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Riding Elephants
The importance of habitat conservation in the protection of avian and animal species can hardly be overemphasized. This is why when logging companies talk about reforestation, by planting millions of trees of one species in the place of the multi-species forest they demolished, it is such a farce. Especially the animals, birds, insects, amphibians, and…
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Training dogs – discovering yourself
The biggest benefit of having a dog from my perspective is the companionship that the dog provides, of non-judgmental, unconditional love. For the dog, you are the most precious, beautiful, and admirable person in the world to whom the dog dedicates himself lifelong. No matter that in the eyes of the world you are poor,…
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Climbing mountains to build teams
The biggest leadership challenge, irrespective of the situation, is the ability to build self-motivated, autonomous teams. Teams who after you have built them, work without you and don’t consider you necessary for their success. My greatest success in my years managing profit centers was in building such teams. This is tough because making yourself redundant…
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Teaching to Transform
Education is not the responsibility of schools and teachers alone but must be a partnership in parenting between parents, teachers, and children. All three are stakeholders and must have a say in what happens. Parenting can’t be outsourced. You can’t pay someone to raise your children just like you can’t pay someone to diet on…
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Our window is open now
Remember that learning about human beings is only done by experience. Not on TV or social media but by meeting the walking, talking, breathing, warm body called _______ fill in the blank. Do that respectfully, sensitively, in a spirit of enquiry. For that, learn something about their culture, taboos, preferences, and beliefs, non-judgmentally. Judging builds…
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Building bridges through understanding
How do you build bridges? By consciously doing two things. One, focus on the commonalities. Two, see difference as a joyful discovery. Alright! Not joyful, then at least interesting. We must make the shift mentally that difference between people is precisely and only that – different. It is not good or bad, nice or nasty,…
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Of dogs and men
I love animals. And among those I love dogs and horses. I also love cats. But there is a very distinct difference between a dog and a cat. A dog looks at you and says, ‘He must be God because he is looking after me.’ A cat looks at you and says, ‘I must be…
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Looking back in Happiness
I was 24 when the plane landed with me but without my luggage in Guyana in 1979. My first move from home and I lost every possession I ever had. I felt light and thrilled – though the loss of my graduation certificate did occupy me for all of ten minutes. Then I reasoned to…
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فاتح بنیں
زندگی میں ہماری کامیابی کی دوڑ میں، ہمیں اسلام کے قوانین کو نظر انداز کرنے کی آزمائش ہو سکتی ہے – ہم اکثر اس غلط فہمی کے شکار ہو جاتے ہیں کہ جو بھی ہاتھ لگے اسے حاصل کرنا چاہیے چاہے وہ الله تعالیٰ کے حکم کے مطابق ہو یا نہیں. یہ شیطان کا اور…
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Do ideology-led movements need systems?
Ideology defines the goal and the path that leads to it. Skill is necessary to do what it takes to reach the goal. Leaders must always keep the purpose in mind and not allow their ego, personal likes and dislikes, affiliations, or anything else to get in the way of choosing the right people. Nobody…