Art of Negotiation || Other Part || Black and White CA ||

As CA students and being a crucial part of the commerce and business industry, negotiation is a must-have skill for all of us which can make us pre-eminent from the rest of the pack. Negotiation is a very impressionistic concept and it will be very unreasonable to elucidate it by diverging it into some rigid rules or principles. So I would like to discuss some extremely useful tips which may come in handy the next time you are involved in a negotiation.

Primarily while negotiating one should have strong control over his emotions one of which is anxiety, excellent negotiators often make their counterparts feel anxious on purpose. It's ok to feel nervous but not letting your counterpart feel it is the key otherwise you could be taken advantage of especially if the other person senses your anxiety. Anger is another negative emotion that can be detrimental in a negotiation it can cause the other party to walk away or place you in a snobbish situation, however, if the other party is too dominant anger can be used wisely to inflict a feeling of fear and respect but very professionally. So, in a nutshell, a good negotiator should always display the right emotions at the right times.

One of the finest ways of preparing for negotiation is to imagine it before you are involved in it in this way you can analyze all the outcomes of a particular event and can avoid regretting missing an argument you could have made, one way of avoiding regrets is to ask questions without hesitation to fully explore every avenue. One should always have clear aspirations and expectations from negotiation and should try to adjust them while negotiating.

A very coherent way of negotiating is by examining your counterpart's body language and emotions, one should be observant of their counterparts choice of word and his reaction and should act according to that for example: if your counterpart is getting nervous you should try to calm him down by adding some humor which will create a sense of trust between the parties. The aim is to get both the parties in a win-win situation if negotiation is leaning on your side then avoid getting too excited this will make your counterpart feel that they lost which will leave him to feel disappointed. Remember anything can be negotiated if only one possesses the art of negotiation.

By Granth Goyal
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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Effective Public Speaking || Other Part || Black and White CA ||

“Speech is Power: Speech is To Persuade, To Convert, and To Compel.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Is persuasion a gift? Are some people born with the ability to speak well and "sell" their ideas successfully?
No.

Great speakers are not born; they are trained.

People want to listen to someone who is engrossing, relaxed, comfortable, and confident and knows to articulate his/her thoughts. In our everyday lives, when we converse with people we are able to express ourselves better as compared to when we are on a stage to give a speech where anxiety moves in, and we focus on the public at the expense of speaking. To become an effective speaker, one should focus on speaking and let go of the “public”

The next step is visualization-if you can see it, you can speak it. Winston Churchill is one of the great orators of the past who delivered some much-acknowledged war speeches in a way that took his audiences' imagination to the scene of the battle.

Whatever the topic is one should include the personal element in it making it easier for the audience to connect to the speaker. Steve Jobs in his famous Stanford University speech, 'Connecting the Dots' narrated his three life events which moved everything in his life. His three personal stories helped the public to build a connection with the speaker; inspired the students at Stanford that whatever bad happens in life, maybe dreadful at that point of time, but when you move on in life and see back you can figure the dots connecting each other to build what you are today

You might have heard several times people saying, “I'm glad that speech ended, it seemed to be never-ending.” But, rarely do we say, “I wanted to hear that speaker more”. Hence, always keep your speech bit shorter than anticipated.

One such speech was that of Barack Obama, his first speech at the 2004 National Democratic Convention where he cited, "there is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is the United States of America". Obama began to run for president just three years after that speech. It was one such speech; I would have loved to listen longer.

Lastly, practice and practice to be an effective public speaker. Adolf Hitler, another great orator, was well aware that mastering the art of public speaking was crucial to his political career. He wrote all of his speeches himself, sometimes editing those more than five times. He practiced his facial expressions and gestures, and he was adept at interweaving metaphor and abstract ideas into his speeches about political policy.


I would like to conclude with the quote of Carl W. Buechner

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

By Sonal Verma
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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Attitude + || Other Part || Black and White CA ||

What defines “Attitude” is the perception of people, in simple terms, it's about how you see your situation. People call themselves mentors, upload YouTube videos, write catchy phrases and try to encourage others and constantly change that “Negative” or say, “self deprecating attitude”. But, is that so easy? Will you change your thinking, your perception after reading one quote over social media or watch some motivational videos on YouTube?

You might feel like having life-changing experience for a minute but as soon as you scroll down, you get back to your original state of mind. So, what does it take to have that famous “Positive attitude” or say mind-blowing “Life changing experience” which is supposed to change your perception forever? The Answer is “Time”.

Give yourself a little break. It's just hard sometimes. No matter what they say, it takes time to feel fine. You are allowed to make mistakes. It's not mandatory to have a smile on your face all the time but it's mandatory to pick up yourself, realize your mistakes and work on them. We all go through different experiences in our life, with career, family & relationships. Now or then, we surely realize our mistakes. So, it's our duty to make sure that it won't happen again.

Have a little less judgemental opinion, not just for people but for your life too. You cannot constantly blame yourself or the situation. “Your mistakes are 100% your responsibility” Accept it...!!

You should realize that, if you have any bad experience, you are not the only one. We all have been there. Have a cup of coffee, take a walk, go traveling, eat your favourite food and calm down..!! You are not expected to figure out everything right away

There are so many people over social media, trying to influence your thinking with some motivational quotes about having a positive attitude. But, realize that everyone has a different journey. One statement, one word is not supposed to motivate everyone and change their perception forever. It's only up to you. It's difficult. It feels like giving up all the time. But remind yourself that the clock is ticking, so no matter what, you are supposed to hold your pieces & move on with your life. Try not to fall into any trap. No emotional drama or no social media show off. You only need your company sometimes.

Talk to yourself. Ask yourself. How are you feeling? Is everything okay? Do what makes you happy. Make a wish list and stick to it. Even if it seems impossible now, you need to make sure that you will do whatever it takes to check all the items on your wish list.

This is when you say you got “Right Attitude”. Attitude has nothing to do with “Positive” or “Negative”. It's about how you treat your life, other people, your dreams and most important is, yourself, no matter what. All the answers you are looking for is within you. So, do yourself a bit favour and be you..!!

By Runita Avinash Bezalwar
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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Pleasant Personality || Other Part || Black and White CA ||

You are the stone. You are the Chisel. You are the maker of your own happiness. At Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, the sculpture in the first exhibition hall profoundly states, 'Man is the maker of his own happiness'. Both the sculpture and its message serve as a constant reminder to visitors that individuals can mould themselves and improve their personality.

To think is great, to live is greater and to inspire is the greatest part of personality. A rare soul who always lived for others and at the same time remained absorbed in God. A peaceful, humble, simple and spiritual personality - This is Pramukh Swami Maharaj, The fifth spiritual successor in Bhagwan Swaminarayan's succession of Gunatit.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj's absolute poise in the face of the attack on Akshardham amused everyone. His appeal for peace impressed all.
Under normal circumstances, we are all calm, good, understanding and helpful. But in adverse situations or tragic events, we break down and collapse or become violent and explosive. The emotional turmoil throws us off balance in times of tragedy, difficulty and even in success.

When the terrorists struck Akshardham, Pramukh Swami Maharaj's stitpragnata [balance of mind] was amazing. When the whole world was stunned and shocked with disbelief and hatred at the cowardly act, Swamishri calmly prayed and set about reinstating things to normal. He appealed to the devotees and citizens of Gujarat to remain calm and peaceful. He attended to those who came to offer their condolences and to those who came to seek soluce. Such a resource of equanimity is not found in ordinary human beings, but divine people. The spiritual virtues in a physically diminutive Pramukh Swami Maharaj amused all.

A Sthitpragya [Steady Mind] person is one who is undisturbed in happiness and misery, in gain and loss and victory and defeat.Pramukh Swami Maharaj's unwavering steadiness and calmness amid the carnage at Akshardham and his appeal for peace thereafter is a living proof of our contemporary of the highest Hindu Wisdom prescribed in our scriptures and of the great souls that lived in the past.

In 1988 in Houston, a devotee asked Swamishri, ' The sadhus talk about your greatness and unceasingly praise you even in your presence, yet how do you manage to remain so humble?

Swamishri replied, ' Whatever happens. Whatever good there may be in us is due to GOD and GOD only. On the other hand, if we feel that we are doing something, this inflates our EGO. But there is no question of this as by ourselves. We are capable of doing absolutely nothing. Thus Swamishri's belief and faith in the all-doership of God and his understanding of the greatness of God makes him naturally humble.

The devotee then asked, ' When does this thought enter your mind?'
Swamishri revealed, 'This thought never leaves my mind.'
Every moment of his life reflects a message that can mould a true spiritual aspirant from an imperfect human being to the state of spiritual perfection. Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life is a goldmine of gold virtues.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj inspires and transforms thousands just by his life. His words, his actions and his personality nurture and guide individuals to better their lives and attain spiritual bliss.

If we want to live a meaningful life, then we need to do the things that bring us ultimate happiness. Ultimate happiness is not achieved through luxuries, but through continually improving oneself towards the ideal of spirituality. This makes the pleasant personality.

Finally, let us strive to live a life with a pleasant personality which not only a greater but also inspiring to others.

By Lathiya Nirjal Sanjaybhai
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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Born to be a Leader || Other Part || Black and White CA ||

“Leadership is not just a quality, it's an attitude.”

In our daily life, we come across several people with different characters. Each one is unique in its own way. What distinguishes true leaders from others is that they showcase a positive approach towards all the challenges they come across.

Being positive all the time is indeed a strenuous job to mankind, making it more or less impossible. Even leaders may make undesired decisions at times, being puppets to emotions. Though time takes a turn on them, unlike commoners, they stand alone, brave and bold in the storm until they unleash the spring in their weather

To be a good leader, one should be authentic rather than being authoritative. Leaders often win over the hearts of their fellow mates by supporting and helping them to grow out of their limited boundaries. The charisma of leadership is itself fascinating. Though the styles of leadership might have changed through the ages so as to fit in the dynamic environment, the leaders never would have compromised on their frame of mind from being focused on their goals. And that's the reason our motherland has been able to own the majority of the greatest leaders the world has ever witnessed.

A good leader not only plans to achieve the goals effectively but also chooses the path of 'dharma' or righteousness in order to reach the destination. His ability to influence people in the right direction marks the beginning of the creation of next-generation leaders. He who serves selflessly will be admired forever. This quality helps him connect with people with compassion. Only a plain-spoken person will be able to accept critical comments without being judgmental. The principles of management also convey the same. The leaders should be able to set and achieve challenging goals, take fast and decisive action when needed, outperform the competition, and inspire others to perform at their maximum potential.

Thus, great leaders impart the essence of leadership that optimism can overcome any obstacle. An efficient leader can bring changes in society that may go down in history. Belonging to a highly cherished and noble profession, let our community give birth to extraordinary and exceptional leaders.

By Janani Mk
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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DOES FAIL MEANS THE END? || Black and White CA ||

Is it Okay to Fail?

How tough it is to say, "I am Strong" when all I earn is a failure as a ‘reward’. Every morning I wake up with a Promise to myself, "This is my day, I'm responsible for my happiness and I will make it happen." But there lies a Fear that keeps haunting me, "What if I fail?"

I may stumble, fall and get bruised. I'm crying in pain, nobody is offering me a helping hand rather than mocking my existence. Should I blame myself and give up on life? I laid therein that dark room alone. Crying deeply till the eyes got numb and face too tired to express itself. The room was calm and quiet just little sobs were heard. I questioned myself again, "Do I really deserve this moment?” Suddenly, it felt like someone was there in the room along with me, but Who? Wait, Is it Me?

“Yes!” She was sitting at the edge of the bed, staring ‘Me’. She began narrating ‘Her’ story that she lives in a “World of Carpers” who said she was not good enough. They constantly brought her down, humiliated her and pointed out her flaws. They pushed her from the cliff of hope down deep in the ocean of despair. I watched ‘Her’, a tear rolled down her cheek. I asked her, "How are you still surviving?" She said,” Because I don’t want to give up." Suddenly she vanished. I rolled to the other side of the bed, came back to my senses again and said, “I got my Answer”.

I asked a few questions at the beginning of my story; all had a unanimous answer,"I AM ENOUGH!” strong enough to stand in a storm alone. I’m like the last Knight in a war who is still swaying his sword till his last breath whilst blood oozing profusely from his wounds. My bruises have formed various constellations representing my strength. The healing scars are proof that I never gave up.

In Mahabharata, when Arjun lost hope,tried to give up on his life then Lord Krishna said, "They are coward Arjun! Who except for their duty take refuge in the feet of death. A man is incapable only when he stops trying”.

That’s it! Life may be tough but remember you are tougher. You are capable of everything just trust yourself.

By ZENITH SINGH
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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HOW TO GET RID OF THE DECISIONS YOU REGRET? || Black and White CA ||

All of us experience this very often that after making certain decision in our life, we end up regretting that decision, which affects our present efficiency also. Such situations are referred to as decision fatigue, a type of mental stress we suffer because of too many choices that we make. “Decisions”, we hear this so frequently, that we tend to ignore its importance. At each and every stage of life, each and every minute, we all take decisions, from waking up in the morning to going to bed, we take hundreds of decisions in a day. Some of these decisions become life changer for some people. There are situations where one needs to choose one among the various alternatives available, and there arises the trouble, as each coin has two sides, every decision has pros and cons. Even though people think a lot before making any decision, still many of them end up regretting the decisions they made. Regret arises when people think they could have chosen better, this regret is so harmful that it destroys all present efficiency of the person. People keep on cursing their bad choices, instead of getting over it, they waste a huge amount of time regretting, the time lost never returns. In this process, they hurt themselves and often their dearer and nearer ones too.

As said by C.S. Lewis,

“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

So, regrets, only destroys your inner peace, and in return gives nothing but pain. Instead of regretting we should start over from what we have, and take it to our goals. This is what one should do, if they regret certain decision and are stuck there

Here, I am to write about, how to make decisions, such that there remain no chances to regret. First of all, always understand, decisions are part and parcel of life, and are the most important thing that can completely change your lives. One decision is enough to make ones life or to ruin it. So never ignore the importance of decisions. Decisions should never be taken in hurry, take your time to think, as it’s always better to think before acting. Sit down and analyse, what impact will this decision have in your life, what will be your life after taking this decision, will that life make you happy and give you inner peace? These are some questions which are to be answered by yourself before arriving at any decision.

Decisions should always be yours, do not ever take any decision for others, you are not responsible for other’s happiness, but you are for yours.

It is common that many of us take decisions, keeping in mind “People”. What will they say, what will they act, what will be there opinion…?? This affects our happiness, we keep our happiness, our satisfaction at sub-ordinate level, we give it secondary preference. But one should keep in mind, that decision you take will affect you and not the people, it’s you who has to go through it alone, not the people; it’s you who will go through all the hardships and not the people, so just make sure you never ignore your interests, happiness and satisfaction. If you are satisfied with your choices, people would never affect you, you will not have to look to others, you will be content with what you have achieved, as it was because of your own decision. Always make decisions on outcomes you want, not on basis of your emotions.

Decisions require time and you need to give that, keeping some time for thinking about choices that will change your life is necessary, not every decision could be taken quickly.

Don’t make decisions based on where you are…make decisions based on where you want to be. Keeping in mind your future is most important, each decision should be the one taking you one step closer to your goals. Decisions based on goals will always help in self-growth and self-improvement. These are certain things to keep in mind while making major decisions, life changing decisions. But decision making is never ending process, each and every day is a new challenge, full of many decisions, and every decision is important. So, we need to follow a simple principle and we would never end up hurting ourselves

Decisions may sometimes be wrong, it’s not always that everything goes as you desire, but after following this principle, you would never feel bad as your decision would be yours, though wrong, but you would not blame it over anyone.

Simple rule is…...

“At the end of the day, let there be no regrets, no explanations and no excuses….!”

Make decisions keeping these three simple things in mind, after making this decision you should not regret over other choices you could have made, no explanations, you are responsible for your own happiness, don’t give control of your decisions and happiness to anyone else, and never justify your decisions, if you feel it’s right do it; and no excuses, even if you don’t succeed, don’t give excuses; make such choices, that even if they don’t work today, you would not blame it.

By following this, decision making problems could be solved to a greater extent. At the end of day, you should not have any regrets, any explanations or any excuses. Just a little and simple formula for the complex art of decision making. By following this, satisfaction will be more and regrets will be less, you would be happier and when you are happier, efficiency increases and you could achieve more than you have planned.

This is a simple way to get rid of decisions you regret !

By ANJALI PRAMENDRA SHAH
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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IQ vs EQ vs MQ || Black and White CA ||

When we listen the words IQ, EQ & MQ what strikes to our mind is that these are the qualities that every individual should possess but most importantly to the CA members and students, as they are once said by Abdul Kalam as “partners in national building”.

Intelligence quotient is an attempt to measure intelligence of a person. As we step in to CA, we are automatically setting ourselves to improve IQ. Every exam of ICAI attempts to measure the IQ of examinee and every audit procedure need IQ levels. Hence IQ is needed to get through the CA exams or to give audit report tactically (by sorting out any type of issues).

“An auditor’s IQ score really matters”

They will bring them good audit clients, good remuneration, popularity & more importantly their self-satisfaction for putting their best in work as an auditor & even after becoming CA, to become a successful entrepreneur, businessman.

EQ is an ability to understand, use & manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, emphasize with others, overcome challenges & defuse conflict

Every CA student must have EQ to balance between failure & his other personal problems. He should himself determine a way to get out of the emotional stress he faces and motivate himself to overcome challenges faced by him.

“You might fail, but you should never give up”

Whenever you are in a problem, you must think out of the box (see the problem from a distance) and try to solve by developing the ability to confront the problems. CA must also be sure that his emotional pressures are not affecting his professional life.

Moral quotient is the capacity to understand right from wrong & behave in value that is ‘believed’ to be right, by using our mental intelligence. which makes you more efficient in personal, social and professional life. Acting with moral intelligence makes you good leader, gain trust, gain people. Being honest and open with employees makes them more committed to working hard for organization. So you should do good, be fair, cope with mistakes made, forgive for mistakes, be accountable for good or bad.

As a CA, your duty should not only be confined to auditing or any other work, but also to assure people that you work for development of the nation and inspire them by your professional personality.

By KOTA SUMA
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM || Black and White CA ||

Introduction

If we enunciate the adjective “Constructive Criticism” then it can be deconstructed as a criticism which critics or anyone does to improve or enhance the value of the matter in question by finding genuine lapses or errors. Criticism in general is taken to be a negative word but when we talk about Constructive Criticism, we take the dialogues to a proactive and value addition ground. It has a very robust and influential process and it can even be called a two-way process. The critic must have a well-studied knowledge of the subject matter and the Subject must implement those views in his work.

Importance in our life (whether helpful or not)

We as professional aspirants must look at this as a tool to brush our shortcomings and enhance the quality of lives we are leading. As a matter of fact, no human being is perfect, so we are bound to make a few wrong decisions in our day-to-day routine. To avoid such repeated wrongs, we should look up to someone who points us these mistakes to avoid making it next time. Constructive criticism may not be always pleasant to hear for someone who has put their heart and soul in a piece of work, often they tend to ignore such fact and move forward with their work but, if a work is flawed and unchecked soon it may collapse on its own burden of failure.

Relationships with other tools of success

Constructive criticism often opens other doors which leads us to such other tools to shape our way of living. Constructive criticism leads to the introspection of one's own mental and emotional process which can lead to course corrections and further leading us in putting more efforts into our next work(s) or decision(s), making our work process less error-prone. It is like a block of dominos, as soon as a single piece of the block falls upon another the other also fall, but the only difference is that the blocks seem to fall exactly on the right place where it is meant to be

Conclusion

At hindsight, constructive criticism is a push to start a conversation. A conversation in every sense helpful in the betterment of one’s work. If on one hand Criticism is the end of the road, constructive criticism is a crossroads where one can choose any among many paths to take one’s work ahead.

By ANKUR JALAN
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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EMPOWER WOMEN – SEEK BETTER FUTURE || Black and White CA ||

The measure of a successful nation is judged by its ability to treat women equally. To be equal doesn’t mean to be treated the same as men, it means to be respected for being a woman. When no two men can live an identical life, how can we expect a woman to be a man’s equal?

The measure of respect for a woman is dignity of choice .The choice to be at the head of a country or the head of a home.

Why is “women empowerment’’ necessary?

Equal opportunity in education and employment might be the easy answer to silence the needs of a 21st century world. However, empowerment doesn’t limit itself to education and employment. It is found in the limitless possibilities offered to a woman, to choose life, according to her own terms

It is achieved by empowering her to choose the education she desires, to voice her opinions with confidence, to encourage her to be loud about injustice and to find comfort in the clothes she wears. It also means to allow her the strength to disagree with everyone, resilience to learn from her mistakes and the reassurance of knowing she does not have to compete for a place at the podium, the helm, the head of the table or the job .Finally, allowing her the independence and freedom to choose her friends, partner and dreams.

Why can’t we dream of an empowered generation of women free from the judgement of their male counterparts? Why do we underrate, unemployed educated women?

Let us not waste our potential with unhealthy competition and bias judgement. Rather, let’s work together, use our potential and progress towards empowering each other. We should raise our standards and commit to creating a self determined society with no room for gender bias. As humans, we are interdependent on each other irrespective of gender. Empowerment cannot be given to us. It should be practised through the respect we give each other. Real empowerment is achieved through compassion, tolerance and a benevolent attitude towards the choices of both men and women.

By ROXANNE NIKITA GRACE PELURI
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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SEEK POSITIVE PEOPLE - ATTACK NEGATIVITY || Black and White CA ||

Isn’t it true that every other person wants to be surrounded by positive thoughts; ofcourse no one loves the premonition of negativity? We always prefer to be seen with a perfect smile on our faces. No one wants to cover themselves with the eiderdown of sympathy; all we need is empathy in the current scenario!

We could even consider the COVID pandemic scenario; there were two kinds of people, the ones who consistently kept following new feeds and updates about the rising number of cases. They were all the time panic stricken and bewildered about what would be happening next. On the other hand, there were people who found this as the perfect scenario to spend some quality time with their family members, pursuing their hidden talents, helping their family with the daily chores and a lot more. It is not that these ones didn't follow the daily happenings; it’s just that they chose to see the positive aspect. Every situation in our lives is just like a coin, it has two sides-positive and negative, what we decide to seek matters the most.

It's been said that one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch and more often than not it applies to every other circumstance. It's usually easy to identify that Mr./Ms. Negative who wreaks havoc on morale. Their bad attitudes, catastrophic thinking, and fatalistic outlooks can infiltrate the ranks and spread like an epidemic. It’s difficult to look on the bright side when you’re surrounded by negativity. Seek out positive people to keep you balanced. Just like negative people can rub off on you, a positive person can brighten your spirit. Identify the positive people in your life. A quick chat with a jovial colleague or an outing with friends that’s guaranteed to be filled with laughter can help you stay on track. Decide that you're not going to allow negative people to determine how you think, feel, and behave. Take back your power and focus your time and energy on becoming your best self.

Never forget that you deserve to be happy. You deserve to live a life you're excited about. Don’t let any negative force make you forget that! And most importantly stop letting people who do so little for you to control so much of your mind, feelings and emotions

By BAVYA SHRI
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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SELF-ACCEPTANCE : A TONIC FOR SELF CONFIDENCE || Black and White CA ||

Trusting in one’s abilities, qualities and judgment is the basis of self-confidence. However, trust develops only when a person has accepted his distinctive features, preferences, characteristics, capabilities, and sense of reasoning. It is imperative to say that self-acceptance is the genesis of self-confidence.

Let us take the example of a child who wants to ride a cycle. If the child doubts himself then he will never be able to muster the courage to ride it. Moreover, he will never be able to accept his petty failures and falls in the due course of learning. His lack of trust in himself prevents him from accepting the fact that he can learn to ride the cycle and thus he will also lack self-confidence.

It is needless to say that a person must first accept himself because every person is distinctive even though he shares similar anatomical structures with others. Acceptance provides him the motivation to stay positive, to pursue his best, spurs new ideas, creativity, and curiosity in his mind. It helps a person to push through the darkest times and hardest failures.

However, it is quite challenging to embrace self-acceptance because complaining about deficiencies or rather normalcy seems to be a routine task. The constant digging and over-exaggeration of petty issues that are mostly beyond a person’s control strip him of the basic sense of discovering himself. This weakens the selfassurance and morale within him which prevents him from thriving both emotionally and physically. After losing interest in himself, he tries to escape every person and situation that surrounds him.

Therefore, one must not let the flame of self-confidence flicker. There are certain simple ways of self- acceptance by which a person can augment his self confidence:-

• Remember that you are unique and important
• Welcome the ‘feel good’ attitude.
• Do at least one thing every day that makes you feel happy and satisfied.
• Avoid negativity and pessimistic people.
• Appreciate yourself for even the smallest accomplishments

The ultimate goal of nourishing self-confidence through self- acceptance is to receive everything, good or bad, with courage and perseverance while journeying through this life with high morals and integrity.

By RITU JULKA
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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ACT AND LISTEN || Black and White CA ||

The most important advice that is given to anyone caught up in their interpersonal conflicts is to communicate. While a lot has been said about what to say and how, it is easy to miss out what can be done with much lesser effort - Proper Listening. Listening, not just hearing, helps build trust and confidence. Keep the following in mind when some tell you about something -

Listen to understand the purpose of your conversation

Has the speaker approached you to seeking solution for their problems? Or are they simply looking for someone to whom they can share their pain with without any judgment? Listen to know what the other one wants from you and save yourself from misunderstanding.

Avoid Distraction

Noticing someone not paying attention while we are speaking is definitely not a pleasant feeling. Avoid checking your phone, and maintain eye contact while someone talks to you.

Summarize what they say

Summarize what your speaker just said before you give your input. The phrase “okay , you are trying to say “ gives the confidence to your speaker that you have been paying attention to them as well as helps you be clear about what was just said.

Hold the temptation to interfere

Everyone loves expressing their opinions and ideas. While hearing what your speaker has to say, processing their words in your mind and attaching a meaning to it , it might get very difficult resist the temptation to interrupt your speaker and tell them what just popped up in your mind. Wait for your turn to express your opinions and ideas.

Ask them questions

Avoid attaching your own meaning to what is been told to you unless you have understood the message well. This could lead to unnecessary conflicts. Before you speak about how you see things that have been told to you, summarize (as given in point 3) and ask them further questions to understand where they stand.

How relevant or appropriate is our response is a test of how effective are we as listeners, and not surprising, we quite often find ourselves failing at it. To further what was put forward in point 1, we quite often fail to understand what is expected from this conversation. When one comes to us seeking advice, we downplay their dilemma or we delve into our own tales of similar experience. When someone approaches us to simply let out their emotions, we end up redefining their problems and giving them unsolicited advices. A lot of unnecessary conflict, mistrust and distance could be simply avoided, only if we could just listen.

By CHERISHA ALPESH PATEL
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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WILL POWER & SELF DISCIPLINE || Black and White CA ||

"Self-discipline is the foundation of inculcating strong will power”

The above statement or quote is what comes to my mind when I hear the word willpower and self-discipline together.

There are hundreds of books, articles written on willpower, and self-discipline, and people do read the same and try to absorb the essence of building self-willpower but they fail. Willpower is an instrument that we need to nourish within ourselves. It is not easy, but not difficult either. It is all in our minds. One's self-discipline will push towards inculcating willpower which in return leads to happiness

Like Clouds!
Have you ever stared at the clouds wondering where they're heading? If so! Then you're listening to the mind and that's not the way willpower should be. We should do things according to our will and not the other way and it is possible only through self-discipline. Like clouds always head in the right direction.

No Discipline, No Willpower!

Patience is the Key!

What is boring to you is actually an instrument to build self-discipline. Let’s say, your cricket team needs 50 runs in the last 10 overs and you are the last wicket batsman. What will you do? You cannot smash a ball like you have all the freedom. Here patience plays the role. It makes you disciplined enough to make your team win.

Ask the right questions

Questioning can be the source of everything. By asking the right question, we can maintain discipline for a longer period.

True to be yourself!

Questions like, what is causing me to complete this task? or why am I not able to focus on a particular thing? It is the will to ask questions, if we do so, we will have strong determination or willpower regarding our goals.

Are We Authentic?

Success and Failure are a part of life, not life itself. Self-discipline works for oneself and so will willpower. If we develop these, we grow in life. Half the job is done by getting true to oneself and the other half needs your willpower, self-discipline, or patience, whatever you may call.

Halwa - Conclusion!

To conclude, self-discipline and willpower are not halwa. It needs your sincerity and seriousness to function properly. Developing understanding and creating awareness in the mind is what makes you reach the destination.

By KRISHNA KUMAR KUSHWAHA
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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THE POWER OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS || Black and White CA ||

THE POWER OF POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS

Words have energy and power. Positive words have the power to change your life, create your world. Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself with the desired outcome in mind. Repeating them often affects deeply the subconscious mind and triggers it, to bring the words that you are repeating into action.

Positive affirmations are like meditation mantras that people use for meditation and keep repeating. Mantras calm the mind and improve the focus while constructive statements program the mind to act in accordance with the repeated words and affect the mind, the emotions, the body and the circumstances.

Positive affirmations are very powerful tools. They release the human brain from negativity, fear, worry and anxiety. Repeating affirmations mentally or aloud increases the ambition and motivation and attracts opportunities and success for improvement and success. They are very useful for building new habits, making positive changes in one's life and for achieving goals. They affect the body; the mind and one’s feeling in a favourable way.

Experiments have been carried out in scientific laboratories where two plants were kept in exactly the same conditions in two different rooms and one plant was spoken positive words like “you are beautiful”, “you are growing” and another plant was kept under similar conditions but was spoken negative words like “you are ugly”, ”you will not grow”.

After a few days it was noticed that the plant which was spoken positive words was blooming and growing fast whereas the plant which was negatively spoken started withering and dying. That is the power of positive speaking and positive affirmations.

Affirmations has to be phrased in a positive way and must not contain any negations such as “not”, “no”. It should be phrased in a very efficient and positive approach with words such as “I trust”, “I believe”

Negative self-talk creates more difficulties and more problems because we focus more on the problems and therefore increase them instead of focusing on the solutions. One negative thought that goes unchecked attracts more such thoughts until stress is manifested.

There is no limit to human potential. It is the degree to which we harness our power that really has to do with the way we speak and think. Speaking and thinking positive words will transform your life for good.

By SHEETAL MUNDHRA
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

DAILY MORNING AFFIRMATIONS
in Hindi by Sandeep Maheshwari

Peaceful Night Affirmations
in Hindi By Sandeep Maheshwari

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MINDFULNESS – A POWERFUL TOOL || Black and White CA ||

MINDFULNESS – A POWERFUL TOOL

Loving success is one thing and living with it is another. It is a dish which everyone wants to taste rather have a big bite of. To achieve this, people do thrive hard, put in their best efforts but then also are not able to bring it on.

Reason??
The answer to this lies in the SECRET. Sharing with you the TWO SECRETS of successful life, these are:-

• Awareness i.e. Mindfulness; and
• Alertness



Without being aware or mindful towards a particular thing, you cannot alert yourself to achieve it. This fact cannot be denied as the results prove it. The positive outlook of Mindfulness has always been a boon for us, be it in personal or professional life. It’s a flame through which a burner burns. Without it nothing can be achieved.






Now, question arises how to achieve this Awareness or Mindfulness? Well, to do so, we should start practising being in our PRESENT, i.e. don't live in past or spend your time deciding the future, just Live the Present, Feel the Present, Go with the Present. It is a very hard task to keep ourselves attached to one particular thing at a time. This is because our mind happens to be very restless, but with this powerful tool of Awareness (Mindfulness) we can very well accomplish it.





Next doubt arises, how to live in present?
Whenever we perform any task, there can be two outcomes to it- Either the task would be done well or it may be the other way round. But do we notice the fact as to why couldn’t the task be performed? That’s because though we were performing the task but our alertness level was not up to the mark which if had been, may have helped us to complete our task.





Hence from now onwards, whenever we do something, we should do it with full concentration of ours, and should not think about anything else. We should engage ourselves deeper into it.





And it’s done,) we will achieve as desired.






By DEEPIKA BOTHRA
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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NOW OR NEVER || Black and White CA ||

NOW OR NEVER

First things first, procrastination has got nothing to do with laziness. Well, procrastination does involve delaying. But not every delay you make falls under the ambit of procrastination.

Suppose you had a meeting scheduled which you eventually called off due to weather disruptions. Will you consider it as procrastination? Of course not.

Then what exactly is procrastination?

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”

said Aristotle

and hence it’s time for you to introspect. Do you feel the constant urge of digressing from your goals by some other plan that seems to be less challenging or problem free? Are you afraid of not giving the ‘perfect’ output? Is the fear of being judged, criticized and laughed at leaving you paralysed? Do you postpone the rational act and blame the outside events for not doing it? This is Procrastination.

It is a behavioural pattern you develop to avoid anxiety, the anxiety that comes with starting or finishing a particular task.

But why do you do what you do?

Fear of failure. Yes, when you are restless about making mistakes and appearing foolish, you tend to procrastinate. You start identifying your worth from the standpoint of how well your work is appreciated.
Your brain starts signalling that “you don’t feel like” doing a seemingly difficult task right now. As a result, instant gratification takes over your rational thought process
The “temporary relief” from stress of doing something painful or threatening becomes a habit. The more challenging a task seems to you, the more you will want to seek the relief through avoidance.

We have been accustomed to believe that life is dull and you can’t have fun if you want to be successful. And hence your brain tries avoiding that so called pain. But is life really the way it has been portrayed? Can’t you replace the negative image with a positive one? What matters at the end is your long term goal. If you have the ability to focus attention at will for as long as it is needed and not longer, you are in love with the process unlike others who focus on rewards. Escalate your goals. Enjoy the struggles that come along. What’s outside is not in your hands. But how you feel inside is at your own will. Failing is a part of living. But not trying at all is slavery. Choose freedom. Always!

By SWETA JHALANI

CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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PASSION FOR YOUR VISION || Black and White CA ||

PASSION FOR YOUR VISION

I learnt this lesson from Rain, and hence quoting it as below,

On a random day in monsoons, as I left from my office building and stepped outside, I felt the cool breeze on my face. It was raining, I could feel those tiny droplets on my face. I rushed to find a shelter as everybody else did. And in that short lapse of time, I observed- the roads, the trees, the buildings, bricks, towers, shops and the twigs — every bit around was shining iridescently as if radiating the bliss of rain. As people were seen running to find shelters, our little friends were cheerfully dabbling themselves in the splashes.

Sun also did find shelter behind the clouds but seemingly was not as afraid as we were. In a blink of an eye, these precipitated vapours pouring from sky to earth had rejuvenated every being around- a blessing of God.

And then my mind wondered — if rain is such a beautiful bliss, why do we really run away from it.

Because we are afraid of being carried away by the storms, those splashes of water terrify us rather than making us feel merry. Perhaps that’s what our perception is. We live in a fear, a constant fear of getting swayed away with the storms, being judged, so we hide ourselves and our dreams. Why?

And a realisation dawned upon me. Devoured by the shades of grey, we forget to ride the tides of charm.

Why? You don’t need to hide yourself. Have faith in yourself. Step outside. Let those little drops of hope embrace you, let your joys fly, place yourself in the orbit of happiness because every rain is not a storm my dear. Let not fear rule your soul. Your perception defines your living. Rain is a teacher- it teaches us to shed away dust of past, to rejuvenate for a brighter future. Learn from your experiences and grow towards success. Be prudent but don’t be fearful.

Step out of those predefined norms, give wings to your dreams, give fuel to your passion and work towards your vision. Let your umbrella of rules rest. Let those people in the shelter be there. You step up in the rain of passion and dance in puddles of success. A little boat of effort sails a long long way! Give your boat a try

By SEENIA THUKRAL
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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BE OPTIMISTIC-BE POSITIVE-BE HAPPY || Black and White CA ||

BE OPTIMISTIC-BE POSITIVE-BE HAPPY

Abstract
Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. It is a mental attitude that expects positive results. With a bad attitude you can never have a positive day, with a positive attitude you can never have a bad day

A positive attitude is like a magnet for positive results. It is quite common to hear People say: “think positive”, to someone who feels down and worried. most people do not take these words seriously, as they do not know what they really mean, or do not consider them as useful and effective.

Optimism and Positive Thinking

Martin Seligman defines optimism as,

“reacting to a problem with a sense of Confidence and High personal ability.”

Optimism is a form of positive thinking that includes the belief that you are responsible for your own happiness and that more good things will continue to happen you in the future. Positive thinking is not accepted by everyone. Some, consider it as nonsense, and scoff at people who follow it, but there is a growing number of people who accept positive thinking as a fact and believe in its effectiveness.

Make sure that the people around you are optimistic in their outlooks. Nothing is more contagious than negativity, so try to banish it in your environment. By increasing social activity, you decrease loneliness. Surround yourself with healthy, happy people and their positive energy will affect you in a positive way.

Optimistic Person

“ For every dark night,
There's a brighter day.”
One experts the best possible outcome from any given situation. Hope that future conditions will unfold as optimal. It is the understanding that all past-presentfuture operate by law of optimization. In psychology, optimistic means dispositional optimism.

There are two types of person like, Optimistic Personality Type and Pessimistic Personality Type. In the point of approach towards life the optimistic personality includes- credits themselves for good thing, blame outside forces and bad outcomes & foresee negative events as temporary

On the other hand, Pessimistic Personality Type includes- Do not give credit to themselves for good outcomes, blame themselves when bad things happen around them & view negative event as expected and lasting.

Optimistic and positive thinking

Optimistic thinking focus on the idea that everything will work out results in that the person can sometimes be blindsided by the situation that occur not be prepared for it. Positive thinking problems can occur and that they wont workout automatically, unless the person is prepared for it. Also, it enhance the possiblities and look for solution without the assumption that everything will work out by itself.

Benefits of positive thinking

It helps you achieve goal and attain success. It brings more happiness into your life. Produces more energy. You become able to inspire and motivate yourself and others. Life smiles at you, health benefits, longer life span, less stress, lower rate of depression, increased resistance to common cold.

How you apply positive thinking?

Use positive words when talking. Remove all the feelings that are not positive! Use words that evoke strength and success. Analyze what went wrong. Forgive yourself! “Think of a failure as an opportunity”

Use positive words when talking

If you constantly say “I can not” you could convince yourself that it's true. Replace negative words with positive ones. Tell yourself that you do everything possible to have a happy relationship, tell yourself that you do everything possible to have a brilliant career, tell yourself that you do everything possible to keep you in shape

Remove all the feelings that are not positive

Do not let negative thoughts and feelings conquer when you have a bad mood. Even if for a few hours a day, remove negativity and focus on the positive things in your life.

Use Words that evoke strength and success

Fill your thoughts with words that make you feel strong, happy, having control over your life. Make an effort to focus on these words rather than the ones that suggest failure or incompetence.

Analyse what went wrong

Positive thinking is not about denying that nothing can go wrong. Instead take the time to see what went wrong and what led to the current situation in order to avoid future mistakes and look forward more positive.

Think of a failure as an opportunity

Sometimes the most negative things in our lives give us opportunities that we may not have seen otherwise. For example losing your job can be a good opportunity to open your own business or go back to school!

Working at your imagination/ visualization

Visualizing what you want to achieve or the person you want to be can be a great motivation to take you there and make you think more positively about the distance that you have until the destination.

Acknowledgements

Positive thinking in practice is an opportunity to learn something new. Let's take a chance.

By ABINASH PRADHAN
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES - SELF UNDERSTANDING || Black and White CA ||

STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES - SELF UNDERSTANDING

“Every plant has its own tenderness at its shoot and thick rigidness at its root.”

In today's competitive world, Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.) is one of the important factors expected from everyone. But, in reality, one's intelligence becomes their best friend and worst enemy too. Not only the personal emotions inside us but also the general situations out there give us strength and weakness as well.

Being patient can act as an advantage, for those persons who are short-tempered, to deal with the people or situation peacefully.On the contrary, it can be a huge disadvantage for those, who is being patient forever and for everything. It can be said that strengths and weaknesses are subjective, it differs from person to person and situation to situation.

Does strength become a positive sign for success and weakness vice versa? Of course, not. Sometimes finding weakness at the right time and handling it wisely becomes the biggest strength. Then arising a question, what is strength and weakness and how to find out it?

Let us discuss a scenario, to make it much clear. We all might have, well known about Cadbury's Diary Milk. And why not? We all have tasted it at least once and some of our friends are easily convinced by us by offering them Cadbury's Diary Milk Silk. But, how many of us know the interesting fact about it.

Once, the targeted units of Diary Milk Chocolates were manufactured in the factory. Unfortunately, all the production was found defective. Due to some technical issue, the temperature was not maintained properly and all the chocolate bars found melted. It threatened the industry. But the CEO of the company made the situation favourable to them. They marketed such chocolates with a new brand name 'Silk' and it has been trending since now

In the above case, the disadvantage was turned into advantage at the right time, which became the strength of the said company. Then, as you know that the customers demand for Diary Milk Silk have never streaked down.

Well, thus we can conclude that, a perfect blend of sugar's sweet and coffee's bitterness make the coffee tastes good. Therefore, our strengths and weaknesses are our own signature, which moulds us to deal with ourselves and the society as a wide.

By S. SRINIDHI ANDAL
CA Student
At Skill-Set & Will-Set to be A Chartered Accounant
Students Skills Enrichment Board (ICAI)

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