Your attitude towards life
Some time or the other we come across a horrible person. Whenever you encounter a person who is rude, selfish, hypocritical or out to cheat you, become aware, protect yourself, and deal with it the best you can.
…….but after that, look out for someone who is nice, serene, polite or compassionate. When you spend time with the nice person and have pleasant interactions, it reduces your hurt or bitterness which you may carry from your earlier experience. It also reaffirms to you that not all people are bad, and that there are actually good humans around you who you can build positive relationships with.
Your attitude towards life and your motivation to form healthy long-term bonds increases.
Understanding your abilities and strengths
Left-Brained or Right-Brained
Left Brain Skills: If you have strong left brain characteristics, it means that you think logically, in sequential order and can handle mathematical calculations. These attributes are very useful if you choose careers related to individual and technical work e.g. engineering, technology, surgery, research, law, chartered accountancy, decision making, planning, etc, where more of logical, sequential or analytical thinking is required, and where you keep learning through experience. You have the ability to look at issues critically without allowing emotions to come in the way, and can take quick and calculated decisions, and you will do well in MCQ, logical and analytical questions in competitive exams.
Right Brain Skills: If your right brain characteristics are very strong, you are capable of using your emotions to your advantage, you will balance your needs with those of others, will do well in group and team work, where emotional maturity is required, and in creativity-oriented activities e.g. design, people-management, project development, administration, education, life sciences, marketing, mass communication, media, physicians, humanities, HRM, etc. Students who are right-brained generally do not score high marks in academics since the education system caters more to left-brain skills.
Balanced Left and Right Brain Skills: If you are one of the rare lucky ones who have equally sharp left and right brain characteristics, then you will be able to adapt very well in future to changing technology and lifestyle, and will never get outdated. But at present it is quite likely that you are a very confused person. Due to equally strong characteristics in both the above sides, you may get pulled in different directions. You may feel like changing your mind now and then, and get attracted to completely different careers. You will require extra attention, patient dealing, and opportunity to explore diverse fields before selecting. If you just cannot decide at the 10+2 level, you may opt for a sound base in science or technology, and then move into management, creative, or people-oriented careers, thus getting the best of both worlds. Today there are plenty of opportunities to combine two extreme interests and create a career.
Though people who have equally developed left and right brain characteristics may appear to be confused and fickle minded due to their wide range of abilities and interests, eventually they do better than others because they can adapt themselves to changing technology or lifestyles, which will be very important in the 21st century.
Most common skills in each side of the brain include:
Left Brain Right Brain
Analytical Mathe-logical Emotional Rhythmic, kinesthetic (bodily)
Experiential Intra-personal Instinctive, intuitive Literary
Critical Sequential Creative, imaginative Interpersonal
Sequential Verbal Spatial, colour, 3 dimension
Ali’s Notes:
Most people who are sensitive and caring, inevitably go through many setbacks and challenges in life. Those who are totally self-centered and do not care for others manage to find the path of least resistance, and keep going up the ladder of success.
The world admires and praises the second category of people because of their “achievements” – but I have a deep interest in the first. Whenever I come across someone who gives value to emotions and who thinks beyond the mundane, I love to make them talk, and can listen to them for a long time – for every one of them teaches me something about life and its meaning.
Look around, identify such people, and listen to their experiences of life. You will be enriched.