CREATIVITY

Just imagine our life without creativity...it would be dry...toneless and cold..there are the main causes why I want to tell you something about creativity and how everyone could improve this own feature..:)
First of all I want to define, what it is creativity. Creativity can be named as the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. It involves two processes:
1. Thinking,
2. Reasoning.
And if you have ideas, but do not act on them, you are imaginative, but not creative. Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being, creativity requires passion and commitment.
Generative reseach shows that everyone has creative abilities. The more training you have and the more difficult it is, the greater ability for creative results.
And secondly I would like to view some attitudes about creative person. The features of creativity, that can be improved by everyone:
1) CURIOSITY. It means learning to ask 'why', 'what if' and 'I wonder'. These questions are great to build into your life if you want to be more creative person.
2) SEEING PROBLEMS AS INTERESTING AND ACCEPTABLE. Unfortunatelly, we see often problems as unaccepatable parts of life. Creative people see problems as a natural and normal part of life - in fact they often have a fascination with and are drawn to them.
3) CONFRONTING CHALLENGE. Many of the most creative ideas through out history have come from people, facing a challenge or crisis and rather than runing from it asking 'how can I overcome it?'
4) CONSTRUCTIVE DISCONTENT. Creative people often have a strong awareness of what is wrong with the world around them. Then they take their discountent and let it be a motivation to doing something constructive.
5) OPTIMISM. Creative people generally have a deeply held belief that most problems can be solved.
6) SUSPENDING JUDGMENT. The ability to hold off on judging or critiquing an idea is important in the process of creativity. Often great ideas start as crazy ones - if you criticize it too early the idea will be killed and never developed into something useful and useable.
7) SEEING HURDLES AS LEADING TO IMPROVEMENTS AND SOLUTIONS. Hurdles I mean problems and mistakes. Sometime little problems or mistakes just are stopping an developing ideas.
8) PERSEVERANCE. Creative people, who actually see their ideas come to fruition have the ability to keep them and see them through even when the going gets tough.
9) FLEXIBLE IMAGINATION. Maybe you ever saw a truly creative person at work when they are 'on fire'. They have ability to see a problem or challenge and it's sollutions at the same time, they are conecting their ideas together.
SO as you see every feature demand attention and training. I believe that everyone can do it, we just need to wish to be more creative :)

SEXISM

Sexism is commonly considered to be discrimination and/or hatred against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all systemic differentiations based on the sex of the individuals.
Certain forms of sexual discrimination are illegal in many countries, but nearly all countries have laws that give special rights, privileges, or responsibilities to one sex or two sexes. Sexism against females
Sexism against females in its extreme form is known as misogyny, which is derived from the Greek for "hatred of females". The term 'sexism', in common usage, usually implies sexism against females, since this is the first form of sexism that has been commonly identified.
Historically, in many patriarchal societies, females were and are viewed as the "weaker sex". Women's lower status is evident in cases in which females

were not even recognized as persons under the law of the land. The feminist movement promotes women's rights to stop sexism against females by addressing issues such as equality under the law, political representation of females, access to education and employment, female victims of domestic violence, self-ownership of the female body, and the impact of pornography on women. While feminists broadly agree on the aims and goals of feminism, they may disagree on any one issue (for instance, pornography or abortion), tactics, or priorities.

Sexism against males in its extreme form is known as misandry, which is derived from the Greek for "hatred of males". It is often known as "reverse sexism", however this term has recently received criticism for its assumption that sexism is usually, primarily, or initially, misogyny.
While the view that women are superior to men is also sexism, only in recent years has such awareness begun to develop in public discourse.

ABUSE

Abuse refers to the use or treatment of something (a person, item, substance, concept, or vocabulary) that is seen as harmful. The term comes from the words "abnormal use". It can be used for anything ranging from the misuse of a piece of equipment to the severe maltreatment of a person.
Several types of abuse include:
Spiritual abuse: abusive or aberrational practices identified in the behavior and teachings of some churches, spiritual and religious organizations and groups.
Sexual abuse: The improper use of another person for sexual purposes, generally without their consent or under physical or psychological pressure (which may include children whether abused by parents)
Physical abuse: Where one person inflicts physical violence or pain on another.
Verbal abuse: When a person uses profanity, demeaning talk, or threatening statements.
Emotional abuse or psychological abuse: coercion, humiliation, intimidation, relational aggression, parental alienation or covert incest: Where one person uses emotional or psychological coercion to compel another to do something they do not want, or is not in their best interests; or when one person manipulates another's emotional or psychological state for their own ends (see battered person syndrome), or commits psychological aggression using ostensibly non-violent methods to inflict mental or emotional violence or pain on another.
Drug abuse: the misuse of drugs, alcohol or other substances, usually a form of addiction. Law enforcement officials, among others, often define drug abuse as "any" use of illegal drugs, whether or not use is actually harmful to the user or to anyone else.
Child abuse: Abuse, usually physical, emotional or sexual, directed at a child.
Spousal abuse (or domestic violence): Abuse, usually physical, or psychological abuse, directed at one's spouse.
Elder abuse: Abuse, most often physical or in the form of psychological threats, directed at the elderly, especially in nursing homes and similar institutions.
Human rights abuse: Violation of human rights.
Animal abuse: Abuse or cruelty directed at animals.
Legal abuse: Vexatious litigation or malicious prosecution to retaliate, coerce, or emotionally/financially harm a person.
Internet abuse includes a wide range of inappropriate online behavior, such as unsolicited promotional email, intrusion attempts, and phishing.

The most actual problem in our days - STRESS

....Feeling like there are too many pressures and demands on you? Don‘t sleep because worrying about tests and schoolwork? Eating on the run because your timetable is just too busy? You're not alone. Everyone experiences stress at times - adults, teens, and even kids. But there are things you can do to minimize stress and manage the stress that's unavoidable.
First of all let‘s discuss, what is Stress?...

Stress is a feeling that's created when we react to particular events. It's the body's way of answering to a challenge and preparing to meet a complicated situation with focus, strength, and patience.
The events that provoke stress are called stressors, and they cover a whole range of situations (a.g. making presentation in audience, preparing for a test). There are numerous categories from which stressors come, amongst them are: frustrations, conflicts and pressures
Our physical changes prepare a person to react quickly and effectively to control the pressure of the moment. This natural reaction is known as the stress response.

Maybe you‘ll think that it is strange, but there are both GOOD and BAD stress

If you are suffering from extreme stress or long-term stress, your body will eventually wear itself down. But sometimes, small amounts of stress can actually be good. Understanding your stress level is important. If nothing in your life causes you any stress or excitement, you may become bored or may not be living up to your potential. If everything in your life, or large portions of your life, cause you stress, you may experience health or mental problems that will make your behavior worse.

Recognizing when you are stressed and managing your stress can greatly improve your life. Some short-term stress -- for example what you feel before an important job presentation, test, interview, or sporting event -- may give you the extra energy you need to perform at your best. But long-term stress -- for example constant worry over your job, school, or family -- may actually drain your energy and your ability to perform well.

Several steps to overcome STRESS

Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk with your parents or friends.
Don't freak out! It's easy to let your feelings go wild when you're upset. Notice your feelings. Name them - for example, "I am so angry!" And find a way to express them. Do breathing exercises, listen to music, write in a journal, play with a pet, go for a walk or a bike ride, or do whatever helps you shift to a better mood.
Don't take it out on yourself. Be kind to yourself and ask for the helping hand or pat on the back that you need - and deserve - to get you through the strong situation you're facing.
Try to solve the problem. After you're calm and you have support from adults and friends, it's time to get down to business. You need to figure out what the problem is. Even if you can't solve all of it, maybe you can begin by solving a piece of it.
Be positive - most stress is temporary. It may not seem like it when you're in the middle a stressful situation, but stress does go away, often when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.
Treat your body well. Experts agree that getting regular exercise helps people manage stress.

Get a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep helps keep your body and mind in top shape, making you better equipped to deal with any negative stressors.


Stress and eating

We seek chocolate, ice cream or napoleans, scientists have discovered, not just because they taste good. It's actually the body's attempt to stop the runaway machine of stress. But seeking a long-term solution in comfort food—rather than fixing the source of the stress or your relationship to the source of the stress—is going to be bad for you.

SELF – ASSESMENT OF ONLINE LISTENING TO PODCASTS

THE TITLES OF TWO PODCASTS (which I have listened):

1. ‘Walt Disney, 1901 – 1966: It all started with a Mouse’;
2. ‘Why goals matter needs to’;

THE WEBSITE ADDRESSES:

www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2007-10-27-voa1.cfm

http://www.carolinemiller.com/pod/

First of all, I want to describe LEVEL OF ENGLISH of podcasts, which I have listened. The first one was easier, because it was in intermediate level, but the another one was more difficult, it had an advanced level.

THE RATE OF SPEAKING also was apparently different: speaker talked slow and clearly in topic about Walt Disney, but interview with psychologist in the second topic was fast and unclear.

THE SPEAKERS ACCENT: in first podcast it was correct British accent, however the second topic was based on American accent.

The first podcast I have listened just one time, and it did not take much time to me to understand, this topic takes for the 15 minutes, the second one continues for the 24:36 minutes, and I needed to listen two times for clear understanding.

Fortunately I did not need to read a transcript of the podcasts, I understood all without test helping, any words which I could not understand I just found at the dictionary.

But anyway I assess my ability to understand authentic speech as just good, I need much more work for excellent abilities, these results shows that I am not sure prepared for my exam listening paper, I need more listening practise.

I think that it is a good idea to watch many English films and tv, I try to do that, and I feel how it helps to me to improve, also there is an important point for perfection – travelling and working abroad. It is the main goal for my future – to go abroad and to prove my English skills in summer.

Terminology of Problem Solving

We should know the basic terminology for Problem Solving. This report proposes seven terms such as Purpose, Situation, Problem, Cause, Solvable Cause, Issue, and Solution.

Purpose

Purpose is what we want to do or what we want to be. Purpose is an easy term to understand. But problem solvers frequently forget to confirm Purpose, at the first step of Problem Solving. Without clear purposes, we can not think about problems.

Situation

Situation is just what a circumstance is. Situation is neither good nor bad. We should recognize situations objectively as much as we can. Usually almost all situations are not problems. But some problem solvers think of all situations as problems. Before we recognize a problem, we should capture situations clearly without recognizing them as problems or non-problems. Without recognizing situations objectively, Problem Solving is likely to be narrow sighted, because problem solvers recognize problems with their prejudice.

Problem

Problem is some portions of a situation, which cannot realize purposes. Since problem solvers often neglect the differences of purposes, they cannot capture the true problems. If the purpose is different, the identical situation may be a problem or may not be a problem.

Cause

Cause is what brings about a problem. Some problem solvers do not distinguish causes from problems. But since problems are some portions of a situation, problems are more general than causes are. In other words causes are more specific facts, which bring about problems. Without distinguishing causes from problems, Problem Solving can not be specific. Finding specific facts which causes problems is the essential step in Problem Solving.

Solvable Cause

Solvable cause is some portions of causes. When we solve a problem, we should focus on solvable causes. Finding solvable causes is another essential step in Problem Solving. But problem solvers frequently do not extract solvable causes among causes. If we try to solve unsolvable causes, we waste time. Extracting solvable causes is a useful step to make Problem Solving efficient.

Issue

Issue is the opposite expression of a problem. If a problem is that we do not have money, the issue is that we get money. Some problem solvers do not know what Issue is. They may think of "we do not have money" as an issue. At the worst case, they may mix the problems, which should be negative expressions, and the issues, which should be positive expressions.

Solution

Solution is a specific action to solve a problem, which is equal to a specific action to realize an issue. Some problem solvers do not break down issues into more specific actions. Issues are not solutions. Problem solvers must break down issues into specific action.

Thinking patterns

This report lists fourteen thinking patters. Problem solvers should choose appropriate patterns, responding to situations. This report categorized these fourteen patterns into three more general groups such as thinking patterns for judgements, thinking patterns for thinking processes and thinking patterns for efficient thinking. The following is the outlines of those thinking patterns.

Thinking patterns for judgements

In order to create a value through thinking we need to judge whether what we think is right or wrong. This report lists four judging patterns such as strategic thinking, emotional thinking, realistic thinking, and empirical thinking.

Strategic thinking

Focus, or bias, is the criterion for strategic thinking. If you judge whether a situation is right or wrong based on whether the situation is focused or not, your judgement is strategic. A strategy is not necessarily strategic. Historically, many strategists such as Sonfucis in ancient China, Naplon, M. Porter proposed strategic thinking when they develop strategies.

Emotional thinking

In organizations, an emotional aspect is essential. Tactical leaders judge whether a situation is right or wrong based on the participants emotional commitment. They think that if participants can be positive to a situation, the situation is right.

Realistic thinking

• Start from what we can do
• Fix the essential problem first

These two criteria are very useful. "Starting" is very important, even if we do very little. We do not have to start from the essential part. Even if we start from an easier part, starting is a better judgement than a judgement of not-starting in terms of the first part of realistic thinking. Further, after we start, we should search key factors to make the Problem Solving more efficient. Usually, 80 % of the problems are caused by only 20 % of the causes. If we can find the essential 20 % of the causes, we can fix 80 % of problems very efficiently. Then if we try to find the essential problem, what we are doing is right in terms of the second part of realistic thinking.

Empirical thinking

When we use empirical thinking, we judge whether the situation is right or wrong based on our past experiences. Sometimes, this thinking pattern persists on the past criteria too much, even if a situation has changed. But when it comes to our daily lives, situations do not change frequently. Further, if we have the experience of the identical situation before, we can utilize the experience as a reliable knowledge data base.

Rational thinking

Rational thinking is one of the most common Problem Solving methods. This report will briefly show this Problem Solving method.

1. Set the ideal situation
2. Identify a current situation
3. Compare the ideal situation and the current situation, and identify the problem situation
4. Break down the problem to its causes
5. Conceive the solution alternatives to the causes
6. Evaluate and choose the reasonable solution alternatives
7. Implement the solutions

We can use rational thinking as a Problem Solving method for almost all problems.

Be courageous – win your fears

Before talking about fears, look at famous, historical person Napoleon Bonaparte notion about fear:

“There are two levels for moving men – interest and fear” .

We see, that this person gave a large importance for fear, particularly in men’s life.

Fear is a powerful, unpleasant feeling of risk or danger, either real or imagined. Fear is a very real thought form, we create it. Fear begins from our illusions, where negative entities feed on negative entities. Fear is only one negative energy.

In general it can be classified in three categories:

1. Fears, connected with survival issues;
   
2. Fears, connected with our individual identities;
   
3. Fears, connected with our relationships.

There is not category, in which fears is carry – over, like fear of water or of restricted places. These fears can be dealt with our memories of past life.

Scientists classify fears in these three basic categories:

Paranoia is a term used to describe a psychosis of fear, described as a heightened perception of being persecuted, false or otherwise. Sometimes, the result of extreme paranoia is a phobia.

Distrust in the context of interpersonal fear, is sometimes explained as the internal feeling of caution, usually focused towards a person, representing an unwillingness to trust in someone else.

Terror refers to a pronounced state of fear, which usually occurs after the state of horror, when someone becomes overwhelmed with a sense of immediate danger.

Of course it can be related to a number of emotional states including worry, anxiety, terror, fright, paranoia, horror, panic (social and personal), persecution complex and dread.

Fear is related with our body, and as the result, our body includes a large number of responses to fear:

• the brow or other parts of the body sweat profusely in order to keep the body cool as it flees;
• the muscles tighten in preparation for combat;
• the senses are sharpened in order to take in vaster quantities of information;
• the hands usually as a reaction open and cover face;
• when a fear stimulus occurs unexpectedly, the victim of the fear response could possibly jump or give a small start;
• the person's heart rate and heartbeat may go up.

TREATMENT. There are a few steps how to control fear, how to help ourselves.

First of all you should learn how to foster internal control of fear and take the measure of fear. Measuring includes intensity and duration of fear.

Internal control. It means to show that though there are frighten actions, you can exert some control over it.

It is also important to have relaxation training, for instance, meditation or yoga.

If you feel that you can not to “fight” with yours fears, you should to go to psychologist, which would help you. One of the most famous therapies nowadays is cognitive therapy. It is a type of psychotherapy developed by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s. Beck came to the conclusion that the way in which his clients perceived and interpreted and attributed meaning—a process known scientifically as cognition—in their daily lives was a key to therapy. Cognitive therapy seeks to identify and change "distorted" or "unrealistic" ways of thinking, and therefore to influence emotion and behavior.

So the most important thing is to understand that you can not stay with your fears. You must to cure of them and enjoy your life without any internal or external interferences.