Life is a series of negotiations because we go through a series of natural and spontaneous changes of which success is not always an outcome.  An average adult makes about 35,000 conscious decisions each day. Each decision, of course, carries certain consequences with it that are both good and bad. We encounter several negotiation situations each day, each moment/each hour. Yet, most people misunderstand a negotiator as someone who can manipulate people into getting what he wants. 

What we don’t realize is that almost every conversation we have, each day, is some kind of negotiation. We all use our strength to tackle all kinds of situations, we go through ‘highs and lows.’ We go through moments when we feel a sense of loss, confusion and self-doubt. In times like these it is only our determination that comes to our rescue and helps us to stand tall and save our self-worth.

Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more parties to resolve points of difference, gain an advantage for an individual or group of people for positive outcomes to satisfy various interests. The parties aspire to agree on matters. Whenever there is a want, desire or a need present on either side, we are in a negotiation. And we every day have wants, desires and  needs. The thing that trip up people is they knowingly or unknowingly get into action of negotiation as bargaining. For example, buying vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs, bread, what to cook for meal, getting the house cleaned from maids, getting the garden watered, which mattresses to use on bed, when to change curtains of windows, whether to attend a function or not, planning a holiday, planning a function ….so many negotiations we conclude before making decisions.   

There are bigger negotiations we go for such as: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, choosing a life partner, investment decisions, health related decisions etc. As we mature in life, we take emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, before negotiating.  Emotional intelligence is critical for mastering negotiation skill. Emotional Intelligence is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you.

We learn to negotiate better when we go with an open mind, we think and plan, when we articulate our thoughts, we succeed. Perseverance is most important requirement while negotiating. When we detach ourselves from the result negotiation works out better. Also, any negotiation is not one sided, we should think about other side too. A very important point is at times we get confused with want exactly we want. knowledge of the subject matter being negotiated, ability to think clearly and rapidly under pressure and uncertainty also matters. Most important skill in negotiation is listening skill.

In business negotiations most negotiations are sharp but need to be dealt with calm and composed mind, carrying the figures in head, quantifying every trade-off is fundamental to the deal. Or that’s what the science of game theory says. In real life however, people are not always rational under pressure, when time is short, and the stakes are high. In business, the biggest challenge in a negotiation is to stop emotions from overtaking logic.

Warren Buffett is one of the world’s most successful investors and has built an impressive, estimated wealth of $85.3 billion. He has also earned a strong reputation as one of the world’s most skilled negotiators. Buffet is known for doing his research and preparing for negotiations with meticulous detail. His ability to identify value, negotiate favourable terms, and build strong relationships has been key to his incredible success in the business world. He keeps his ego out of the door. He is ruthlessly unemotional while negotiating.

Indira Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo is known for her flexibility during negotiations. She always was open to alternative solutions and willing to adjust her stance based on new information or changing circumstances. This adaptability allowed her to navigate complex deals successfully and overcome unexpected challenges.

Nooyi believed in thorough preparation before entering any negotiation. Whether it was a merger deal or a supplier contract, she ensured that she and her team were well-informed about the industry landscape, the counterpart’s interests, and potential areas of compromise. She always built strong relationships with stakeholders.  She looked at alternative solutions willingness to adjust her decisions based on new information or changing circumstances. Also, her communication skills made her a popular leader.

When we look at negotiation, it’s basically discovering what the other side wants, we must try to uncover their reasoning and motives. Nelson Mandela is remembered for being one of the most talented negotiators in history. He served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 and used his strong negotiation skills to fight apartheid and secure a more peaceful society for millions of South African people. Mandela is well known for his resilience, patience, and strategic thinking. It took him decades to achieve his goals, and his focus on the greater good played a crucial role in ensuring a peaceful transition to democracy.

When we don’t recognize a negotiation as a negotiation, it’s much harder to be successful in it. In both personal and professional realms, the ability to negotiate effectively is an art and science. Science as a metaphor for negotiation emphasizes the strategic, analytical, and data-driven aspects of negotiation. It highlights the importance of preparation, research, and understanding the underlying dynamics of negotiation that can make the difference between success and failed opportunities.

The Wikipedia explains that in many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging money, goods, etc. contributes to social cohesion. Economists have elaborated the economics of gifting – giving into the notion of ‘gift economy’. By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the receiver happier or less sad, it supports the goodwill, helps forgiveness and portrays kindness of the giver. Gifting is an art as well as a talent. Gifting signifies warmth, love, affection, liking, kindness, forgiveness etc. Gift makes anybody happy. The mankind cherishes giving and receiving gifts. From a child to aged all enjoy giving and taking gifts.

Why and how gifting plays an important role

Gifting is an integral part in commemorating an event or celebration. Events like weddings, birthdays, anniversaries usually necessitate gifts be given to the person concerned. While presence on the event or celebration is more important than the present, giving gifts appropriates the occasion confirming that we are indeed co-celebrating the joyous revelry with the host. More often than not, gifts explain its recipient the deeper emotions of the giver. We give gifts to people not only for the obvious reason that we love them but also for the joy of seeing them excited and delighted.

How big is the gifting market

Books and music are the new phenomenon for gifting. In the words of Mark Twain “The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them” According to the National Endowment for Arts (NEA) in USA, less than 50% of adults are reading literature.  The decline in reading has been termed as a “national crisis” in USA.  This most progressive and developed nation in the world is so concerned about the reading habits of its citizens. The decline in reading is across all strata. From 1982 to 2002 USA has lost 20 million potential readers due to lost interest in reading and this is due to television, the NEA reports. It further states that men are reading less than women. The worst hit reading group is those of younger ages, the loss is 28% among the younger generation.  It is really appreciable that this powerful country makes efforts of keeping a check on such a less-concerned factor of life. The rest of the world has to take some lessons because a well-read society has its far flung advantages. One of the best gifts is offering a book. 

One news article published in Economic Times, says that even during the recession of 2009 the book-and-gift retailing segment seemed to be the least affected. Leading book retail chains such as Landmark, Crossword and RPG Retail’s ‘Books & Beyond’ suffered a marginal impact on sales. Book retailing is emerging as a recession-proof segment in India. Tata group’s book-and-gift retail venture Landmark operates 25 stores across India and is witnessing a sales growth of 18-20%. Interestingly, most of these book stores have a strong merchandise mix of music, movies, toys and gifts.The lower income groups, middle income groups and higher income groups believe celebrating small and big occasions regularly.

Music’s impact on the society can be seen throughout history. Every known culture on the earth has music. Music seems to be one of the basic actions of humans. However, early music was not handed down from generation to generation or recorded. Hence, there is no official record of “prehistoric” music but instruments like flutes, dholes, sonic rocks are evidence of prehistoric music from the findings of historic researchers.

There are two responses to music. These responses are hard to separate because they are related, and one of these responses cannot exist without the other. These responses are (1) the actual hearing of the music and (2) the physical response to the music. Music stimulates physical movements and is integrally related to the human body. For example, the body contains rhythms in the heartbeat, drinking, eating, and breathing all of these. How can we overlook the ‘lub’ and ‘dub’ of our heartbeats? Heart sounds are the noises generated by the beating heart and the resultant flow of blood through it.

Gifting MP3, DVDs, and Cassettes is in vogue.  Young and old all prefer music. Archie’s, Planet M, Rhythm House, Satyam, Landmark in Mumbai are over flooded with customers during festive occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Diwali, Christmas, Eid, and many other festivals.  These days corporate have also joined the bandwagon of gifting music and books. The Pharma sector is famous for gifting music albums.  

How to master the art of gifting

Buying is such a complex procedure. Let it be any category of product or service; the buying process is difficult because it includes various strictures which are internal as well as external.  Today’s consumers are very particular about what they want, when they want and how they want and due to information being poured from various channels consumers are well informed and hence on their guard while shopping. But, when you go to buy a gift for someone, it is all the more difficult to purchase a gift. This is because there are so many intricacies involved while gifting of both of the giver and receiver of the gift; who, why, when, the occasion, price tag, packaging, the psyche the list can be big.

India is a big country with 28 states and 7 Union Territories, over one billion people and 120 dialects/languages. From the market perspective, people of India comprise different segments of consumers, based on class, status, and income. An important and topical development in India’s consumerism is the emergence of electronic media. The cultural diversity of India has paved the way to the celebration of a number of festivals, on most of the festivals gifting one and other is a compulsion. When it comes to gifting, the Indian philosophy believes in generosity of spirit while giving.  Gift giving is routine in India, and is seen as a sign of friendship it is also a symbolic way to show appreciation and to develop relationship.

Indian minds clutch their cultural and traditional values so much that it is difficult for marketers to disconnect the consumers from their traditional styles. Perhaps, only in India, one sees traditional products along side of modern products; eg hair oils and tooth powder existing with shampoos and toothpaste, traditional mattresses with modern sofa, traditional dresses with the latest tights and miniskirts. So, traditionally, the scope of gifts has a narrow choice.

Giving is receiving. In the words of Jarod Kintz “The only gift I have to give, is the ability to receive. If giving is a gift, and it surely is, then my gift to you is to allow you to give to me.”

Much of the controversy of management being art or science is based on description of the fact that the earlier leaders of industry used intuition, hunches, commonsense, and experience in managing organizations. They were not well educated, they were not trained professional managers, but they managed their businesses brilliantly. However, commonsense and science differ considerably in solving the problems. Examples are Dhirubhai Ambani, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata and G.D.Birla…the list is big. In 1919, Ghanshyamdas Birla was in no better position. He had fought hard with his family and the colonial establishment to start a jute mill. World War I broke out before he could place orders for his machinery. He had based his projections on Rs 6,000 per loom. The price shot up to Rs 16,000. He went ahead.

In 1950, aged 17, Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani sailed in a steerage class of ship to Aden to search for a job. For the next eight years, he sweated it out. Later in his life, without a single educational degree he created an empire called Reliance Industries.

Management is Science because of several reasons like – it has universally accepted principles, it has cause and effect relationship etc, and at the same time it is art because it requires perfection through practice, practical knowledge, creativity, personal skills etc. Management is both an art and a science.

Artistic application of management know-how is a must for solving complex situations in organizations. It is understood that managing is doing things artistically in the light of the realities of a situation. Human skills cannot stand alone; they need to be aligned with conceptual skills and technical skills. Therefore, theoretical knowledge of management is not adequate or relevant for solving the problems. A manager gains experience by continual application of management knowledge and facing new experiences. By solving many problems, a manager develops more skills and abilities for translating knowledge into practice.

Application calls for innovativeness and creativity; Larry Page of Google is one such example of a businessperson who can endure a challenge, while also face criticism. Larry and his business have faced much criticism and received ample praise over the years for his company’s actions. But whenever he was caught in the midst of the storm, he has never let what others think influence him from pursuing the course for his company that he considers the best. The art of management is in knowing how to accomplish the desired results.

Art may be defined as personalized application of general theoretical principles for achieving best possible results. Apple Inc’s Tim Cook is often compared to Steve Jobs. It is difficult to follow Steve Jobs, but, Tim Cook is doing a tremendous job. Rather than attempt to match the consumer-facing innovations Steve Jobs had been known for, Tim Cook is forging into the future with his own new advances, such as Apple’s newest original inventory management techniques.

Traditionally, creativity was linked with people in artistic professions such as writers, painters or musicians. But, in today’s competitive business world, the need for creativity has transitioned into the business world. It has become increasingly important for organizations to rely on creative thinking, in an effort to distinguish themselves from competitors. Jeff Bezos of Amazon prefers focus on the customer. It is famous that in every meeting he leaves an empty seat for a customer to represent them. He considers the customer to be the most important person in the room, even if there is no customer present physically in the room. Bezos has made the customer a key component of his business strategies, customers find him very inspiring. He always portrays through his strategies that at the centre of his business are his customers. Amazon grew in leaps because of cultivated customer value.

Most science and engineering students are good at managing businesses because they are good at analysis and solve problem in the real word specifically based on their subject. Businesses need engineering managers to oversee projects, product design and development, operations; create strategic plans; handle budgets, costs, and financing; and interface with marketing.

Frederick Winslow Taylor was one of the first management thinkers. Taylor is known for his thinking of scientific management. He advised to scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. Taylor concentrated more on productivity and wages to be paid based on productivity. He stressed on time and motion study and other techniques for measuring work. Apart from this, in Taylor’s work, there also runs a strongly humanistic theme. He felt ideally that the interests of workers, managers and owners should be synchronized.

Henri Fayol was a French coal-mine engineer, director of mines and modern management theoretician. His scientific management theory was formed on the bases of business administration and business management. He introduced the fourteen principles of management. In the academic world, this is also known as Fayolism.

Management science theory is based on the thought that a contemporary approach to management that focuses on the use of rigorous quantitative techniques which help managers make maximum use of organizational resources to produce goods and services. It is also known as the mathematical or quantitative approach. In quintessence, this theory is a contemporary extension of scientific management, which, as developed by Taylor, also looks at quantitative approach to measuring the employee and his task in order to raise efficiency. The art to get maximum productivity is to use permutations and combinations as per employee’s strength, desire to work, desire to learn and the motivation techniques used by the management.

Good translators vacillate over the subject of loyalty to maintain the originality of the text. A translator should be receptive to the originality of the text and should avoid temptation adding or subtracting matter from the original text. A good translator tries to reproduce the text as exactly as possible to the maximum extent. He/she multitasks while translating: grasps the intended meaning of the source language, weigh and reflect over word choice for the target language, match the formatting of the source language, search and use the best terminology for the subject matter, finally measure cultural disparities in case it impacts phrasing or grammar and ensure by and large lucidity and accuracy of finished translation.

Translation is as much an art as a science: Though the computer these days does the job of translation, one cannot depend on the machine for effective completion of the job. It’s not possible to trust the process in terms of grammatical and cultural nuances. Human translation is still very much a necessity and should certainly be the preference for translating a good work. There are chances of even the human blundering few segments of the original work— but that’s why any reputable translation agency should have a thorough quality assurance process in place. The machines will never possess understanding and insight like a human mind.

Each language has its distinguishable exercising power: who else but the authors and poets can fraternise a language with command and conformity. The genuine, inner power of language is rarely used. It has been observed that even the most skilful speaker or an author cannot monopolise the power of language because power of language lies not with the speaker, but with language itself. Whoever has a command of language has part in its power. The power of a language cannot be restricted and repressed.

Each language has some exclusivity: some word that captures a concept or emotional state in a certain way. It therefore becomes difficult for a translator to capture the wideness of expression. The range of concepts and emotional state is the only indication of a language’s meticulousness. It is difficult to find a comparable dialect from one to another language. The expressions change while translating a text from one to another language. However sincerely one tries to interpret thoughts from one language into another, the possibility of the variation of meaning of certain words and expressions cannot be avoided. Here’s why the translator’s presumption to understand the author’s intentions, and re-imagine them in his/her own language is a delicate job.

Languages in demand: The demand for languages such as French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish are always very high but other languages showing a steady increase in demand are Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam, in addition Korean and a number of languages from Mexico and Central America such as Mixtec, Zapotec, and Mayan.

What are the educational qualifications required for a translators? A bachelor’s degree is typically needed to become an interpreter or translator along with proficiency in at least two languages, one of which is usually English. Although majoring in a language is not really necessary. However, knowledge of a specific area such as pharma, history, botany, geology etc can be helpful skill for success in the career of translator. Besides it, listening, writing, cultural Intelligence, observation, computer knowledge and the biggest of all time management are some other required skills.

Some famous translated reserves: Paulo Coelho’s masterpiece book Alchemist which is written originally in Portuguese is translated in several languages all over world. It combines magic, mysticism, wisdom and wonder into an inspiring tale of self-discovery, The Alchemist has become a modern classic, selling millions of copies around the world and transforming the lives of countless readers across generations.

Jo Nesbo’s The Bat is a Norwegian story a crime thriller which is translated in many languages.

The girl with the dragon tattoo written by Stieg Larsson in Swedish language is the Millennium series which became craze of this generation’s international bestselling phenomenon. It’s a thriller story.

My brilliant friend by Elena Ferrante is written in Italian language which is considered a modern masterpiece from one of Italy’s most acclaimed authors. It is rich, intense, and generous-hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante’s inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship.

Some of the most popular Indian books translated in foreign languages are:  Thirukkural also called as Kural is a Tamil sangam literature that consists of 1330 couplets those talk about everyday virtues of an individual. This book is one of the most important works in the history of Tamil language. It is one of the widely translated non-religious books in the world. It has been translated by more than 90 different translators including European and Asian. You can find this book in 40 different languages. Attributed to Thiruvalluvar, the Kural occupies an important place in the literature world.

Isha Upanishad is originally written in Sanskrit and is one of the shortest Upanishads. This Ivsavasya Upanishad proclaims the philosophy of non-dualism in which they declare God to be the sole inhabitant of everything that exists in this world. It is a primary Upanishad and is known into two recensions (revised edition) called as Kanva and Madhyandina. It has over 18 verses depending upon the recension. It is been translated into 64 languages.

Bhagvad Gita which is a universally acknowledged worlds literary works and is one of the spiritual masterpieces that is been translated into many languages. This has been treasured by American writers from Emerson and Thoreau to T.S. Eliot. With more than 200 translations in English itself, this is one the most translated Indian book. With more than 80 language translations, this book has reached a large mass audience.

Beyond birth and death originally written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, this novel discusses whether there is life after death or not. Prabhupada narrates how soul travels from one body to another and by chanting the name of Sri Krishna one gets help reaching Lord Sri Krishna’s ultimate abode. Chanting will help reveal what God is, what one is, how are we conditioned and how can we step out of that conditioning. It is been translated into 51 different languages.

Awareness is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be alert of events. More largely, awareness is the state or quality of being conscious of something. We are given one lifetime in which we can feel good, we enjoy, laugh or keep brooding about things. Love, hatred, jealousy, happiness are so elusive because our emotions are always in the loop of reason. Emotion is an adaptive response, it is part of the vital process of normal reasoning and decision-making.  The majority of us are so scared to accept our flaws and the package we are made of, that we spend almost a lifetime battling with them. Do you know, when we underestimate our strengths, we often get into relationships for the wrong reasons? We imagine that those relations will help us in reducing or overshadow our flaws. All those feeble relationships are painful.

One of the inspirational life coach whom I met recently is Dr. Pradeep Ullal. I felt wonderful and elevated mentally after talking to him for few minutes. This energetic and inspiring young man has excellent listening and communication skills and is compassionate too. Pradeep Ullal is the spiritual head of Kevala Foundation. He is one of the rare Himalayan yogis serving in urban world, and truly empowered to awaken the kundalini shakti through the transmition of shaktipat. Dr. Ullala is respected as a Super Gamma Master with ability to raise his brain frequency to 100 Hz and transmit bio-photonic energy transmissions of compassion. He also combines his rich experiences, gifts and techniques in path of Kundalini, Samaya Tantra, Nada, Laya, Kriya, Surya, Jnana and Raja Yoga to inspire, empower and awaken aspirants

The famous Kevala Foundation is situated in in the Chikmangaluru District in the state of Karnataka, located in the foothills of the Mullayangiri range. Chikmangaluru is famous for its serene climate and coffee estates. It’s a famous for its scenic beauty. At Kevala Celebration Centre one experiences celebrating life by discovering and experiencing the practice of yoga, veda, ayurveda, tantra, art, music, dance, meditation, healing and serving. Dr. Pradeep Ullal inspires audiences across the world through his high vibrancy workshops, shaktipat transmissions, discourses, satsangs and seminars.

The charismatic Guru, Dr Pradeep has initiated over 5000 aspirants from over 120 countries through his gamma waves transmissions. He is respected as a healer who effectively channelizes energy through intent, touch, sound, breath, light to sustain higher vibrancy and natural healing. His research on body work includes traditional yogic massages. At 48, his athletic abilities, childlike charm, enthusiasm, joyful and balanced living inspires people the moment they meet him. He is an expert at several disciplines like martial arts and passionate about art, culture, people, and research, he was awarded PhD from Washington International University for his thesis on ill-effects of sedentary lifestyle and ways to overcome it. He has coached thousands of people across the world on the path of self-realization. Dr. Pradeep Ullal conducts free workshops for rural poor and aims to reach out to many more through his charity trust.

In today’s complex, busy life we all struggle to understand our existence and its purpose.  We want to know who we are, what our life purpose is, we struggle to interpret behaviors of people around us. Self-awareness helps strengthening Emotional Intelligence; it is the most important factor in achieving success. Visit Kevala Foundation to explore who you are, elevate your self-awareness. Unblock yourself in the serene, calm greenery and relax. Guru Pradeep Ullal says that life has an eternal relationship with vibrations. We are all vibrations. Our life on earth is meant to be a celebration of coming together of many vibrations. Get guided by Guru Pradeep in your life’s progressive journey. Because, awareness is the pathway to true bliss. Celebration is our true nature. When the breath, body, mind, and soul are in immense harmony and connectedness, celebration happens automatically!

A nation which has conserved art such as paintings, literature, monuments, architecture, is in true sense a rich country. Protection and care of tangible cultural heritage includes artwork, architecture, archaeology and museum collections. Conservation activities include examining documentation, treatment, collection and care. As a technical discipline, conservation of cultural, natural and historical heritage is supported by curators with help of conservation science. This science encompasses research concerning materials, design, techniques, and aesthetics, and restoration activities. Thus, for maintenance of rich heritage a curator is significantly required.

And, what is a curator? A curator is a manager or overseer who is content specialist responsible for a gallery’s   museums, a library’s or archive’s heritage material. The object of a traditional curator’s concern necessarily involves tangible objects of some sort, whether it is artwork, collectibles, historic items or scientific collections. A curator requires multi-tasking as the job entails being responsible for a museum’s collection, selecting skill to be displayed in a museum, organizing exhibitions in galleries or public spaces, researching, plus writing catalogue essays. Besides this the curators need to work on administrative tasks such as figuring out exhibition budgets, fund-raising, applying for grants, and overall administration. Rich and prominent families also preserve and tell stories of their unique and glorious histories, and thus they also need curator’s assistance.

Typically, curators acquire, store and exhibit collections. They select the theme and design of exhibitions. Develop or set up exhibit materials. Design, organize, or conduct tours to workshops for the public. Promote the institution. Keep the object dirt free and maintain them. Direct and supervise curatorial and technical staff. Plan and conduct special research project.  Curators manage museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, and historical sites. A career as a curator is an excellent choice for individuals with a strong interest in the management of a variety of museum collections. Curators must have a solid understanding of museum studies and the care of a variety of valuable historical items. Manual dexterity, flexibility, determination, and critical thinking are necessary characteristics. They should be highly imaginative with an eye for detail. They must also have excellent planning and negotiation skills when working with other museums to borrow objects.

A good curator is generally empathetic towards his work. He should empathize with thoughts of the visitors to the center. Why they are visiting and what do they expect, their love for the area of work needs to be respected and appreciated.

In India, several artists have started turning curators and that’s a good thing because they understand aesthetics better. It is sad that we have not been able to take care of our rich heritage because we have not been able to encourage independent curators to come forward.

In smaller organizations, a curator may have sole responsibility for acquisitions and even collections care. The curator is supposed to decide regarding what objects to take, oversee their potential and documentation, conduct research based on the collection and history, provide proper packaging of art for transportation, and is supposed to share that research with the public and community through exhibitions and publications. They usually are appointed by the museum for a reasonable pay.

In larger institutions, the curator is appointed as a subject specialist. Such institutions can have multiple curators, each assigned to a specific collecting area e.g., Curator of Ancient Art, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Curator for numismatics etc. and they often operate under the direction of a head curator. In such organizations, the physical care of the collection may be overseen by museum collections managers or museum conservators, and documentation and administrative matters such as insurance and loans are handled by a museum registrar.

More recently, advances in new technologies have led to a further widening of the role of curator. This has been focused in major art institutions internationally and has become an object of academic study and research.

In contemporary art, the title curator is given to a person who selects and often interprets works of art. In addition to selecting works, the curator often is responsible for writing labels, catalog essays, and other supporting content for the exhibition. Such curators may be permanent staff members, there are “guest curators” from an affiliated organization or university, or there are also “freelance curators” working on a consultant basis. The late twentieth century saw an explosion of artists organizing exhibitions. The artist-curator has a long tradition of influence. Notable among these was Sir Joshua Reynolds, founder of the Royal Academy, London.

Curators generally hold a higher academic degree in their subject, typically a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) or a Master’s degree in subjects such as History, Archeology, Anthropology or Classics. Curators contribute greatly to their academic field by delivering talks in seminars and workshops, guiding the students in those subjects, and by publishing articles or presenting at specialist academic conferences. It is important that curators have knowledge of the current scenario in their respect areas in markets, collecting market for their area of expertise, and are aware of current ethical practices and laws that may impact their organization’s collecting. I wish to list here some great curators in the world.

Robert Hooke was a Renaissance man – a jack of all trades, and a master of many. He wrote one of the most significant scientific books ever written, ‘Micrographia’, and made contributions to human knowledge spanning Architecture, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Surveying & Map Making, and the design and construction of scientific instruments. Hook became a scientist at the age of 20. He contributed greatly to the field. His abilities in working with mechanical instruments had become very refined, and he secured work in Oxford as an assistant to one of the founders of modern chemistry in 1662, at 27, Hooke was appointed as Curator of Experiments for the newly founded Royal Society, whose purpose was to advance scientific understanding of the world.

John R. “Jack” Horner is an American paleontologist (a person who studies fossils) who discovered that some dinosaurs cared for their young. He is one of the best-known paleontologists and a curator in the United States. In addition to his many paleontological discoveries, Horner served as the technical advisor for all of the film ‘Jurassic Park’ and even served as partial inspiration for one of the lead characters, Dr. Alaln Grant.  

Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was an Indian Ornithologist and a naturalist. He is sometimes referred to as the “birdman of India”; Salim Ali was among the first Indians to conduct systematic bird surveys across India and his bird books helped develop ornithology. He became the key figure behind the Bombay Natural History Society after 1947 and used his personal influence to garner government support for the organization, and was the man behind the creation of the Bharatpur bird sanctuary. He is the best known curator in ornithology.

Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese Tamil philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West. In particular, he is described as “the groundbreaking theorist who was largely responsible for introducing ancient Indian art to the West. He was a brilliant curator.

Contrastingly, somebody who has materially very little, might raise an excellent human being if all else falls into place. Time and again teaching values, correcting your child with his/her behavior, most importantly how you behave in difficult times will usually result in your children having the same values. Let’s not forget that our children are not tailor-made; beyond everything else, they come to us with inborn qualities that we cannot exclusively order, request, or even refuse to accept as detrimental. What best we can do is, with lots of love and attention and words of wisdom make our children understand what is right and what is wrong.

One thing those who aren’t parents fail to understand about being a parent is: the deep, touching and incredible love that changes you forever when your child is born! The tiny creature makes you a parent. You are born as mother/father and that makes it a complex, overwhelming, yet fantastic experience.

Does reading books on parenting help

Can reading some books on parenting help you become a better parent? Can you copy someone else’s (successful) strategy for bringing up your children? Do often visits to counselors help you become better parent? Nope, the idea of seeking parenting advice from others and not listening to your heart is futile. Parenting is a reality and not an imagination. Any parent will tell you that it is very different than they thought it would be. Every child throws variety of challenges at its parents; and each challenge are different. Every experience is different. Children go through distinct periods of development as they move from infants to young adults and from young adults to adults. During each of these stages multiple changes in the development of the brain and body take place.  What occurs and approximately when these developments take place are genetically determined. However, environmental circumstances and the child’s experience with key individuals within that environment have significant influence on how each child benefits from each developmental event. So, there are no hard and fast rules and regulations that one can follow.

There is no doubt that for most families, the teen years present a challenge for both parents and children. During adolescence, kids need their parents more than ever. Research shows that a positive family environment including fun and frolic, creative family activities, open parent-child communication and the encouragement to participate in positive extracurricular and community activities help teens ably to navigate these years with relative ease.

What exactly is parenting? An art or science

I think parenting is both an art as well as science. I call it an art because it depends a lot on a parent’s creative response to the each challenge. The challenge of disciplining, the challenge of bonding which fits the child’s personality, the challenge of making your children eat proper food, challenge of educating your child on sexual matter, keeping an eye on child’s friends, the right values so on and forth. I think parenting is an art because it is finding new ways of weaving values into your child’s life.

Parenting is also science because your child and you are biological entities. And the biology is ruled mostly by black and white writing. It involves psychology, sociology, anthropology, nutrition, genetics etc, etc and all these are science therefore parenting is science also.

But the art is what takes more effort. This requires a parent to trust on his/her instincts, to observe, to listen, to guide, to speak, to talk with changed tones, to act, and to learn from each experience. And, all these actions involve a lot of trial and error. Therefore, parenting is both science and art. There is no first thing or last thing. You cannot do everything correct the first time. You will commit mistakes, reflect upon them, share them with others, figure out reasons and solutions, search the Internet and do what you feel is best ……that’s about it.

Parenting is about knowing your child is always watching you

Your children are always watching you. So be honest. Don’t go out of your way to hide your shortcomings. We are not Gods, we are mortal human. We can fail, we can be wrong, we can err sometimes – the best thing to do is be honest about our shortcomings. Don’t ill-treat yourself.

It’s better to be upfront without going too much into details when it comes to correcting your child. Sometimes, when you see your own bad habits in your children start working together to get rid of those bad habits. It can be fun.

I want to make another very important point here, that is your child and you are two separate people. Your child’s habits and traits are his/her alone. Your child’s success, failure, temperament, illness, way of walking, manners are going to be far different than your imagination. Don’t get too attached to what other say or comment on your child. Accept your child wholeheartedly.

And last but not the least; don’t lose your sense of humor. Learn to laugh at those silly mistakes made by you, your spouse and your child. You need not always be serious about life. One of the best parts of being a parent is spending time playing with your kids and seeing them grow.  It’s a great opportunity to feel like a child, a teenager, an adult again and that is precious. Spending time with your kids enjoying their company through their each millstone is precious. Be your child’s best friend. Pass on the legacy to children of appreciating goodness in others and a love for the basics in life. Children are incredibly wise and tend to see the world more simply than we do. Sometimes they think far better than we do; perhaps it’s time we start taking their advice.

Life is a chain of negotiations. Negotiation begins from the morning we get up till we go off to sleep. We are negotiating every day; from buying vegetables, fruit, groceries, hiring domestic help, buying gadgets, clothes, entertainment, accessories, car, home, taking a job, marriage, child’s admission in school/college, tuitions, you name any matter in life, we are busy negotiating. Negotiation is one of the most common activities in the history of mankind and it is important for our survival. Negotiations don’t always happen as per our information, determination, our opinions and perceptions. It is always better to frame the negotiation around mutual interests. Negotiation is a skill. Exposure and experience help in enhancing the skill of negotiation.

Negotiation is a method by which people settle differences. It is a process by which compromise or agreement is reached while avoiding arguments as much as possible. In any disagreement, individuals justifiably aim to achieve the best possible outcome for their position (or an organization they represent). However, the principles of fairness, justice to seek mutual benefit and maintaining a relationship are the keys to a successful outcome.

Children from age three start understanding the art of negotiating. I don’t want to go to school, I don’t want to get up now, my friend is nasty, and my brother is not good, I will not drink milk if you want me to do this – first do so and so for me. The reality is that every individual is different and has different needs and wants. And, every individual responds, agrees and disagrees differently. Each person negotiates in a different way.

The simple fact is that we negotiate each day at every level in life from our childhood till we die. From talking to the gardener to water the plant for five minutes extra, at the airport bypassing the security line, at the cinema hall asking a stranger to buy tickets because he’s slightly ahead of you, asking ten more questions to doctor after basic problem resolved, talking to the housing society secretary about giving few more services in the maintenance charges – we use methods and tactics to get what we want and how we want things. Hence our life is full of events from small to big that require us to negotiate. Be it our personal life, social life, and professional life – everywhere we want the best!

So what do negotiate all through our lives? We negotiate happiness. We try our best to get things that will make us happy. We all know that we do need to stand up for our own advantage and rights. Hence we negotiate to survive during all good and bad times in our life.

A good negotiator is open-minded, charming, articulate, experienced, patient but assertive, flexible and understands the other side well. A good negotiator is the one who does his homework well before discussions. He knows when to close the negotiation because it cannot be a continuing process. Any negotiator has its limits. A good negotiator is empathetic, he responds by acknowledging the behaviors, values, and goals of others. While he respects himself, he respects other’s feelings also. Knowing how to negotiate lessens the chances of others taking you for a ride. Remember, negotiating a fair solution makes you feel good about yourself and increases others’ respect for you.

A rational negotiation is often optimal for both parties. It is presumed that both parties will act in balanced manner. But, from the history of mankind we have seen that people frequently act irrationally when they negotiate and it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify human emotions with any formula. We wonder at times why few people change or abandon their ideas and principals easily – they talk something and do exactly different.

Assumptions, reasoning, beliefs and uncertainties make negations trickier. Even with the best preparation, you may not always be able to negotiate a successful outcome. Having an alternative plan always helps. It reduces your own internal pressures. I always have liked this quote by John F. Kennedy “We cannot negotiate with people who say what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable.”

And, a worst alternative to a negotiation is canceling or delaying an activity. Therefore, master the art of negotiation.