This blog is the forum where I can put forward whatever I think about life and that is why I love it.
 I came home by flight a couple of days ago. This journey always makes me ponder about the reality of life. When we are in our home, we think that we will never forget it or be confuse about it, but when we go to some other place it becomes very difficult for us to imagine the moments that passed while we were at home. One may imagine them, but when imagined these places look like a dream. Sometimes when I am at some place I try to look at everything very carefully so that I can imagine everything as it is later on without any confusion, but I never succeed to visualize it as a reality and not as a dream. Sometimes I also feel bad about this feeling, but then I think that it is a gift from God Almighty. The reason for calling it a gift is that we cannot live our present without leaving our past. Forgetting leads one to learning something new.
Maybe some of you don't agree with me but this is what I could made out of my experience.

Conflict Management Styles Quiz 

Source: Reginald (Reg) Adkins, PhD, Elemental Truths 

http://elementaltruths.blogspot.com/2006/11/conflict-management-quiz.html 

We each have our own way of dealing with conflict. The techniques we use are based on many variables such as our basic underlying temperament, our personality, our environment and where we are in our professional career. However, by and large there are five major styles of conflict management techniques in our tool box. In order to address conflict we draw from a collaborating, competing, avoiding, harmonizing or compromising style of management. None of these strategies is superior in and of itself. How effective they are depends on
the context in which they are used.

Each statement below provides a strategy for dealing with a conflict. Rate each statement on a scale of 1 to 4
indicating how likely you are to use this strategy.
1 = Rarely 2 = Sometimes 3 = Often 4 = Always
Be sure to answer the questions indicating how you would behave rather than how you think you should
behave.
 1. I explore issues with others so as to find solutions that meet everyone’s needs. _______
 2. I try to negotiate and adopt a give-and-take approach to problem situations. _______
 3. I try to meet the expectations of others. _______
 4. I would argue my case and insist on the merits of my point of view. _______
 5. When there is a disagreement, I gather as much information as I can and keep the
 lines of communication open. _______
6. When I find myself in an argument, I usually say very little and try to leave as soon
as possible. _______
7. I try to see conflicts from both sides. What do I need? What does the other person
Need? What are the issues involved? _______
 8. I prefer to compromise when solving problems and just move on. _______
 9. I find conflicts challenging and exhilarating; I enjoy the battle of wits that usually follows. _______
10. Being at odds with other people makes me feel uncomfortable and anxious. _______
11. I try to accommodate the wishes of my friends and family. _______
12. I can figure out what needs to be done and I am usually right. _______
13. To break deadlocks, I would meet people halfway. _______
14. I may not get what I want but it’s a small price to pay for keeping the peace. _______
15. I avoid hard feelings by keeping my disagreements with others to myself. _______

How to score the Conflict Management Quiz: 
As stated, the 15 statements correspond to the five conflict resolution styles. To find your most preferred style,
total the points in the respective categories. The one with the highest score indicates your most commonly used
strategy. The one with the lowest score indicates your least preferred strategy. However, if you are a leader
who must deal with conflict on a regular basis, you may find your style to be a blend of styles.
Style Corresponding Statements: Total:
Collaborating: 1, 5, 7 _______
Competing: 4, 9, 12 _______
Avoiding: 6, 10, 15 _______
Harmonizing: 3, 11, 14 _______
Compromising: 2, 8, 13 _______
Brief Descriptions of the Five Conflict Management Styles 
Collaborating Style: Problems are solved in ways in which an optimum result is provided for all involved.
Both sides get what they want and negative feelings are minimized.
Pros: Creates mutual trust; maintains positive relationships; builds commitments.
Cons: Time consuming; energy consuming.
Competing Style: Authoritarian approach.
Pros: Goal oriented; quick.
Cons: May breed hostility.
Avoiding Style: The non-confrontational approach.
Pros: Does not escalate conflict; postpones difficulty.
Cons: Unaddressed problems; unresolved problems.
Harmonizing Style: Giving in to maintain relationships.
Pros: Minimizes injury when we are outmatched; relationships are maintained.
Cons: Breeds resentment; exploits the weak.
Compromising Style: The middle ground approach.
Pros: Useful in complex issues without simple solutions; all parties are equal in power.
Cons: No one is ever really satisfied; less than optimal solutions get implemented.

Here are a few places you should visit in Pakistan!

Quote of the day

Today I won't share anything academic, but I would like to share few lines which inspired me and made me think about them.
1. I heard one person saying, 'Desires bring fear along with them. If there are no desires, there would be no fear.'
  This is actually very true. Every fear of our life is associated with our desires. For example, the fear of failing is due the desire of success.
2. Another line that I heard was that ' Success brings many positive changes in the attitudes  of people, but sometimes we actually try to get success only to bring changes  in the attitudes  of people.'
 This is also very true as we sometimes strive for success solely for the purpose of proving  someone wrong and making him\her trust us. 

Rites of passage

 Definition:

“Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, that is birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles.”

Phases:

Generally rites of passage are divided into three phases:

1.    Separation

2.    Transition

3.    Reincorporation

Examples:

Some examples of rites of passage are:

1.     Wedding

2.     Bar or Bat Mitzvah

3.     Baptism

4.     Confirmation

5.     Quinceañera

Here we will only be considering Quinceañera in detail.

Quinceañera

 Definition:

“Quinceañera, also called fiesta de quince años, fiesta de Quinceañera, quince años or simply quince, is the celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday in parts of Latin America and elsewhere in communities of people from Latin America.”

Explanation:

The word Quinceañera derives from Spanish word quince, meaning “fifteen”, and años, meaning “years”. It may refer to the girl or the ceremony itself.  In Mexican American communities this ceremony symbolizes the change from adolescence to womanhood..

It is celebrated in many countries, such as United States, Argentina, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Mexico, Ecuador, etc.

Phases of Quinceañera:

Usually Quinceañera is divided into two phases, that is religious and social, but we can divide it into three phases as follows:

1.    Separation

Prior to the celebration of Quinceañera, the young woman attends classes at the church on the importance of mass and the significance of the moment in life. These classes occur up to one year.

2.    Transition

This phase involves a church ceremony which calls upon the woman to renew her Baptism vows and call from the promise of support from a member of the family. The young woman enters the church with his father and mother, who are standing beside her. She sits in a single chair alone at the altar. Traditionally, she wears a white or pastor colored, floor-length dress and wears a crown of some sort. She also carries a doll with her. This offering shows that she is moving towards maturity.

3.    Reincorporation

In this phase, there is a great party or fiesta. These events usually take place in stage sets which are either made or rented. There are toast, Thank-you to the sponsors, and the response of the Quinceañera in which she expresses gratitude for her upbringing. There is usually a multi-tired cake embellished with statuary and fountains. A pillow is used to present the crown. This crown symbolizes the triumph in living a moral life. There are also periods of dancing in this party.

After this event, the Quinceañera enters the society as a woman.

Human Psychological facts