neděle 3. května 2015

PAY ATTENTION TO STEREOTYPES!

Why stereotypes harm society? Where the stereotypes come from? Why we should pay more attentiton to them? How stereotypes concern me? 

Stereotypes are a big problem in our society. It puts labels about how a person should act or live according to their sex, race, personality, and other facts.

Take a second and try to think about how many people made bias about you? For myself I can give you thousands of examples.  When I was a child, my most favorited toys were cars. Of course that many people thought that I was a boy, because my clothes weren't pink. Many friends of my parents said that something is wierd with me (because I actually had not any doll or Barbie). Move foward from my childhood - on the secondary school were my most favourited subjects Math, IT and Graphics, so among my friends I was superstrange... why? Yes, I love hockey, love driving cars, love sports and I am a "normal girl". I cannot count times when someone tried to explain me something on the computer and I said "Yes, I understand very well, I can do it" but this person kept explaining!!

These are just superficial examples. Stereotypes involve many other things in people's lives which cause problems and are more serious than my examples from everyday life. Stereotypes leads to racism, sexism, discrimination, prejudices ect.

Why people think that blonde girls are more stupid than brunettes? Why women should not be a scientist, politicans and men teachers in nursery? Why men should not do a ballet and women play rugby?
Because these people are in minority. And everything what people do in minority is wierd. They are different. They fall out from the stereotypes that we know about people. Stereotypes drives people away from to be themselves, it makes people feel as though they must fit in to a certain category, to dress, talk, walk a certain way, it shapes the way in which one lives.


George Robles says: "Many of the stereotypes the children receive are through media. We can't change this bacause is the way our society works, but we can teach our children to value other people for what they are, not what they appear to be."

Another beautiful reaction to stereotypes: " A blind person cannot judge a person by the way they look. Perhaps we should "see" the world as a blind man."

We should stop judge people because how they look and appear. We all should stop want to fit in some given category. Forget for a while about your sexuality, race, age, culture and gender and do what do you want, what makes you happy and support other people who will do the same.

What do you think about stereotypes and society? Is it something that should be discussed, or it is not problem at all? Leave a comment!

Eli.

pondělí 27. dubna 2015

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED?

What is motivation? How to stay motivated? Why we should stay motivated? What arises from motivation, what motivation causes?

Motivation is one of the basic psychological processes. Motivation is the inner impulse that stimulates human behavior. Motivation can be activated by various stimuli (stimulus or motivating factors). Motivation is closely related to human performance.

These are simple definitions which you can see in every psychology book. In this article I want to focus more on some specific kind of motivation - self-motivation.
"Self-motivation is, in its simplest form, the force that drives you to do things."


Lots of people include many soft-skills to their CV like communication, sense of purpose, teamwork ... and forgot that motivation and self-motivation is the key life skill which pushes you to achieve any goal! People who are self-motivated tend to be more organised, with good time management skills and have more self-esteem and confidence. 

There are two kinds of motivation, or, two ways how people stay motivated.
First of them is of course money. We study, work and do our best to earn money, because it is necessary for us.
The second one is not that simple and clear. The second way of motivation is love. We do something because we want, we love it, it make us happy. This kind of motivation is more difficult to retain, becase it seems that it is not necessary for us. Lot of people stay focused only on things which make them some profit. Do you think that this people can be really happy without motivation of love, fun and happiness?


According to researches we know that they aren't. More money you earn, more things you want.  As you can see - money has nothing to do with happines of people. There is no correlation between money and happines.
Why I should be self-motivated?
Ok, what makes us happy? The answer is motivation! based on things we love, like, make fun, we want to do. Staying motivated you keep your mind open and positive, not blinded by your problems and fears. You will achieve your goals more easily and quickly! And what is the best - If you be self-motivated, you will motivate others!

MY EXAMPLE?
I always wanted tobe able to speak many laguages. On the secondary school apart from english I started to learn German. It was absolutely awful. My teacher (nothing toward her person) was perfect example of person who demotivates you at all! Since that time I have thought that I will not learn any other languages, because it does not make me happy, it hasn't broaden my mind. Last week I was at the conference "JobAcademy" for students of our university where were personalist who told me that It is pity that I can speak only one foreign language. Two days later I went to bookshop and bought a exercise book of Swedish. I started to learn Swedish - yes! alone!. I managed to do 1. lecture during 2 days! Now I am motivated to learn more and more and I set a goal - Next year (2016) I will do an exam and achieve getting certificate!! Nobody told me that I have to, or it is necessary - I decided to that and I feel very happy and resolutely, because I think that I will be proud of myself (I am already proud of course that I found courage to start learning myself). So - where is you motivation? :)

How to stay self-motivated?
1) Have a cause. 
Without cause you cannot stay motivated. If doesn't make you happy, if doesn't fulfill your assumptions, if doesn't move you forward- why should you continue with doing it? When you set a goal you have to think about what does it mean for you and why you will do it. If you can see behind it success, enjoy, happiness, proudness - DO IT! START NOW!

2) Have a dream. 
Dreaming is very important to make us self-motivated. Dreams are things which looks very far away and sometimes unrealizable. Sometimes this kind of view causes that we stay in our confort zone and we don't want to make step behind this zone. Why? Because we are afraid, we do not know what will happen, we have to sacrifice something to make this step to unknown. Don't be afraid and make this step, you will be suprised what will happen.

3) Be inquisitive!
Being curious is key for be self-motivated to do something new! For me does it mean the easiest achievement of self-motivation - I am curious of doing something new - so I will do it to find out what is it like! 

4) Do not compare yourself with others - this is your own race!
Comparing yourself with others is beautiful journey right to the hell. Other people have different dreams, different goals and different motivation and pace to do that things. Lot of people are losing their motivation because they can see that other people make small effort to do something and I do a lot of and nothing happened yet. Focus on yourself! Sometimes you achieve something very quickly, sometimes you have to go a long, challenging journey to find your final destination. For example if you want to learn some language and it takes you a long time and you see a person who can speak 5 languages fluently - do not be jealous! Maybe this person is fighting with himself or herself with finding a perfect relationship with someone, cannot learn driving car because he is affraid or he cannot find a motivation to do some sport and feel fit and healthy. Help this people with your motivation and no doubt he/she will help you with finding an excelent way to proven your language skills!

5) Other things that you can do to stay self-motivated
Stay possitive - Do not throw away your goals after first failure (there will be 1352245 more, trust me!)
Stay focused - Sometimes people start to do many many things and lost themselves in everything. In that case you will find that you haven't time for anything and there will be no result.
Keep planning - Make a notes of what you have to do today, this week, this month ect. Do not be sad that first day you will write down 10 things and you will be managed to do only 3 of them. After few days you realize that you have to start with small things and add things to your "to do list" slowly.  
Track your progress - Many people forgot that they have already managed so many things! Don't be depressed that somethings is not going exactly as you planned. You are already a champion! :-)
Find motivation in others - I am doing it every day and I don't think that it is something bad in finding motivation in others, find some idol!
Make awards for yourself - Achieving goals requires rewards! Write somewhere down your goals - time when you want to achieve that and if you will - what reward you get! It can be anything - a piece of clothes, new book, going to a hairdresser, go on some trip, anything you want! :)

SO? STAY FOCUSED! STAY POSSITIVE! KEEP PLANNING! DO NOT BE JEALOUS! HELP OTHER PEOPLE! TRACK YOUR PROGRESS.. AND?
STAY SELF-MOTIVATED BECAUSE IS IT WOTHY!
What helps you stay motivated?

sobota 18. dubna 2015

HELLO EVERYONE! WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Hello everyone!
This is my first post I have ever written in English. It is an impuls which I have made yesterday (thank you Šaui!). I love English because of many reasons and one of my goals is to speak and write english properly and fluently. So be nice to me, and forgive the mistakes, which I will do (and hope to do less and less :-))

Although I want to write about sociology and about my thoughts, I would like to start with some introduction about myself. I have found a 21 questions that will show something about me. I am so curious. SO LET'S DO IT! Enjoy it! :-)

1. Are you named after anyone? No. My mum says that my name is royal (Eliška Přemyslovna...) And when I was born, my name was very rare. Nowadays is very usuall name. 
2. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday. It was in the park and my alergy reached the maximum level. So touching!!
3. Do you have kids? No (yet)
4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself? I am not sure. I think that I am person who people like, but strange enough to be wierd for them. 
5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? No. Ok, that's sarcasm.
6. Will you ever bungee-jump? No. I am the freeky person who thinks that rope will crash and I will die. 
7. What's your favorite cereal? I don't eat cereal. I eat oatmeal flakes with yogurt and fresh fruit. It's more healthy!
8. What's the first thing you notice about people? If they are smiling or not. What they wear for clothes. If they present themselves in normally way with humillity or play role of someone who is quite unlike themselves. 
9. What is your eye colour? Brown/Green? I would like to say - basic. 
10. Scary movie or happy endings? Did you watched Harry Potter? The last movie? I cannot sleep for 2 weeks! So here is my answer.
11. Favorite smells? Em.. food? :D ... espicially coffee. 
12. Summer or winter? Summer!!! SUMMEEEEER!
13. Computer or television? I don't have a television. Ok - I watch BBT, Friends, HIMYM etc. on my notebook. 
14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home? Madeira. And it was absolutely amazing!
15. Do you have any special talents? I think that I can take photographs very well .... Futher more in point 17. - hobbies.
16. Where were you born? Czech Republic
17. What are your hobbies? Ok.. that will be a list!
1) Photographs, Graphics, Design
2) juggling with poi -> usually they are upon fire!
3) reading, watching movies
4) gastronomy
5) travelling
6) music, art, theatre
7) ok.. more about what I do usually -> FITNESS! ... Sport is my life! I do pole dance for 10 months now and I am so excited! :-)) Moreover I do yoga, running, gym fitness, squash ... 
18. Do you have any pets? Yes! Little ferret named "Charlie" .. We named her after czech band (which actually does not exist now) Charlie Straight. We went to the concert and we were there too early. So we decided to visit a Pet shop next to the hall. And there she was. Little Charlie :-) 
19. Favorite movie? I have many. Forrest Gump, Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland. These are first three which came to my mind.
20. Do you have any siblings? No. I was very naughty child :D.
21. What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a sociologist, work in science probably. Have children and healthy family. Have a dog. Nothing more :-)

Thank you for reading :-)))
E.