, on the importance of play in our lives. He’s also written a book entitled “Play” published by Viking.