There is no religion in the world which does not highlight the need of surrender to God as the first and the foremost commitment. Surrender is the simplest path to rescue, to relax, to live peacefully in life. In Hinduism, in its holy book ‘Bhagavad Gita’, Lord Krishna clearly says, ‘Abandon all your worries and just surrender unto Me’.

In Islam, a person abides by the five main Pillars of Islam; following the faith means surrendering or submitting one’s will to God. This means that Muslims in their daily life should strive for excellence under the measure of God’s will.

The Christian’s idea of surrender is the concept of surrender to God’s Will. Surrendering to God’s will results in both the surrender of our will to His, in His sovereignty over all things, in which His ways of operating and thinking prevails over humanity’s and Satan’s (Devil).

The Sikhs also surrender to God; they believe true happiness is attained by accepting and submitting to the Divine Will.

Surrendering to God means one doesn’t worry about the outcome of his/her efforts and doesn’t lose sleep if things are not going his way. Also, does not feel morose if things don’t fall into place according to one’s plan. After surrendering to God’s will one simply accepts life as it unfolds, without complaints, discontent, or resistance. God is Universe. To surrender to the universe means pushing yourself through your fears, worries and self-doubts. It means letting go of what you have studied and opening the door to new possibilities. Possibilities that are planned by the universe specifically for you.

Each one of us has a life purpose which is the central motivating aims of our life; the reasons we get up in the morning, the aim we strive to achieve. Purpose guides life’s decisions, it influences our behaviour, shapes goals, offer a sense of direction, and creates meaning. For each person the purpose is different. For some, purpose is connected to vocation, for some purpose is connected to serving society and for some it is cheating the society.

Surrendering helps us let go of expectancies so that when things don’t go as planned or expected, there is no disappointment; instead, there is hope in knowing that everything happens for a reason and has its own timing. Each event takes place at certain time and for a purpose.  A calm state of mind means that you do not become angry or upset, especially in difficult situations. This state in Sanskrit is called ‘Sthitapragya’ which means a person of steady wisdom, the one who has experienced the truth from within, one who is contended.

We fear surrender because we consider it to be somewhat meek state, submitting our power, giving up a sense of self-direction, losing the ability to choose, being enslaved etc, etc.

Surrender goes deeper than that. It is not merely a position that we take during praise and worship; it’s a posture of the heart. To be in complete surrender before God requires our utmost intensity. That everything we are, and we aren’t, every good and every bad or terrible part of us, every inch of our being put down before Him. While doing this, we become vulnerable.

Surrendering to God will deepen our relationship with Him beyond words, but it requires action from within us. It is giving what we are to Him, all the good, the bad, and the ugly. To have strong faith and knowing He will only bring about the best for us. That we are safe in His hands; we are surrounded by His energy, He is with us every inch, every angle.

The action of surrender is life changing. We will never experience more emotional, or spiritual intimacy with our Creator after we surrender ourselves, fully and completely, with our heart and soul to Him.

Expanding abroad allows domestic businesses to get out of a saturated market. It gives an organization access to new customers and in a market where its competitors do not operate. One of the reasons why businesses expand globally is to be able to provide a reliable service to their international clients. The Expansion through Internationalization is the strategy followed by an organization when it aims to expand beyond the national border.  

Companies habitually overestimate the attractiveness of foreign markets; they get dazzled by the sheer size of untapped markets, they lose sight of the difficulties while pioneering new, often very different territories. The problem is rooted in the analytic tools the most prominent being country portfolio analysis that managers use to judge international investments. By focusing on national wealth, consumer income, and people’s propensity to consume, managers emphasize potential sales, ignoring the costs and risks of doing business in a new market. Most of these costs and risks result from the barriers created by distance. Here “distance,” however, does not refer only to geography.

Pankaj Ghemawat is an international strategy guru who developed the CAGE framework to offer businesses a way to evaluate countries in terms of the “distance” between them. Pankaj Ghemawat’s “Distance Still Matters,” article in Harvard Business Review became world-famous. He explains distance is not only the physical geographic distance between countries but also the cultural, administrative, geographic and economic dissimilarities between them. The CAGE framework offers a broader view of distance and provides another way of thinking about location and the opportunities and affiliated risks associated with global arbitrage (taking advantage of price in two or more markets). 

Ghemawat provides an example of a North American fast-food company. In which he explains that on the basis for fast-food company to grow is per capita income. Countries like Germany and Japan would be the most attractive markets for the expansion for the North American fast-food company. However, when he plots the CAGE analysis using the CAGE framework, he shows that Mexico ranks as the second most attractive market for international expansion for the fast-food company, far ahead of Germany and Japan.

Another example provided by Ghemwat is of Dell Computers and its efforts to compete effectively in China. The vehicles it used to enter China were just as important in its strategy as its choice of geographic arena. For Dell’s corporate clients in China, the CAGE framework would likely have revealed relatively little distance on all four dimensions: Cultural, Administration, Geographical, Economical parameters. The fact that many personal computer components have been sourced from China by the mega computer manufacturing companies; however, for the consumer segment, the distance was rather great. For example, Chinese consumers don’t’ regularly buy over the Internet, which is the primary way Dell sells its products in the United States. One possible outcome could have been for Dell to avoid the Chinese consumer market altogether. However, Dell opted to choose a strategic alliance with distributors whose knowledge base and capabilities allowed Dell to bridge the CAGE gap in Chinese market

The impacts of the distances and differences figured out by the CAGE Framework between the countries have been demonstrated in a quantitative manner via gravity models. It is an excellent analytical tool for the various companies and organizations that develop international strategies with an intention of the global expansion of their businesses.

One most important parameter in CAGE framework explains that when looking to expand business into a foreign market, the cultural differences between the two countries are hard to change whereas differences due to the legal and economic structures can be changed easily.

Cultural Distance

It includes languages, different ethnicities, different religions, and different social norms.

Language

International business activities are always accompanied by language-related barriers as companies are confronted with multiple local languages and a multinational workforce. To increase the efficiency of corporate communication, documentation and cross-national teamwork, an increasing number of companies have implemented common language policies in both their headquarters and their foreign subsidiaries and made English their official corporate language.

Language differences present a common stumbling block in international business communication. It has been observed that whenever one party is using a second language or a translator, the potential for misunderstandings increases. Even if you’re bilingual, slang, jokes and figures of speech can cause problems. Try speaking slowly and clearly in these circumstances. If you’re giving an oral presentation, a clear hand out in simple language helps avoid misunderstandings. For example, BMW is easy to pronounce in English but say it like the Germans do – ‘bey-em-vey’. The ‘w’ is pronounced as ‘v’.

Ethnicities

Meaning traditions and mannerisms in ethnic groups.  For example, in Japan and the U.K. people tend to avoid the outward show of feelings, while the United States, France and Italy accept a stronger show of emotions, even in business. Some cultures have strict dress codes for business. For example, in Muslim countries, women must avoid sleeveless tops, short skirts and low necklines. In Japan, conservative business suits in dark colors are essential to make the best impression.

The advice is, when new to a culture, observe what others wear for business. Start out with conservative outfits in neutral colors until you learn what’s respectful and appropriate,

You can unknowingly cause offence when meeting foreign clients one-on-one. In Japan, you should bow rather than shake hands unless the other party offers a hand first. The exchange of business cards is a requirement in many cultures.

In Arab countries, you should accept the card with your right hand, while in China and Japan you should use both hands. In China, you can show respect by taking a Chinese name. In Brazil, business acquaintances stand close to build trust, so backing away may be construed as a rebuff.

Gift-giving etiquette is a complex subject that can be difficult to master. In China, gifts are the norm and expected, while in other countries, the wrong gifts are insulting. Avoid bringing bad luck in China – don’t give a clock or a gift with blue, white or black wrapping paper. Keep offering your gift, because Chinese recipients usually refuse three times before accepting.

If you comply with a request for a bribe in any country, corruption charges are a likely complication. It’s illegal for US nationals to bribe foreign officials, although sometimes gifts legal in the host country are allowed.

Following local customs builds better relationships at business meetings. For example, Canadians are clock-watchers and expect everyone to arrive on time. In Japanese meetings, often only the most senior person for each side talks, while others typically remain silent.

In China, business dinners often include many toasts, so pace you’re drinking accordingly. To maintain the respect of Asian contacts, avoid etiquette mistakes that cause you to lose face.

Religion

Religious observance is widespread and continues to influence managerial behaviour in many parts of the world. However, its role in international business negotiations has not received much scholarly attention. Lot of research proves that some of the key ways in which religious belief shapes negotiation behaviour.

Administrative Distance

It includes political environment, money (Currency value) political relationship (either friendly or hostile relation) government policies and institutional weaknesses.

Political Environment 

The political environment can be studied in terms of the central government, the citizens of a country, rules, and regulations or international relations. Examples of political factors related to the central government of a country are levels of bureaucracy, corruption, and government stability.

Political risk in international business results from various factors that can negatively affect a company’s income or complicate its business strategy. These factors include macroeconomic issues such as high interest rates and social issues such as civil unrest. Since the past year Lebanon is protesting also known locally as the October Revolution, for a series of civil protests taking place in Lebanon. Trade between India and Lebanon during Jan-June 2019 stands at $ 181.00 million, with Indian exports to Lebanon being $ 171.00 million and Indian imports from Lebanon amounting to $ 10.00 million which is now hampered because of Pandemic and unrest in Lebanon.

Currency Value

The balance of trade is the value of a country’s exports minus its imports. It’s the biggest component of the balance of payments that measures all international transactions. It’s easy to measure since all goods and many services pass through the customs office. India imports goods from China priced in Yuan and imports goods from U.S priced in Dollars. Both currency price changes less frequently.

Political Relationship

India’s closest friends in world include the Russian Federation, Israel, Afghanistan, France, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and the United States. India is labelled globally for many things; a regional power, a nuclear power, a nascent global power, and a potential superpower, among others. With a growing international influence, by playing influential roles in various global matters, India has always held its head high when it comes to maintaining peaceful bilateral relationships with various countries, excepting its neighbouring countries in the subcontinent. Given the current scenario of the country’s relationships, it can be imagined that the farther away a country is, the more likely it is to have a strong relationship with India.

Geographical Distance

It includes parameters such as physical remoteness, lack of common border, lack of sea or river access, size of country, time zone, weak transportation reach or communication reach, differences in climate.

Physical Remoteness

All the great empires in the world have been based around trade routes, and these are almost always maritime transports (near the sea). There are notable exceptions; the medieval Mongol empire led by Genghis Khan was based on the Silk Road from China to the west. Many of the world’s poorest countries are severely hindered because they are landlocked; they are situated either in high mountain ranges; or lack passable rivers, long coastlines, or good natural harbours.

Climate

One of the most important factors in development is geography, where the country is in the world, and climate. It’s no coincidence that the poorest countries are in the tropics, where it is hot, the land is less fertile, and water is scarcer, where diseases flourish. Conversely, Europe and North America profit from huge tracts of very fertile land, a temperate climate, and good rainfall. In extremes of climate, either hot or cold, too much energy goes into the simple business of survival for there to be much waste of energy for development.

Lack of common borders

China has three of the world’s busiest ports, and so does the US. With ports you can raise money through tolls and shipping services. If you have no access to the coast, not only do you miss out on these services, you have to transport everything by land, which is much more expensive. And what if your neighbours don’t like you? Ice-bound on its northern coastlines, Russians have quarrelled for centuries over access to a warm water port, the Crimean War being the most serious one. Countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, Malawi, or Bolivia are all hindered by access to ports. Other countries, like Ethiopia or Lesotho, are not only landlocked, but mountainous as well, making trade even more expensive.

Economic Distance

It consists of parameters such as consumer income, natural resources, financial resources, human resources, infrastructure, intermediate inputs, information or knowledge.    

Consumer Income  

Money per capita can refer to income per capita, money supply per capita, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, or even net worth per capita. Countries like USA, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, and Australia are always an attraction in International Business. There is plentiful evidence that tradable goods are more expensive in countries with high per capita incomes.

Natural Resources

Natural resources have made countries richer. It takes infrastructure to capitalise on these, but some places have a distinct advantage over others. Oil is the most obvious. Nobody is any doubt about how Saudi Arabia or UAE make their money. Among other advantages, gold and diamonds have helped South Africa build the most successful economy on the continent. These are all non-renewable resources; once they’re gone, they’re gone, but while stocks last there is wealth to be made.

Besides these there are renewable resources; forests, fish, stocks that, if correctly managed, will refresh themselves. Much South American development has been based on the Amazon rainforest in natural rubber and then timber.

Finally, there is what is sometimes called ‘flow resources’. These are renewables that need no management, wind, tide and solar resources. The Earth Policy Institute describes the American Great Plains as ‘the Saudi Arabia of wind energy’, while sunshine-rich places like California, Sicily and Portugal are able to invest in solar power. No natural resource is a license to print money, and there are plenty of poor countries who are rich in resources, but then the fact is that have not been able to manage it.

I want to illustrate my point here with one of relevant examples how corporate invest for growing in new markets, found on Internet: when McDonald’s tried to enter the Russian market, it found an institutional void: a lack of local suppliers to provide the food products it needs. Rather than abandoning market entry, McDonald’s decided to adapt its business model. Instead of outsourcing supply-chain operations like it does in the United States, McDonald’s worked with a joint-venture partner to fill the voids. It imported cattle from Holland and russet potatoes from the United States, brought in agricultural specialists from Canada and Europe to improve Russian farmers’ management practices, and lent money to farmers so that they could invest in better seeds and equipment. As a result of establishing its own supply-chain and management systems, McDonald’s controlled 80% of the Russian fast-food market by 2010. The process, however, took fifteen years and $250 million in developing its Russian market.

Human Resources

Globalization forces companies to go international and enter new markets. All the corporate values and strategies change after internationalization. Human resource management (HRM), as a part of key business functional dimensions, faces a high level of development as well. Globalization has had far-reaching effects in business but also in strategic HRM planning. The signing of trade agreements, growth of new markets such as with India and Malaysia is because of young, trained and English speaking labour.

An example of dealing with an institutional void and changing the institutional context is by the “Big Four” audit firms (i.e., Ernst & Young, KPMG, Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu, and PricewaterhouseCoopers) when they entered Brazil. At the time, Brazil had a untried audit services market. When the four firms set up branches in Brazil, they raised financial reporting and auditing standards across the country, thus bringing a dramatic improvement to the local market. The Big Four invested in training and development the accountants in Brazil.   

Labour law

The legal system in labour law practiced in a country has a great effect on the types of compensation; union issues, how people are hired, fired, and laid off and safety issues. Rules on discrimination, for example, are set by the country. In China, for example, it is acceptable to ask someone their age, marital status, and other questions that would be considered illegal in the United States. In another legal example, in Costa Rica, known as a thirteenth month salary is required to be paid in December. In Costa Rica, All rank-and-file employees who have worked for at least one (1) month during the calendar year, are entitled to receive 13th month pay regardless of the nature of their employment and irrespective of the methods by which their wages are paid. This perilous labour law distracts many firms from starting business in Costa Rica.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure matters to trade mainly because it decreases the cost of trade and ensure the ease of doing business in host economies. Lower trade costs raise the potential for increased export markets. Firms can choose the strategy of staying away from a market with infrastructural voids. For example, Home Depot Inc. the largest home improvement retailer in the United States, supplying tools, construction products, and services requires institutions like reliable transportation networks to minimize inventory costs and the practice of employee stock ownership which motivates workers to provide great service. The Home Depot has decided to avoid countries with weak logistics systems and poorly developed capital markets because the company would not be able to attain the low cost–great service combination that is its hallmark.

The sun is source of light, human body consists 70% of water, without soil vegetation cannot grow, living beings need air to breathe and sky is multi-hued. The basic elements in our environment consist the basic colors and are they are differently structured. The sense of colors is an extension of life. Each season has its color, therefore colors plays important role and it has been an important dimensions of human life.

India is known for her diversity and therefore the country is home to numerous interpretations and illustrations of symbols and colors. Colors represent different emotions of people living in different regional and geographical states. Each color has a different meaning and notion, and it differs from place to place. Some of the universally celebrated colors find their origins in the spices: turmeric which is used all over the country by each religion is yellow, it is also used in ceremonies and while offering prayers. Yellow symbolizes sanctity and is an essential herbal ingredient applied on the body and face by people. Cardamom is green, clove and pepper are black, chilies are red, cinnamon is dark brownish, coriander seeds and cumin are greenish brown, nutmeg is grayish brown so on and forth. Each spice has its color.

Indians are religious at heart; each god is associated with a complexion. Vishnu, Ram and Krishna are depicted in blue, the reason being blue is the color of the sky and of divinity. Whereas Shiva is fair, he is described as ‘Karpura-Goranga’ meaning he who is as fair as camphor. Most goddesses are fair complexioned except Kali. She is depicted in dark complexion.

India is an agrarian economy therefore green plays most important color. Green symbolizes a new beginning, harvest, and happiness. It is also the revered color of Islam which has a large religious presence in India. Green is a manifestation of God himself.

Some of the obvious differences between the perception of color in the West and the East are due to the simplest elements in history. Royalty, in the West and in the Christian culture, is represented by a deep, mystical shade of gray and purple, while in India, it is the deep hues of red and ochre that symbolize wealth and dignity. Perhaps one of the most affecting factors in the perception of colors in the Indian psyche is the religious undertones that coexist at almost every phase of life. India is steeped in tradition, culture, and a rich and a fabulous history. Kings and kingdoms, saints and followers, rebels and fighters have traversed the paths of its glorious past and they have all played an important role is forming the perception of colors.

Another fact why Indians are so obsessed with colors is because in ancient and medieval India textiles was the prime business. Some rulers were favorably inclined towards the arts and they encouraged weaving. Differentiation was made between the rural textiles woven for the masses and those made in state workshops for royalty and the well-to-do in other countries. The best workmanship was found in the ritual drapes for temples and palaces. Then, fabric names apparently represented the places where they were woven, and details about weaving techniques were not recorded.

It was Marco Polo who left detailed accounts of the people and industries of the coastal regions of India in the late thirteenth century. He has mentioned after seeing the Coromandel Coast the finest and most beautiful cloth in all the world-buckrams like the tissues of spider webs, and he observed dyeing with indigo in the great tex­tile center of Cambay and spinning of cotton in Gujarat. Under the Sultan of Delhi (1325-1351) price controls for food, cloth, and other commodities were initiated to help fight inflation. A permit was required to buy silks, satins, and brocades, and only the well-to-do were allowed to have them. The sultan employed four thousand silk weavers who made robes of honor, hangings, and gifts of gold brocade for foreign dignitaries.

Even today Indian textile heritage has been preserved by the women’s sari, which often reveals fine weaving, delicate textures, beautiful colors, and rich patterns. A formal sari might be of silk or a cotton which is brocaded in floral patterns formed with many tiny bobbins, each holding a different color. Some saris are exquisitely block printed with gold or silver floral sprays or show allover spot patterns of tie-dye. Kanjivaram, Dhakai, Paithani, Sambalpuri, Pattu, Asssam Silk, Banarasi, Poachampally, Gota, Chanderi……..the list is big. Each saree is woven with the threads of tradition. They are famous more for their tradition and culture than a mere fashion.  There is a legacy behind every type of saree. The “rani” pink of mystical Rajasthan, the pastel hues of southern India, the joyous, bright hues of the northern frontier, and the balmy bright colors of the east offer a multicolored insight into an almost perfect blend of history and modernism. And perhaps a trip down its many roads will lead to an understanding of its pulse.

Colors usually symbolize anxiety, conformity, faith, joy and trust. India remains colorful and vibrant in more ways than one. It stands strong as perhaps the most enduring example of unity in a world in its diversity. The colors hold it together are the colors of faith, pride, and love – feelings that overcome all differences. Black in India has connotations with lack of desirability, evil, negativity, and inertia. It represents anger and darkness and is associated with the absence of energy, barrenness, and death. Black is used to ward off evil. This can be found in an age old custom where you see little black color kajal spot on infant’s cheek, for that matter, anyone looking really spectacular is often seen with a little black dot on the chin or under the ear to ward off the evil eye.

White is the absence of color; white, as a color, repels all light and colors and therefore, when a person wears white, he/she disconnects from the pleasures and luxuries of active and normal participation in society. We usually see the devout and pious people use the white color. It is an inherently positive color associated with purity, virginity, innocence, light, goodness, heaven, safety, brilliance, illumination, understanding, cleanliness, faith, beginnings, sterility, spirituality, possibility, humility, sincerity, protection, softness, and perfection. In short friends, colors have their effect on us to the extent that they stimulate even our highest-level thoughts and intelligence.

Is Ignorance really bliss?

The vast majority of humanity has remained poor and exploited. We are suffering the amalgamated consequences of generations of ignorance.  Even today majority of mankind is struggling to fulfill their basic needs. The strong has always accumulated power over the weak. We humans don’t like when people act differently than us; so we ridicule, pick on, ostracize and punish each other for unusual behavior. We don’t like others progressing, going ahead of us.  So we tend to aimlessly oppose progress. We don’t like to step out of our comfort zone and hence we maintain our level of ignorance, and unfortunately we tend to rest cozily in our ignorance. One of the big reasons we are so dumb is because we’ve we have lost the courage and inspiration to do new things. Our frog mentality makes us pull down someone who wants to go out and explore truth. Ironically, the smarter you think you are the more often you look down on people who are smarter than you.

What has been the role of media in people loosing their curiousness?

The media enlightens us smartly to what the influential people want us to do. Governments are not making education a priority. The world wouldn’t be so dumb if our governments devoted more resources to education than war. If we’d spent our entire war budget on education, we would have united and decided that we want peace and progress of mankind.  Education is supposed to refine thinking. Sorry to state that academic philosophy has failed humanity. And specializations in education system disallow us to look at problems completely; instead we tend to look at them only from one perspective known to us. Schools are supposed to teach students to be inquiring, to learn new things on their own. They are supposed to ask questions and seek answers from teachers, peers, parents, society at large. Unfortunately, academia has become paralyzed; brainless hierarchical bureaucracy has taken the control of it.

What has been the role of education in people loosing their curiousness?

We are ridiculing the education system by corroding the curiousness from it. The academia doesn’t want the students to think. More often than not schools, colleges and universities teach students to think what their professors think. The quickest way to get in a fight with a modern mainstream academic philosophy is to say that philosophy should be useful. We are producing mentally limited engineers, doctors, managers, teachers, political heroes, and scientists.  The modern education system is promoting ignorance than enlightenment. Curiosity is an important trait of learners; the mind is like a muscle which becomes stronger through continual exercise, the mental exercise caused by curiosity makes our mind stronger and stronger. Our education system is nips curiosity in children.

What has been the role of religion in people loosing their curiousness?

Religion has torn us apart. We are so blindfolded with our religion that we don’t want to seek truth outside the religious frames. If you dare to do, religion forbids this. It stops people in their rational tracks. Instead of spreading peace and harmony which any religion is supposed to propagate it is only holding people back from going ahead on progressive paths. Throughout the human history religion has been doing only damage. From beginning we have been failed to replace religion with useful philosophy and it has kept us in the dark and will continue to do so. Society is so lost in doing nothing worthwhile. And, we don’t know that we are lost and are aimlessly wandering.

We have no idea what we’re doing, and we’re just guessing while putting on enough airs to make it look like we have done great things together. We are looking up to our political, religious leaders for guidance. We are so ignorant about their powers. They are blinder than we are, so it is like one blind leading horde of blinds. There is one difference between us and them; they are good at lying. Whom can we emulate in this overpopulated world? Friends, there is drought of good leaders. Rapid evolution of regional and then global processes requires strong innovations in products and processes. The political and business environment is increasingly becoming complex which is globally making the talent shortage wider. The top global human capital challenges are due to deficits in two key areas of leadership: vision and strategic thinking. Geographically, the developing continents Africa, Asia and the Middle East are the regions with the largest gaps in human competence. Globally, leadership deficit is combined with slack loopholes in government regulatory system, law and order, risk and instability and most dishonest governing frameworks.

Finally, how terrified are you of your stupidity? If you are not terrified, then enjoy bliss of your ignorance. And, if you are terrified then do something amazing to get rid of your stupidity. And, don’t waste your life in vain while making a mockery of the infinitely priceless gift of life. At the moment we need a delicate balance of diversity and unity essentially as a goal of democratic nation-states and of teaching and learning in a democratic society. We need to adapt teaching to different student characteristics by using diverse methods of teaching. We need adaptation to the ability levels, patterns of different abilities, learning styles, personality characteristics, and cultural backgrounds. We need convergent and divergent approaches to teaching and learning so that we don’t lose curiousness.

Change is simply inevitable. Change is something that will happen no matter how hard we try to stop it. Change is a part of the world we live in. Day turns into night and night into new day. Sun rises and sets. Seasons change. A new born slowly starts maturing. With every passing moment, events change. And most of these events cannot be predicted. Sometimes, the changes that take place in our lives are slow, and sometimes even anticipated. While other times, the changes are immediate and sudden. Abrupt changes can throw us into a place of fear and uncertainty.

Both abrupt and anticipated changes make us anxious. Moreover, changes whether anticipated or unanticipated don’t always produce an outcome that we favor; for instance, a couple might date for 10 years, get married and soon their relation becomes wobbly. The couple might have had anticipated good time in the 10 years dating, but things end in bad taste. In another example, a student hardly prepares for a competitive exam; he gives the exam for the heck of it but passes it! So, the point is we hardly have any control on events taking place in our life.

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) was first developed by Albert Ellis (American Psychologist) in the 1950s. Although Ellis had initially done work in the field of Behaviorism, later became convinced of the causal nature of cognitive (conscious intellectual thinking) processes. He went on and developed a model of behavior that involves a continuous relationship between environmental factors and the internal mental state of human mind. According to Ellis, a person’s cognitive process determines according to his expectations from life, and the way he interacts with life. A happy person will interact happily with others, while a depressed person might interact with a weighed down attitude with others.

For Ellis, the alphabets ABC offered insights into how to overcome self-defeated behaviors and cognition. The “A” here stands for activating events in life. It includes of all good, bad and the ugly events in life. The everyday obstacles and difficulties that everyone is forced to deal with just as a consequence of interacting with the world. The “B” stands for our belief system. It is our belief system which leads us to think positive in an adverse situation to overcome the hardship. The “C” represents the consequences that arise as a result of our belief. Negative beliefs underpin and contribute to negative outcomes, and that having positive beliefs about confronting adversity naturally lead to good results.

From the moment one comes into the world, begins to develop his/her belief system. A person’s belief system forms on all rational and irrational inputs which go into him. As a child one does not have a well formed capacity for logical inference therefore developing one’s belief system is not necessarily rational process. It is rather a process based upon one’s experience in the world. As a person matures, his abilities develop and his understandings expand. He starts gathering information and he gathers evidence for making decisions. His belief system also depends a lot on his traditional background. He makes or breaks dogmas depending on how authoritative he is. On the other hand, if a person is vulnerable and a follower of some bossy associates in life, his associations matter a lot.  Cheerful and positive associations make us happy, negative associations make us sadder and nagger. Revelations are equally important in our life in constructing our belief system. Revelation has the power to unmask things and it can unfold many mysteries in life. Revelation is divinity. Wisdom helps us to live healthier life.

“C” is consequences. They are result or effect, typically one that is unwelcome or unpleasant. They also mean an act or instance of following an act. Consequence is a result or an outcome.

 People have slaughtered each other in wars, people have gone length into investigations which sometimes are twisted and turned as per demand of time. Irrational politics in the world has created havoc leaving the rationality far behind. Bad political actions for centuries have been based on racism, religion and dogmas. See how powerful beliefs are. They are so overly powerful that they can make or break global systems. I want to quote here yesterday, on 7^th Jan 2015 how some brilliant cartoonists in France were killed by some fundamentalists.

Belief in religion makes people so blind that yesterday’s news of hooded gunmen killing cartoonists with pen names Charb, Wolinski, Cabu, Tignous and Honore who were famous for expressing their feelings towards all forms of authority with the world’s spiky, no-holds-barred political cartoons. Religion can make us so blind. These cartoonists’s irreverence has cost them their lives. They were most revered and controversial cartoonists in France. And why were these intelligent and fearless cartoonists shot? It’s because they drew caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and other controversial sketches which raged feelings of Islamic community. See how our beliefs can mar our logic very easily.

Throughout history, humankind has paid reverence to beliefs and mystical thinking. Organized religion has played the most significant role in the support and propagation of beliefs and faith. This has resulted in an acceptance of beliefs in general; regardless of how one may reject religion, religious support of supernatural events gives credibility to other superstitions in general and the support of faith, belief without evidence, mysticism, and miracles. Most scientists, politicians, philosophers, and even atheists support the notion that some forms of belief provide a valuable means to establish “truth” as long as it contains the backing of data and facts. Belief has long become a socially acceptable form of thinking in science as well as religion.

It is therefore very important to change, to twist our old and trodden belief system and design a healthy and empowering system. However, it is interesting to note that rational thinking requires the adherence to beliefs.

Artificial beliefs and memories can affect people’s attitudes, at least in the short term. One gets to choose his beliefs. One also get to choose the actions that he chooses to take but sorry nobody gets to choose the consequences of his beliefs. According Rational Emotive Therapy, people contribute to their own psychological problems by the way they interpret events and situations. However, every human is empowered to change his belief system. Irrational beliefs in our life only trouble us and do not help us. One can learn skills to get over the disputing irrational thinking.

At any point in life, it is worth to spend some time and focus on self-interest, self-direction, and tolerance of self and others, flexibility, self-acceptance, and scientific thinking. It is always better to adopt this type of balanced thinking which helps in experiencing a minimum of emotional disturbance. Albert Ellis said that all psychological problems stem from the way people think about things. The core of much psychological trouble comes because of irrational ideas that are self-defeating.

So friends, the beliefs you have about yourself can drive your long-term behavior. Maybe you can trick yourself into taking some important decisions that requires your basic behavior. But, if you don’t shift your underlying identity, then it’s hard to stick with long-term changes. The root of behavior change and building better habits is your uniqueness. Each action you perform is driven by the fundamental belief that it is possible. So if you change your identity – the type of person that you believe that you are, then it’s easier to change your actions. You are the carver of your destiny.

Can you imagine a society in which arts and humanities do not exist; can you imagine your world without music, art or literature? If religion and philosophy would be absent, the study of history would be nullified, and intellectual debate would never happen. How dry our world would be without passion of humanities. We all give maximum importance to science, math, and technology and consider the arts as a lesser branch of study; we naively discount the value of the humanities and attempt to minimize their importance in education. But, the fact is they are so significant in our daily life.

The humanities are one of the academics disciplines  that study human culture, using techniques that are of significance; these techniques are mostly exploratory. Humanities have a significant historical element as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences. The humanities branch includes ancient civilization, literature, philosophy, history, anthropology, sociology, communication studies, cultural studies, law, linguistics, religion, visual and performing arts such as music and theatre. The humanities are also referred as social sciences.  Scholars in the humanities are described as humanists; this term also describes the philosophical position of humanism.

Humanities education gives insights into how their society is different

Humanities education gives students insights into how their society is different. The world consists of several religions, cultures and races. Educators also list several other benefits to the study of the humanities. Since the humanities involve the gaining of large amounts of information about the world and humanity, it requires that students develop critical thinking skills in order to process and analyze the information. This is a skill that translates into other realms of a student’s life, and it can provide benefits to other areas of study.

Research into the human experience adds to our knowledge about our world. Through the work of humanities scholars, we learn about the values of different cultures, about what goes into making a work of art, about how history is made. Their efforts preserve the great accomplishments of the past; help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the future. This has given birth to Futures Studies which is also called futurology and futurism. It is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them.

Today, humanistic knowledge continues to provide the ideal foundation for exploring and understanding the human experience. Investigating a branch of philosophy might get us thinking about ethical questions. Learning another language helps us gain an appreciation for the similarities in different cultures. Contemplating a sculpture makes us think about how an artist’s life affected his/her creative decisions. Reading a book from another region of the world helps us think about the meaning of democracy and its importance for our survival. Listening to a history course helps us understand the past, while at the same time it offers us a clearer picture of the future.

A report commissioned by Oxford University’s Humanities Division found that numbers of Oxford graduates of English, History, Philosophy, Classics and Modern Languages are employed in key economic growth sectors of finance, media, legal services and management. This number rose substantially between 1960 and 1989. By the end of the period, 16-20% was employed in these sectors. It is believed to be the first report of its kind as it evaluates the contribution of the study of the humanities to boost the economy by looking at career paths and mid- and end-career destinations of graduates, rather than the three years immediately after graduation as used by the government’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

The research has involved using the University of Oxford alumni database to examine the employment history of 11,000 Oxford humanities graduates who matriculated between 1960 and 1989 to give full career paths to track, and has also involved focused in-depth interviews with 50 alumni, thereby engaging quantitative and qualitative measures of humanities graduates’ impact on the British economy and society. The head of humanities at the University of Oxford says that it is widely recognized that the humanities have intrinsic value as well as utility in the well-being of the world and it has a great impact and value in any economic crisis.

Mark Edmundson – a renowned Professor of English at University of Virginia says that serious thinkers opt for Humanities to broaden their minds and learn to how to live the rest of their lives. A serious thinker himself, Edmundson has felt firsthand the pressure on colleges to churn out a productive, high-caliber workforce for the future. Through his articles and paper presentations he reminds us that there is more to education than greater productivity. With prose exacting yet expansive, tough-minded yet optimistic, the liberal arts are more important today than ever. Titled as “Why Teach”?  Edmundson’s collected writings on the subject, including several pieces that are new and previously unpublished. What they show, collectively, is that higher learning is not a rut – some staid. It is a necessary remedy for our troubled times. Why Teach? is thus brimming with the wisdom and inspiration that make learning possible. When it comes to choosing a career, we all ask this common question – will humanities help me achieve a desired career in life? It depends on what that career is. Humanities will enable you to advance in writing skills, speaking skills and thinking. And, most importantly it will strengthen your ability to recognize further opportunities to learn. It will give you the ability of researching – to find information and ideas, and the ability to critically distinguish between various sources of ideas. It will help you structure your thoughts coherently and express yourself in ways that are appropriate to the occasion. It will help you build up reading skills which will further give you an ability to understand language and systems of meaning, whether they occur in literal texts, or in other forms. Humanities students learn to read images, culture, and a host of other things, besides written texts. It will make you adaptable – your ability to apply knowledge skills to vide variety of contexts.

And here’s another thing to keep in mind – the humanities today are not the humanities of the past. Sad, but the image that many people have of humanities is of a pursuit that has no relation to practical human concerns. The fact is humanities disciplines are involved in research projects of all sorts, with just about every discipline in the university. Philosophers work with scientists and engineers, historians work with medical professionals, creative writers work with digital media engineers. The fact is every technical and scientific discipline, at some point or other, must help the humanity and hence becomes a humanities discipline! Every scientific advance is an advance for humans, and is meaningful in our history, for the betterment of our lives. Every invention happens within the context of human meaning. Every business trades on human narratives and human desires as expressed through language and symbol. The humanities matter everywhere. This discipline of studies therefore is far from being marginal. It is central to all human life.

In the words of Terry Eagleton – a prominent British literary theorist and critic “The humanities should constitute the core of any university worth the name.” So, guys stop underrating importance of Humanities.