Open Source Development, challanges and Project Management

COLLEGE STATION – To paraphrase an old saying: The only constant in life is change.

“Life changes every day for every person in some way,” said Dr. Linda Ladd, Texas Cooperative Extension family development specialist. “We expect the seasons to change, children to grow taller, birthdays to keep piling on, strawberries in June and the crisp smell of fall in October … we expect to grow older … to watch children marry, to retire from our jobs and play with our grandchildren.

“We even recognize that sickness and death are expected events in our lives.”

But when the change is massive and immediate, what then? What is a normal reaction to an enormously abnormal event – such as hijacked airplanes destroying the 110-story World Trade Center and damaging large chunks of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.?

“We do not expect sudden violence in our town or neighborhood, and even less in our homes,” Ladd said. “When the world changes in a major way through war or economic recession or a death of a president, we manage our reaction to the changes through our coping strategies.”

But adults must not only take care of their own reaction to sudden – and sometimes violent – changes in life, they must also help the younger generation do the same.

“As adults, we model ways of handling change that will be absorbed by the children and youth around us,” Ladd said. “When we shape or adapt our own problem-solving behaviors and coping strategies, we (show) others how being flexible and adaptive is a positive approach to getting through a life-changing event.”

These coping strategies vary with each individual, she said, and are based, for the most part, on age and experiences each person has had throughout life.

Ladd suggested the following questions might help each individual discover the skills he or she has available to help with the current crisis:

- What is your usual emotional reaction to big change in your life? Does it overwhelm you; do you tend to withdraw from others or become a social butterfly? Do you manage to continue with your daily routine or are you so overwhelmed you can barely get out of bed? Do you lose sleep or sleep too much? “Uncertain situations, such as terrorist threats, can cause one person to pull in emotionally and stay at home more, while another person will … go visit an old friend,” Ladd said.

- What personal values and beliefs will sustain you though a crisis? Does a huge change shake your faith or make it stronger? Does it make you search for answers? “Life-changing events cause each of us to review our priorities and our values, and adapt or change those that do not help us through the event,” she said. “Huge changes in our world can cause temporary changes in how we express our values that end when the event or the threat from the event ends.”

- What coping strategies do you have to help you manage unexpected life changes? Do you fall back into an old pattern or do you try new coping methods? “As we review a situation, we realize that one way we reacted worked better than another, and we change our strategies for coping with change,” Ladd said. Outside help – reading books, talking with friends and/or consulting a professional – might help, she added.

- What new skills can help in the future? Are you willing to learn from your own past experiences? “We learn from others new ways to act and ways not to act,” Ladd said. “When we watch others be successful in solving or coping with the problem, we model their behavior, and over time adapt it to our unique needs and style.”

Change comes into every life, at every age, but for children, massive change can be especially difficult because their experiences, like their life spans, are still limited.

Children can be affected differently than adults, and it’s up to the adults to help the children through the rough times, Ladd said. “Adults who consider the age and developmental level of the children are better prepared to support children emotionally, teach effective problem-solving skills, and model successful coping strategies.”

The child’s age and stage of development is pivotal for adults helping children cope with huge life changes, she said. “Very young children who see a scene repeated on TV several times are less likely to understand that they are seeing the same event. … a school-aged child will remember the event and consider how he or she can solve the problem with the resources on hand, (such as a lemonade stand or piggy bank).”

Remember that children will normally look to their adults for information on how they should behave about a specific event. “Over time, our ability to think and reason develops and gradually we balance our understanding and meaning of an event with the emotional or visceral reaction we have to the event.”

Older children – adolescents and teenagers – will have enough life experience to “help them attach meaning to a life-changing event,” Ladd said. “Adults need to talk to the youth to learn how that individual interprets and internalizes the event.”

Change is constant, she said, even big change. But it is all a part of life and we can all learn and grow from it. And we can all help each other through. “If a young child experiences an event that is beyond his or her skill level, he or she needs an adult to help learn new coping strategies or adapt a current skill. Being aware of the developmental tasks the child or youth is learning will help the adult identify the next steps to take,” Ladd said.

“Adults can help by loving the child, talking with the child, showing the child new ways of dealing with the change, and accepting the child’s reactions to the event.”

So guyz life is fight and you got to fight it to win it over.

Cheers

Neeraj

You are on your way to work but you really don’t want to go. Exhausted, you’d give anything to be able to crawl back into bed. It took hours to nod off last night: negative thoughts running through your mind on an endless loop. It’s been like that for a while now. You can’t remember the last time you actually slept well.
Tired all the time and irritable too, but you’re not normally such a grump. The constant headaches really don’t help. You used to enjoy your job but not any more; just the thought of being at work pushes your pulse rate up and leaves you feeling agitated. If any of these symptoms sound familiar then you are probably suffering from work stress. this cannot be eliminated but you can always change the way it looks.

What would you say when you are under work pressure, “stressed out and frantic” or “challenged and energized”? There’s very little physiological difference between the two, says a growing contingent of experts who claim works stress has an upside. These experts believe that stress can strengthen you or tear you down. In most eases, you can choose. The following are 8 ways to perform better under pressure suggested by the experts.

Give stress a good name Why resent work stress- it’s an indicator that your career is advancing. Think of a heavy work load as an exciting oppoutunity to push youself, learn new skills and show your mettle. complaining depletes your energy; instead greet an overloaded daywith optimism. Tell yourself, “This is a challenge I am capable of handling.” Put it in perspective Sometimes it’s impossible to talk about the positive side of stress-say your computer crashes and you lose valuable work-but you can moderate your reaction. Rate your distress on a scale of 1 to 10, I being mild irritation and 10 extreme panic or anger. Now ,rank the importance of the situation from 1 (a notice) to 10 (you’re fired). If your distress ranks higher than the seriousness of the situation, ask yourself: Is this something I will remember in four ears, four months, four days? Then downshift your response accordingly, saving your emotional energy for disasters.

Alternate tasks Blocking out an entire day or week for a high-priority project increases your anxiety without boosting your productivity-in fact, you may lose perspective and focus. You need to create a rhythm to your work to recharge. Every 60 to 90 minutes, take a break from your primary activity and do something different for 15 minutes. If you’ve been reading at your desk, walk into someone’s office to branistorm on another project. Don’t worry about breaking your concentration. You’ll return to your task refreshed and determined.

Shake a leg Regular exercise is crutical to stress management, and mini workouts during the day can release pent-up energy. Most people tend to neglect some exercise which you can actually do everyday, such as walk to your or someont’s office instead of taking the elevator; stand up and stretch your back and neck muscles while you are on the phone, and so on.

Straighten up your desk Rearranging pencils may not be a form of procrastination after all. It has been proved that tiding your desk is one of the most common, and effective, ways workers calm and focus themselves. Organizing helps people reduce tension and get into a productive frame of mind.

Refuel Tempted to skip meals and pull late nights when you feel the heat at work? Both could lead to burnout. Get sic to eight hours of sleep, and go to bed at the same hour every night. Avoid big meals but much high-carbon, low-fat snacks every few hours. Lay off the alcohol, which can disturb your sleep patterns.

Tackle your fears Pressure doesn’t paralyze you, fear does. Often, your stress comes from worrying rather than from the work assignment or problem you’re grappling with. Itemize every element of a project that has you scared. Are you worried about a presentation because you’ve never spoken in front of a group of people, you don’t know what to wear and the slide projector isn’t working correctly? Write down these fears and methodically address each one.

Spend time with your friends During high-pressure periods, don’t lock yourself in a room with your work. Socializing with friends and colleagues, getting together with people who make you laugh and change your perspective, will revitalize and inspire you. You want positive social support, so offer your frends progress reports and ask them for feedback, solution and encouragement.

Hi Friends 

Balance is important. When one aspect of our life becomes too dominant we loose that balance and experience conflict and unhappiness. It’s not easy and sometimes it feels like a juggling match but if we develop some healthy habits it is possible to achieve balance in a relaxed and calm way. Don’t forget the amount of time you devote to each aspect of your life will undergo fluctuation. It’s all a matter of realizing the natural flow of life and giving the right amount of attention to all aspects of our day to day living. So here I present my own ten tips on leading a balanced life.

1) Go home from work on time.
You need to look after yourself. Contrary to what the current culture will tell you – we are not machines. You need a healthy balance between the time you spend at work and the time you spend outside the work place. You need to be constantly reminded that there is more to life than work. (Although there will be some times you might have to work late in case of emergencies but they should be the exceptions and not the norm.)

2) Don’t be a yes person.
This follows on from point number one. You will find it easier to go home on time when you don’t agree to every single thing that is asked of you. Your inbox will never be empty – only agree to things that you can manage and that do not interfere with point 1.

3) Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday.
Treat this as your foundation for a more balanced life. Creating a natural rhythm to your day will go a long way to creating balance in your life. You will feel more rested and grounded in reality and less overwhelmed by events that happen during the day.

4) Slow down.
Consciously slow down. Walk slower, drive slower, talk slower. Notice things as you walk. Notice the tree that you pass by each day on the way to work and how it changes color with the seasons. Notice the fresh smell of morning and feel the warm sunshine on your face during the day (or the rain pelting of your face if you live in Ireland) . Become more aware and awake in general and take your time over your day. Practice some form of daily relaxation exercise such as meditation, yoga or progressive muscle relaxation. Slow down – it is not a race you know!

5) Don’t buy into the culture around you if you don’t want to.
24-7 News (mostly bad news), the pressures of work, the go go go of modern life – this is what the media likes to tell us about our culture. That is not MY culture. I don’t agree with it and I don’t buy it. I am a human being and unique with my own feelings and needs – I don’t have to buy into something if it violates my values.

6) Create your own sub-culture involving your friends and family.
Surround yourself with people you like and who like you back. Create you own subculture of activities. Leave the couch and TV and go out and meet people be it through reading groups, charity work, nature rambles and more!

7) Recognize you have the right to be healthier than those around you.
Again don’t buy into the bad habits of other people. If everyone else around you drink too much coffee – that doesn’t mean you have to. If your colleagues at work love to eat fried foods at lunch – that doesn’t mean you have to. If your peers don’t bother to exercise that doesn’t mean you have to. Look after yourself!

Do something meaningful with your spare time.
Volunteer and do something that suits your personality. Not everyone can have the qualities that are required to go visit and talk to the elderly for example. Find out what skills you have (everyone has them!) and see how you could use those skills to help others.

9) Let go of the need to buy the next big thing.
If you let go of the cravings to keep consuming and buying things you don’t need then you might not feel you have to work such long hours. Why do you need that car? Is it something you really NEED or just something you think would be nice to have. Don’t forget about all those items you bought and you thought they were great to begin with. You were feeling empty and you thought that this might make your life more exciting or make you feel a bit better. Then the novelty wears off and you have that empty feeling inside that you had before you bought it in the first place. Why do you feel you need to keep up with the neighbors? If they get a big 4 X 4 does that mean you have to? Ask yourself why you feel you have to do that?

10) Develop compassion, patience and tolerance for your fellow people.
Happiness comes from relationships you have with people. We are all very complicated and can have our negative aspects. Developing compassion, patience and tolerance for others will go a long way to having better relationships with people. Accepting how different we all are is the starting point the rest is up to you!

11) Go For some YOGA: This is my personal best, and for the people who thining exercising in GYM is beyond their physical capability can prefer to go for YOGA. Though I do both as it keeps me fresh and interested in whatever I do.
There is nothing you can refuse to do if you have got a fresh mind and healthy body as they make your soul fresh.

What methods for addressing balance in your life worked for you? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

I was working through some things tonight: anxiousness over entering a rushed conversation with a friend I respect greatly on the phone today where I didn’t say everything I was hoping to; juggling family and friends in town for graduation while also trying to get in the last few coffee’s with old friends up here before we rush out for two weeks of vacation/licensure testing (yea those two don’t go well together); I was working through these things and I had to take a walk and get some fresh air to seek the GOD’s favor and face.

Why is it that having times of solitude where we surround ourselves with his creation and go to him in prayer is so helpful? I know some saint used to take walks with the God regularly as a spiritual discipline of sorts. I guess its just the opportunity to give him all our focus, to stop what we’re doing, set down any other means we have other than prayer and seek his face. I must confess I don’t do this often enough but here I am chanting all sorts of religious books like hanuman chalisa and Lord Ganesha’s prayers/mantras (i think you should its really helpful and gives peace of mind)

I want to sit on the beach hidden from this world’s eyes at night and star gaze while listening to the gentle crashing of waves to settle my spirit before Him, but in the city I prefer the sounds of the streets at night, the occasional car blazing by, the houses making their odds and ends noises (ofcourse couples fighting for silly things and get resuming the next day)…its soothing. I guess why a breath of fresh air and some time in prayer heals my troubled heart is that it allows me to place myself openly and intentionally in His able hands, its a time when I recall his testimony in the story of my life and my loved ones and praise Him for His presence and power, its a time I say deeply – I need you Father, I believe Lord, help my unbelief. 

It is not only the belief i carries but the sense of confidence and feeling of power that God exists and he is there to forgive you for the sins you committed unknowingly.

Jai Shri Ram

Hi
I was not serious with my life and it was going great and now when i am serious with my life, my mouth is filled with mud and i cannot think of anything but to survive and hide my shameful face from the people who trusted me more than anything, i kept of taking favor form other thinking i would pay them back with  double as  interest but here i am down to earth praying the mighty Lord to forgive me for all my sins that i committed due to my innocence and ignorance (both of them are relatives of sin). Now when i try to get myself together for one more time, i see my self scattered into small repelling pieces of ego, emotion, loyalty, friendship love and million other pieces which no one can think of. My parents asked me to live a stable life as i am the eldest son in the family and i had to take care of my younger brother and sister not only financially but morally i wanted to be an ideal before them. Now when i look back i cannot see anything other than failure and shame which brought to myself and my colleagues.  I started to  streets and now back on streets hunting for the ray of leading light which is hard to see. I kept on experimenting my life every now and then and never thought what the results would be and now the results are not too horrifying as i have passed a phase which  normally people experience after 15-20 years of experience, i was never a successful guy but at least i tasked success several time which is a beautiful experience for me. I can speak endless words for my current situation but i don;t think this is how i always wanted to live my life. I always wanted to experience something different and i did and i am not at all sad for me but when i look back to the pieces of house all lying as dust particles on ground to which i contributed i feel sad for others to also contributed to making this house a dreamland. The only thing i demanded from life is nothing then why i got something. I believe experience is something related to the memories received from your failures so that you learn and not from your victories from which you donot learn anything new. My friends just a small request from my side, believe in yourself and think of other related to you as you were born alone and die alone but have to stay with someone during your survival so cannot ignore anyone. Now i will stop spending my reckless ink and tiny brain and there is much to be decided as this is not the end this is the beginning for me. Now i will be what I always wanted to be.
So Cheers………………………………for one more time ……………………………………..hold your breadth for one more Mile..