And we've been doing it ever since, because I wanted to encourage people on their creative journey, or even if you're not doing anything creative, if you're just like, you know, I don't know what, an accountant, although accounting can be very creative, but I just want to encourage people and it's been fun. So we want to thank the Public Theater for allowing us to do this show for 11 years, and also thank HowlRound for giving us the opportunity to be all fancy-ass digital and shit. What we do is we work together for 20 minutes, and then we talk about your work and your creative process. And if you have a question, Audrey will tell you how to get in touch. Go, Audrey. Thanks, SLP. So if you're inside of the Zoom and you have a question, all you need to do is click on the Participant tab, likely at the bottom of your screen if you're on a laptop or the top if you're on an iPad or a tablet.  And then if you're watching on HowlRound.tv, you can tweet at us at atwatchreworkslp with the hashtag HowlRound, H-O-W-L-R-O-U-N-D, or you can tweet at the Public Theater Twitter, which is at Public Theater NY, or you can write to the Public Theater's Instagram. And that's it. That's pretty much everything. So we're going to do what we always do. We're going to work together for 20 minutes and then we're going to talk. Okay, have fun. Here we are. Here we are. We've got some questions already. Oh my goodness. Melania, you're up first. Hey Melania. Hello, this is Ann-Larie. Thank you, Audrey. How are you? I'm good. Happy to see you. Happy to see you too. I have a question about something that is not happening to me right now, but I know that it's coming and I would like to know your opinion. Today, here in Miami, we listen to the people from school and it seems that the first part of the, at least one month, it's going to be again a school at home, all the situation. And I know the craziness that this, I have the experience now, so I think it's going to be better. But what I would like to know and for you to remind me is how to be, there's happened so many things around in the world. What I just did, all these people deciding what to do with schools and life and things. And in the middle of that, I am trying to write and with that writing, I am trying to, you know, to have this knowing myself and trying to really don't be drowned. I try to, what I try to do is to show up to my work. Here, I do my working, my yoga, meditation, but here, anything else that I can learn to, you know, to be in this situation with a wise attitude, I pray of course, but you know that because what I noticed that happened is that when these things get very crazy, the first thing that goes away is my writing.  It was, I had years of experience in that and I don't want that. That's the reason why I say, okay, today I want to tell this and I want to ask so I am not alone in this, you know, that is coming. That's great. That's really a great, great question, Melania, and it's something we can revisit, you know, in days ahead and weeks ahead as we go forward. I would say in your kids, they're, they're teenage, jury, tweens. We have Sophie's 12, Chloe is 9 and Casey is 5. Oh, okay. Oh, five. Okay. Okay. Well, we can say this. It's never too early to hip their children to what's really important to mommy. Right? I mean, you know, with Durma now we have one kid, so my experience is, you know, not like yours. Three is a lot. I mean, three is a lot, would be a lot for me, like, ah, because one is a lot, but it's, it's a great opportunity to remind, I mean, your kids already know this, but to remind them how important your writing is to you and how, how it's really important that mommy gets her writing done.  So, he, you know, he'll come in and maybe if he really needs something else, so he knows how to respect my writing process, you know. So, you continually encourage them and ask them to respect your writing process. So, you get that from outside, right? And then comes the bigger foe, if you will, you, because you have to respect, you have to continually respect your writing process and continually remind yourself of how important it is, right? So, you have to do things like set a time, you know. You have yoga, you have meditation, which is great. You can tack it on to that, you know, so that in the more, you might need to get up a little earlier, that's what I'm finding, because now I'm in my mom's house and my son, my mom, everybody's here and swirling around, you know. So, I have to get up a little earlier in the morning. That's helpful. Connect it to things that you do regularly every day, your yoga practice, your meditation practice, your writing practice, or you can write first and then do meditation and yoga, you know, clump them together, right? And make sure that you're getting something done every day. It doesn't have to be 10 hours of writing, you know what I mean? It can be 20 minutes. It doesn't have to be great writing. It can be writing. I'm saying it doesn't have to be heroic. You don't have to climb Everest every day or tame the child within or whatever, you know what I'm saying? You just have to show up and be there for your writing, right? Like your meditation practice, like your yoga practice. Some days, like in my yoga practice, oh, I can get that pose. Other days, I'm like, forget about it. Don't even worry about it. So, that's the other thing. So, you get your family to respect your writing and you get yourself, you remind yourself how important your writing is by showing up every day. And third thing, you practice compassion to yourself.  I forgot to order the honey. Damn, I forgot to order the Wheaties. Oh no, what are we going to have for dinner? Like that, if that's what you're writing period, or you spend your writing period making a grocery list because, you know, you guys need your groceries, right? It's okay. That's wonderful too. Yes, yes. But because I have now in the morning that I try to read my Bible, pray, the yoga, the meditation, and but I'm going to add the writing if I that's a good idea. And I love the idea of being compassionate to myself because sometimes I practice that with a lot of people. I try to be compassionate and I say that we have to, but with myself, sometimes I forget. Me too. So, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Melania. All right. Up next, we've got Kelly. Kelly. Hi. Hi, Susan. How are you? I'm great. I'm in Kenya right now. It's midnight. It's after midnight, but I know I just, I love you. I saw the public theater link. I guess I'm the late, I'm just late to the party. I didn't know this was a thing. Oh, you write on time. You write on time. Years later. And so I used to just like read and like direct your work in college and I'm so excited. So thank you to public theater and thank you to you. In any case, so I'm writing a piece. I just want to name some fears and then ask a question. So I'm writing a piece that I think is geared towards young audiences. And like like high school, middle age, and I'm just like middle grades. I'm just like, dude, young people want to watch theater, you know, so that I just want to name that as a fear that I have first of all.  But then I also am wondering almost similar to what Milani was asking, but kind of like a bit back into your history. And maybe you've written extensively or spoken extensively extensively about this. But just before you do, it was a viable career path for you. Like what are the things that you told yourself to keep yourself writing?   I hear you. I hear you. Those are beautiful questions. The first thing about, you know, is theater the thing? There's so many things, you know, I mean, back in the day before any of us were around, born, you know, when there were, you know, all we have were campfires and things like that. You know, theater was, it didn't have a lot of competition.   So it always had something to compete with. And now there are even more games. I do think children, I mean, I think young people, however you want to call them, get a lot out of the performing arts, whether they're spectators or involved in it, either as actors or writers or directors or what do you call gaffers? I mean, lighting designers, you know, those kinds of, I think they get a lot, yeah, choreographers or dancers, I think they get a lot out of it in my experience. So I still think it's relevant. I think people standing in front of other people and pretending there's someone else is a great thing for, I mean, it's a very beautiful thing that we humans enjoy and we can learn a lot from it. So I still, I think it's an important thing. It's not the only game in town, you know, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't have a lot of power. And we know how much power has just the power of being around people, you know, bodies next to bodies doing things. I mean, there's a lot of, there's a lot of power in that and a lot of beauty and much to be culturally conveyed, you know, regardless of what culture you're from. So I think there's still a lot to it. And how did I, you know, how did I keep going back then? It's funny, Kelly, it's the same way I keep going now, you know, I mean, sure, a lot of it comes from community, but I mean, I enjoyed being in those communities. I didn't necessarily, I wasn't necessarily carried along by any certain community. I was more often than not the weird one, the one who wasn't really in, you know, you know, I tried to get in, you know, I mean, I hung out with a lot of people up, but I was kind of on the outsides all the time. So I had to maybe develop things that, you know, when you're welcomed in a community and buoyed by the community, you get a lot of that. I never really got a lot of that, but I did find, I did grab whatever I could. So my writing teacher was James Baldwin. I held on to that and, you know, I talked to myself a lot, like, you can do it. Keep going. That's beautiful. I would go outside a lot and look at the sky and say, help me, please, help me, please, help me. Like that sounds really weird. If you'd know me back then, you'd be like, who's that crazy girl walking around looking at the sky? You know what I'm saying? But that's, that's who I was. So I relied on community as much as I could, but Kelly, I also relied on the spirit.  Does that makes, does that make sense? Yes, absolutely. Thanks very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And I don't want to discount the importance of community like this community is very important, but hopefully this community will encourage you to hear, feel that community inside yourselves. And when I have students come to me and go, I never would have been a writer if it wasn't for you. I say, no, no, no, you would have been. You know what I mean? You were you before I met you. I just encouraged you to look. You would have looked eventually. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Thanks so much. So thank you for, for tuning in from Kenya because you're far away, sister. So everything okay with you? I mean, you're right. It's beautiful. It's really beautiful. I came in January for some travel and then the borders were closing. And so I had to either rush out or stay and I chose to stay and the borders aren't open yet. The borders are still closed, but, but it's been a really amazing creative journey. So I'm grateful. Now, Kelly, well, we love you all the way from here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And I love you all the way over here. Thanks, Kelly. Thank you. All right, we're gonna go to Crystal. Hey, how you doing? How's it going? It's, it's, it's going. It's, it's, um, oh man, it's a battle. It's a battle, but I'm willing to fight. Yesterday I was, I was almost ready to give up and I was like, why am I a writer? But, but I thank you for the reminder to, to be passionate, but be compassionate to yourself. Like I'm, I'm learning with this, especially I need a lot more self given grace as I'm praying and working on trying to do this. Um, so right now it's literally like pieces of glass just trying to piece things together. I'm working backwards. Um, I think I'm from working backwards on answering the question, how did Christianity come to hate? I think it's coming because I think the language that I'm using is more of language I heard as a kid, um, in, in churches or some that I hear now, that's used to, um, sometimes used in places to manipulate, um, to manipulate the word of God and to manipulate, um, um, how God works or his love. Um, I think I have the question answered, how do I, how did I get here? Um, what do I hope for? I'm still struggling with and who am I? I'm still struggling with and I don't have a beginning. I feel like the beginning that I had does not work anymore. Um, but I thought that it was the explanation to who she is and why she is the way she is. But I think it, it, it only answers her as a singer, but and a beauty pageant queen, but it doesn't answer her as a, um, I guess an activist kind of person who becomes this demagogue. Um, the action, the action list helps so much. You even said something that spun my whole story around that changed one part that made it more active. Um, I think I have to write another action list because I'm just, I feel like my action lists are not active. They're more like feeling active, like they're, like, they're still things like to do to another person, like to yell or to scream or something like that, but it's not active, like to kind of propel things like, you know, um, in that way. So that's, that's where I'm at. That's where I'm at. I'm, I'm almost, I'm a little over halfway done. Um, but I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm trying to keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing. Um, but I am having trouble with that answer. Oh, I can't hear you. I'm just running my mouth, my mute on. You need a beginning that works, right? I need to, yeah, I need a beginning, right? Okay. Um, so tell me this, um, do you, uh, when, when's the last, uh, what, what is the floor? Is that your office right there that you're sitting in? Where are you? You're sitting, you're living in your wife's dining room. It's your dining room. Great. What's the, what's the floor made out of? What is the carpet or is it a? It's carpet. Is there any wood visible? No. Do you have a bathroom in your house? Yeah. Great. Okay. Um, when's the last time you clean the bathroom? Oh lord. Good. That's good. Okay, check it. Okay. This is what I want you to do.  Okay. So, um, not right this second, but after we're done, I want you to sometime between today and tomorrow, I want you to make another action list, right? Okay. And then I want you to go and clean your bathroom. Huh. Yeah.  Okay.  Do you see what I'm saying? Yeah. I want you to get this kind of out of your head and into your body. Um, a few minutes ago, I was, I was, I mean, a few minutes ago, a couple hours ago, I was writing today. And I, and I took a break and I went outside. I'm at my mom's house, right?   It was like, this is a great thing to do in between. Right. There you are actually doing, you're doing something. Uh huh. Body, right? Like we had, uh, uh, what was his name, Nick? Walk him down the stairs when he was trying to formulate his synopsis last week or whatever it was, a brother named Nick or the beanie cap you were, right? So what I want you to do is write a list of 10 or write another action list, 20 actions, 20. Okay.   Yeah. Okay. Even if you make a list of actions that you don't love, you're at least going to have a clean bathroom. Okay. Yeah, that is true. See, we keep you laughing. We keep you. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Got it. Thank you. Thanks, Crystal. All right. Up next we've got Grace. Grace, are you there? Oh, I'm here. Yes. Hi. Hi, SLP. I've been coming since I've started coming in June and this is the first time I've asked a question, but thanks. Yeah. Thanks so much for doing this. It's been like such a great way to show up for writing. I'm working on a play for one character. And like my usual background of making work is like is sort of ensemble devising. So it's like, I'll do writing, I'll work with other people and it'll be a combination of improvisation and writing and kind of creating that way. And usually there are deadlines. Well, right now I'm in a situation where I'm really excited to be working on this piece, but it's there isn't a deadline. I'm really pretty much on my own with it. And I'm struggling because I've been working on it for about like about a month and a half. And I've gotten like a ton of writing done and I'm really, I like the things that I have, but I keep, it's gone through like so many iterations. And I, it's like I can't settle on anything. Like it's hard for me to make a decision and go, okay, now I'm going to go with this because I keep finding new things, but then that changes it. And I know what the theme is and I know the character. But I'm getting, I'm getting basically bogged, I don't know, I'm getting sort of caught up in how many different ways there are to tell this story.  So I wonder if you could just speak to that. Yeah, that's a really good question. So you're enjoying working alone? Yes, I am. And I actually forced myself to a week ago to bring a trusted collaborator in and I did a staged reading for her. Just a sort of like five scenes. And I've worked with her before and she usually like causes me to really like step my work up. But actually showing it to her this time has kind of the past week, I've actually had a harder time coming back to it. That's sort of a separate thing. But yeah, I've been enjoying working by myself, but then getting this feedback also kind of actually destabilized the chaotic train I was already on. But yeah, so it's also that. Okay, so that's that's, yeah, that is that's kind of a separate thing. So if you know, but it's they're both good questions. So when you read these, so you had enough of it kind of pulled together to read something aloud for your trusted collaborator? Yeah, I had like the whole arc of it and then certain pretty solid scenes and ideas. Do you think it was the presentation of it to your trusted collaborator that made you feel like you were not on the right track? Yes, except I also think that her feedback was really good. So it was not what I expected, but I think it's like I want to take it but I'm also confused because it's not because it feels so different from what I had what I was thinking about. And I guess like maybe it's sort of that I think differently when I'm working by myself versus when I'm working with people because I love collaborating with other folks and like really feel like actually very confident in doing that and I feel less less able to realize something when I'm just by myself. Sure, sure, sure, but it sounds like you've done a huge amount of work all by yourself. It sounds like your trusted collaborator had a maybe a different idea. It sounds like what you want to do in a weird kind of way is revert to your old way of working, which is take the notes of the trusted collaborator, you know that you know sometimes we you know it's like the rubber band effect we go far out you know and then you kind of snap back to the way you ordinarily are or have been for most of your life. It's weird as an experiment is there any way that you could keep going on the way that you kind of set out for yourself by yourself? Maybe it's I could and I actually was really excited like have been really excited about that and what her advice was was what I see is that she's pushing me more towards action and less towards like representing an idea like I think what she said caused me to feel like I didn't like the play was not active enough so so I'm like I feel like I feel like a good strong piece of theater would be to follow her advice whereas to follow what I'm doing means I don't know what will happen and that's exciting but also I might just be so far off on the wrong track in terms of making something that's playable. Well right I hear you so but we're still you're still in the like the making stages of it so have you reached the end of your of your piece have you have you gotten to the end and you said you had the whole arc of it? Yes yeah I have but it's a few different ways too and that comes back to the multiple ways of telling the story. Sure sure so you have you have the whole structure is there anything in getting a second opinion? Uh maybe yeah maybe yeah because if you I mean if you had a really strong sense of what you wanted to do then I'd say you know go with that it seems like you're you're sort of wavering between the two ways you could do it can you get a second yeah can you can you read it to somebody else? Yeah yeah definitely. Because my sense is I really think it's great that you've written and created something by yourself and I would love to see you take that version of it as far as you can okay you know because you can always go back and do the other version you can have two versions of a similar theme character thing you know you can have two versions okay yeah yeah see see what is another friend you know rope and wrangle another trusted collaborator and see what they think that'd be fun okay and it would give you a chance to air it again you know okay. Could you just speak also really quickly to the question I had the beginning which is a little more um but um of so many different ways to tell a story and then like finding like do you ever find that you get sidetracked with the the like I have so much writing that it means that there are only a couple things that I know that I'm like yes that's it yes that's it and then there's so much stuff that I'm like that's cool that's cool that's cool but I don't know if it's the bones or it's just like yeah I I think you really have to just um keep writing and the things that are supposed to be there will stay and grow and the things that are supposed to be somewhere else will kind of fall away and can be used for other things yeah but until you have a really strong sense of what it is yeah like you know I'm driving to California then you can just be driving your car up and down the bq you know around and around the bqe you know what I mean I mean it can be up and down the 405 or what you don't know so until you know kind of this is where I'm going it's a little tricky to know what you're gonna need okay yeah so thanks grace thank you um all right we've got about 10 minutes left and we're gonna go to Debbie Debbie are you there hi can you hi first time right here I just started last week thanks so much hey Debbie this has been an amazing experience um I hadn't been doing much of any writing in years and years and I just plugged into you guys last week and stared down a blank piece of paper and you know just just figuring out what to do and just kept filling it up just like you said filling it up filling it up then doing that daily you know 20 minutes half an hour and then yesterday in the fill up fill up then um I started hearing something and feeling something and it was like oh gee oh where did this come from and I'm just filling up the page and I was like oh wow you know a character and and senses were coming and I was so excited I was going to mention something yesterday if I figured out how to raise my hand so today um this afternoon I was going back to it ready to type it up to see what I was so excited about and then I'm looking at it like this is what is this crap coming from what am I going to do with this what am I supposed to you know I had no idea something that was so exciting at one point this turns into mush the next day and I'm sure um you you've covered that um you know you mentioned even yesterday writing gobbledygook it's fine baby talk gobbledygook just get it down but how do you break past the barrier of just looking at your stuff like this is this is coverage we're not supposed to be doing this with this yeah it happens to no no well first and foremost Debbie congratulations great that you're taking this you know you're really diving into this this uh way of being that is is you know such a cool thing it's it's really really great so you have to like yay do that um and then the other good thing is you can know that you know artists of renown go through that kind of thing all the time I remember this sunny it because I never remembered this about um James Baldwin he would talk about you know uh writing something in that you know the excitement of writing something in the evening you know and then you know coming downstairs the next morning realizing Jesus you know what is that he wouldn't say Jesus but you know what is this you know that kind of thing um it's like the morning after feeling you know you can say yeah you look good last night but this morning who are you again um so there's that there's um funny I'm so I'm doing a thing on Aretha Franklin and Jerry Wexler her producer from Atlantic used to say you know it sounds good tonight but the real test will be if it sounds good in the morning then we know we've got something um and if not then you you fix it um so the thing is you write something you love it on Monday on Tuesday you're going like I don't know um you keep going you just keep going and know that that um it's a it's a writing process it's an artistic it's a creative process you know so on Monday you might write something that you love Tuesday you might go hmm I don't really love it so much anymore and your choices are either you show up at your writing desk on Tuesday anyway or you quit right and then when you realize that that's the choice you've got what you're going to do you're going to show up at your writing desk anyway and continue working because what you're doing is you're learning your craft and you're you're you're just building your your artistic muscles right and part of that doubt or that misgivings you have oh no I don't know if that's any good that's part of the artistic process that's part of what you're learning to work through or work with you could say that doubt Thomas you know the saint was a doubter doubting is an article of faith so you're in good company when you go I don't know it's okay not knowing is is is a good thing you know okay so we just we just continue we just keep on keeping on you know thank you thank you that's very helpful and then just wondering there might be something to in going back over these pages is to glimmer we might be some glimmers to pick out or or not or just at least you have pages to go through exactly at least you have pages to go through your you're building your creative muscles you know you're building confidence you know you're you're building stamina you're opening up your your mind and your heart to the muse and the and the spirit you know all those things are happening no effort is ever wasted so you just continue thank you thanks Debbie um all right we've got about four minutes left we're going to go to Lynn Lynn are you there let's go there you go yesterday we were somebody was asking you were you were high you were telling about um talking about reading Shakespeare uh I just wanted to share just the best app in the world for Shakespeare and it was it was created by a number of people including Ian McKellen and uh it's called uh heuristic h-e-u-r-i-s-t-i-c Shakespeare and the first play they did they did was the Tempest and I'm telling you if you just take a look at this everybody you will love Shakespeare it it it does everything like a letter like me you will know the play backwards and forwards the history the translations of odd um words that is not in our lexicon but in Shakespeare's time was it's just so wonderful and then you it also has really wonderful actors reading the play along if you're reading the play you can hear it too and it's cool and there's amazing artwork and it's just wonderful for everybody so I'd like to share that with you oh thanks Lynn that's so cool thank you um all right so we got two minutes left and we're gonna go to your this person is listed as Fox oh that's me um can you hear me hey hi sorry I didn't change my box my name is Faulkner Fox and Fox is my last name um I have been a writer for a while but I'm writing my first play now and I have a question that relates to some of the questions other people have had which is just about when are you alone and working alone and when in a pandemic are you working with actors on zoom so I just recently thought I've been checking too much stuff out like I've been writing scenes and making them complete in themselves because I knew there were people going to be watching and then I thought but I've lost track of the whole by by checking too much but since this is all new to me I really appreciate how I can steam my words brought to life when an actor acts them and sometimes now I've thought well when I look at the page as itself I can't see it so I'm just wondering if you might speak to that about when do you send it out and watch an actor push it back and when do you kind of hang in there and be internal and quiet in your pandemic house you know my house my pandemic house is not quiet but yeah I hear you I hear you um you mean individual scenes from a play yes yes so like um so because I'm new to it I feel like oh let me check that out with the actors as opposed to so I wrote one whole draft checking nothing and then had people come to my house and acted and I realized that I had written people talking in paragraphs so I figured no that's not good so I'm just I'm just learning and I'm just learning by doing but I'm just wondering about that dynamic between learning in the privacy of my home with the three kids in the background or learning with having actors read it back to me right right that's a great that's a great question um I tend I'm slow to show so I I tend to uh if I write a whole draft and I give it to actors and well I mean but next time you'll know I mean congratulations for trying a new kind of writing after writing other other in other ways other forms but if I um you know get handed to actors and find it out the speeches are feel a little long you know feels a little wordy um that's okay it trains my ear for next time um but I tend to write the whole thing a draft of the whole thing before I give it out send it out um because um getting feedback in the middle of the process to me is not helpful then I'm I'm listening to some actors while they be brilliant and smart and everything I I am more interested in listening to the spirit my internal voice the higher power you know the guiding light whatever you not the subplot for but you know what I'm talking about um you know what I mean so I so I would say I would say um instead of handing scenes to actors over zoom and hearing it back that way I would say develop what I think composers have and musicians can do is that they can hear their work without you know hiring a whole band to play it yeah you know what I mean I mean a band or actors are brilliant amplifiers great speakers right but you as a dramatist um want to develop the ability to hear your work just from your own mouth and so stand up in front of your kids and read your scene you know that kind of or just read it aloud to yourself you know in the privacy of a room you know um I think that's a really didn't you do your ear training also um and I think that could be more helpful in a way I mean since I've been a poet and a nonfiction writer before this I'm very comfortable and familiar I would never think anything was done until I'd read it out loud like a ton of times but drama feels different because they're different characters and so I've got to embody everybody which I could do right that's the fun of it right you get to you get to embody your all your characters I think that's the joy of it definitely you can do it yeah yeah thank you thank you thanks all right it's 603 we've done it again you're amazing thanks everybody yeah okay well as you all know if you sign up by 3 p.m. eastern um Monday to Thursday I will send you a link between 3 and 4 3 p.m. and the signups are on the public theater website and on howl around I'll see you tomorrow bye thank you thanks SLP have a great evening bye bye


There are a lot of researchers that have shown that if your liver functions at only 40 percent, you still feel perfectly normal. It seems to be everything okay. You don't know. And there are no tests that will show you that your liver functions 100 percent. If your liver functions 100 percent, you need nothing. Your body is fine. If there's anything wrong, anything from menstrual cramps, PMS or from rashes or headaches or constipation or whatever, anything, the fault is the liver. And I strongly believe that there are very few, if any, people who are in perfect health never have a headache, never constipation, never have a diarrhea, never have a flu or a cold, never have anything at all ever, that they're really perfect health past the age of two. Yes.


Good morning and welcome to BC 315 course of life skills. So today we're going to discuss on some of the chapters from our notes. We start with team decision making. Last class we looked into creativity and critical thinking. So today we will discuss on team decision making and move on to emotional and cultural intelligence. So when we talk about decision making, what comes to your mind? What comes to your mind? In the meanwhile, let me present the PPT that I've prepared for the class. So what comes to your mind when we talk about team decision making, group decision making, what comes to our mind? Anyone from the class can unmute and share a major decision that comes to our mind. Something very critical, a group of people discussing on some major matter, big decisions. Where it is an opportunity, like what Siddhant says, it is an opportunity for us to learn from each other. And we see Asha shares on making choices. Its decision is somewhere where most of the ideas has been put forth and we will choose the ideas that may be applicable for us. And we also see Abhinash share of planning. Yes, as a group we plan, we decide together. So in this class and today we are going to, decision making in itself is a big chapter. So I don't think we can cover in one class. So let us take up a part of it. How to make a decision precisely? How to make a decision wisely? So it involves decision making involves a calculated speed in a sign of confidence, intelligence and effectiveness. So it's not just about getting a task done or completed. It's about getting the right things done fast. So people respect others more when they make a wrong decision and grow from it as opposed by other people. And sometimes we also come across people who are very afraid to make a decision from the past failures because of their past failures. So there is a tendency for people to rely on one comfortable approach. So in today's class we see what does some of the other scholars or some other Harvard business review talk about. So we see that Palo Gordiano points out that effective decision making isn't about data or experience. It's about the integration of both. So decision making is a learnable skill where people who think they are good at making decisions have often talked themselves out of being effective at making decisions. So a lot of the work I do with the other team members in and around involves the power and influence. So one of the quickest ways to lose or gain that influence capital is around decision making. So if you're thought as someone who can't make a decision, it deducts from your influence back account. So if you're thought of someone who can make some decisions, again it makes deposit into your influence back account. So I put here are some of the decision making common mistakes that we do while we do our decisions or make our decisions. Just give me a minute. Let me move on to the next slide. These are some of the mistakes that we do while we make our decisions like thinking that the more important decision is, the more difficult it has to be to make a call or believing that the amount of time we spend on a decision directly improves the value of our decision. And we also see that spending too much time on collecting the information can also make leaders do make mistakes in our decision making. And we also see that letting feelings cripple our own progress. I think most of the time we go by our feelings and emotions than actually what it is. And fifth, we see that going with our first choice, not taking up considering the other choices that may be better. Sixth, worrying too much about what others think. Seventh, not worrying at all what others think. So in this case, both are wrong. So we need to be moderate. We need to be neutral. We need to look out everyone's opinion and not take up any sides that is when we may go wrong. Eighth, not having a consistent approach in making a decision. So as we have discussed on some of the common mistakes that we make in decision making, I would like to also discuss on the three types of decision making. That may help as a leader for us to make certain decisions. So here we would like to discuss on three types of decision making. That is command, consensus and combination. Command. It's a decision where one person is in control and then make the decision. So often the case of the decision is already made and there is no need to involve others in the process. The second method we see is consensus where we compromise. So here we see the decisions is when all the parties are in making that decision. So the point is to set all points of view and make a decision that everyone can support. Most of it is an appropriate decision making system when we have a group discussion or a team discussion where we take the idea. We receive the idea for everyone and implement that which is applicable and good for all members of the team. So this is a combination where a combination decision is when you integrate the points of others view. Then we make the decision on our own or the significant one or some group to make the decision. Once we know the type and following the three steps to make the decision. It's helpful for us to follow the three steps. So under this opportunity decision, three steps is define, deliberate and decide. So in define we see that the challenge and the decision rules have been defined. We take through the process how important how urgent the decision is and then we give ourselves a timeline. And then we decide who needs to be involved in and then we see what are the process that is involved. What are the strategies need to be thought before and what are others perspective and the others perspective. So in this we see certain criteria we see that is the practical and the ministry front. So the practical is about who has the information and who can leverage this project. And in ministry side we see that who needs to be involved, who can be more eligible or who has the ability and the skill set to take up that project. So we see who this project or an assignment can be given to who can build and work on it. And the second type we see here is deliberate. Deliberately we try to identify the options, make a list of the possible outcomes and they impact. So this is what's the opportunity when we discuss the potential, opinion with others and then make a decision. So in this decision we see that heads have also about being analytical and very logical. And so we want to see that we focus on the rational side of thinking and the facts that are involved. We also see our primary concern is how we can write things out. We also see in this type of decision making, that is deliberate decision making. We not only involve our mind, we also involve our heart and our hands where we deal with our feelings. And we are more focused on our emotion and how would this decision impact others. And we also see that who can get this project, who can do this project well. So we assign to that person deliberately. And then the third type we discuss on this side. So making a decision and moving forward with confidence is a scheme. So we need to have a confidence in the process that we have done our due diligence. We are talking about making a decision is a struggle before the decision has actually been made. With that we have discussed on the decision making. So in decision making we have covered all the common mistakes that we do. And how do we come up with three types of three things that involve decision making. That is command, consensus and combination. We discussed an under combination, we discussed how we can define, deliberate and decide the decision when we are in the process of decision making. So with that we will move on to the next chapter. Next chapter. Okay, it's on emotional and cultural intelligence. Okay, let me change the slide. The slide is here. Okay. Is it effective in a class? Are you able to see the new slide? Okay, so how are we being emotionally sensitive? So to be emotionally sensitive is to be aware of our own feelings and feelings of others. So emotionally sensitive is a necessary building for those who are close, satisfying relationship. But some people are too sensitive like trying to get close to a profile. So if we are too sensitive, we have little awareness of the depth of our own feelings and accept to know that our emotions are powerful and painful at times. So we are a particular, for example, we are particularly aware of how the behavior of others would affect us. If we are too sensitive, we may land up taking things very personally that happens around us. Most often react defensively to other people or we may land up judging others as being hurtful to us. And our primary interest would be in our own experience rather than what the other person is thinking or feeling. So being emotionally sensitive can be a valuable quality when it is tied directly to emotional awareness. So our sensitivity is the key to understand our own emotional experience and the emotional experience of others at the same time. But our work must begin with us. We cannot develop emotional intimacy with others unless and until we understand and have become comfortable with our own emotional experience. So our emotions are the signals that identify what parts of us need to be healed. So here are few steps that we can take if you want to move from being overly sensitive to be emotionally aware. So the first, we must learn to love ourselves and this love must be based on self-knowledge and compassion. Second, we must develop healthy boundaries and relationships. Once we know where the boundaries are set, we must be willing to take responsibility for our part of relationship. And lastly, we must learn how to handle the criticism of others. So highly sensitive people tend to be conscious and empathetic and may also notice some changes in their interaction and in their environment as well. So some benefit of being very sensitive also the benefit. So some of the benefits are it helps in social scale. So when we say highly sensitive people, these people tend to notice things others do not. They pick up on others body language and other subtle cues that may help develop a strong social scale. The second thing benefit which these highly sensitive people tend to have is being empathetic. So they be more sensitive to others emotions and their modes. So this may offer them more excitement into other people's life. So it can also help them to detect others motives and inclination and potentially make them a good manager or negotiator at a leader. So as a good leader, we need to be empathetic. Now the third point of the benefit what these people can have is sensitivity to the environment around them. So these highly sensitive people may notice environmental cues others do not have. So in the right setting, this can help them detect the danger around them. So as we have discussed a little bit on the emotional sensitive, let's move on to the cultural sensitive. So what is cultural sensitive? Class A1 can unmute and share. So let me keep the class effective. What is cultural sensitive? Anyone from the school is cultural sensitive? Being sensitive to others culture? Yes. Being aware of the cultural differences? Yes. Right. Asha. So thanks. So there's a definition of cultural sensitive is having an understanding of another person's set of beliefs or values that is attributed to the person's ethic or racial background. So being said that in addition, an individual must be agreeable to modify their behavior to accommodate other person's cultural belief. So as an individual, we must first recognize and appreciate that there are other cultures besides their own. Then they need to be willing to respect the beliefs and the tradition of the people who display their culture. So people's culture defines the food a person eats or they believe system or it can also be in the belief system of their healthcare, religion, language and how people interact with the other world around them. So the meaning of cultural sensitive is simply put across like for us to understand that what culture or a way of living is not superior to another. So all cultural beliefs are valid and is indeed to be respected. So culturally being sensitive to the individuals must be accepted and adapted to reflect the multi multicultural countries that exist in modern societies. So in modern societies we see that the cultures are blending like never before with the increase in the migration and the interconnectedness that the internet provides. So in multi cultural sensitivity is particularly important because it promotes a more cohesive society while honoring the unique identity that a multi cultural society provides. So culturally sensitive society promotes the empathetic connectivity through the appreciation and understanding of another person's background and the way of life. So by valuing diversity, people will be able to play to their strength within a society. So this is what we can look into in cultural intelligence. So we discussed on briefly discussed on the emotional and the cultural intelligence with that we can move on to the change. Change is something that is unchangeable, isn't it? So on this chapter I would recommend our APC publication book on change and I request, I request you to please download this book and read it. Just let me, I'm pushing the link for this book. Request you all to please download the book APC publication on change. Request you all to please read so that you know we can have this chapter covered in depth through the publication. This can also be one of your assignments where you all can read and share your views on that. Okay. Lastly, we are going to look into the continuous learning where most people associate the learning with formal education at school, college, university, and we are all told from an early age that we should get a good education. So generally speaking it is true that education and the result in qualifications are very important and education may maximize our potential to find better, more satisfying jobs or earn more and become more successful in our chosen careers. So this has been said from generation to generation. So we see that schooling is the only type of learning where there are many other opportunities to actually further expand our knowledge and develop the things that we need in our life. So knowledge can be acquired and skillsets can be developed anywhere. So learning is something that is unavoidable and it happens all the time. So learning is something that we should be open to despite our age, despite our limitations. So however, continuous learning is about creating and maintaining a positive attitude to learn both for personal and professional development. So continuous learning are continuous learners are motivated to learn and develop because they want to. It is a deliberate and voluntary act. So continuous learning can enhance our understanding of the world around us, provide us with more and better opportunities that can improve our quality of life. So there are two main reasons for learning throughout our life. One, it could basically be for our personal development and for a professional development. Let me put off the slide as we have finished discussing on this. Yeah, thanks. So there are reasons that may not be necessarily be distinct. The first one can be the personal development that can improve our employment opportunities. Obviously, when we develop certain skills, when we achieve certain, learn new talents and achieve certain skills, and you see there is a more opportunity been given to us to work and enhance our skills. The second reason, professional development can enable personal growth. So as we develop certain skills, we see professional we are growing. So learning for its own, for all brings its own advantage. For example, learning at whatever cost as we can boost our confidence and self-esteem makes us less risk and more adaptable to change when it happens. Third, we see it helps us achieve a more satisfying personal life. We also see that the challenges are ideas and beliefs and can be fun. So learning for personal development. So here we see it does not need to be a specific reason for learning since learning for the sake of learning can itself be a rewarding experience. So we see some of the common views that continuous learning can have is having an active mind throughout. We are keeping our mind active. And you know, there's a delay or halt the progress of some form of dementia. Although there is an actual very little scientific evidence to support these claims. So despite that scientific reason by a continuous learning can keep our brain active. So there are certain advantages that has been attached to it. There are of course like many reasons why people learn for self-development. First is we have about five points listed in our notes. We see that the first point it says we may want to increase our knowledge or skill around a particular hobby or pastime that you enjoy. Second, we see that perhaps we want to develop some entirely a new skill that will in some way enhance our life. It can be anything as per your interest. And the third we see that we may want to research a medical condition or anything to do with your past history. Fourth, you can see we may plan a trip and want to learn more about the history and culture of that destination which can also help others in the team as you plan. The fourth, fifth we see that maybe we should decide to take a degree course and keep our self active and be equipped. It doesn't matter age or which place we are, but we should challenge ourselves to keep ourselves active, to keep our brain active, learn new things. So that is one of the ways which we can keep ourselves active, fun and enjoyable in learning new things. It can also be upgrading ourselves, updating ourselves with some new technologies that have been developed around us so that we can catch up with a generation that is coming ahead. And we also move to the second option of learning that is the professional development. So being well educated is not necessarily the key to employment. So although it can be a qualification we may get you into an interview, actually getting a job can take a lot more. So what does the employers look these days are well balanced people with a transferable skills. So this includes the ability to be able to demonstrate that you are keen to learn and develop. So our capacity to earn is directly related to our willingness to learn and repeat. Our capacity to learn is directly related to our willingness to learn. So if we find ourselves unemployed, then how will we use that time? We need to use that time wisely. There are some ways that we can make use of learning something new. Getting new skills developed so that we can look out for new opportunities in our way so that we can start a new career all together with that new skill that you learn. Use your time in a beneficial way that you can be employed in certain company or certain field due to the new skill that you have developed. That can also be one of your profession in future. So and also the next we see putting the time in for extra learning brings its own reward. Despite your work, your ministry, we need to take that extra time to learn to develop a new skill. I know this is very challenging these days. You may have a family, ministry, work, but it is worth if you can make time and try to get a new skill. Try to learn and update yourself with a new skill that may be an added advantage for your career. Next point we see learning gives you options. So what we like to share here is whatever your life path, there are a number of ways that can benefit to continue or continue learning or the professional development. So despite our age, it is never too late to start one because most people still rely on succeeding in their employment for their ability to earn a living. But we need to be more focused and be diligent to make time or I can say intentionally to make time to learn new skills, new courses that can help you to be more confident in your career, in your life or as a person as well. So instead of really trying to keep our work, our ministry, monotonous, try to take time in your daily schedule and see what are the new skills that you could learn and implement. Has been said that it's not too easy, but then if we try and show we all can make time for that new skills, new learning. So that this is something that I would like to leave this class with. Continuous learning is something that does not stop with our age or time or situation. It goes on till the last day of us. We try to learn, update ourselves continuously. This should be one of our habits that we learn, learn, learn. We can learn from people, we can learn from folks, we can learn from, you know, you watch, you read. Learning is something that is continuous. Even learning from little children can add a value to each of us. So this is something that we should not give up or be closed upon, but then we should have this attitude or we should develop this attitude of continuous living, learning that can help us on a long run. Yeah, but that we end this whole course of life scale. So I'll keep the class open. You can share your views, how the life scales. If there's anything new that you have developed during the course of time that has helped you to focus and helped you to enhance in your ministry or in your personal or professional life, you can share how a new skill that you learned during this course of time or any part of your life that has helped you to handle certain areas well. So open to class. Please go ahead, share your experience that we can close this course with a bit of prayer. Also, as you're preparing to share, we will be posting two quiz. I would request you all to please have a watch on your Google classwork and try to answer it the full time so that we don't miss out on our marks as well. Okay, so yeah, open to class. Please go ahead and share your views, how we learned a new skill that has helped you in your ministry, in your workplace professionally, personally, that it has blessed you. Anyone, anyone from the class, was there any course that you learned? Sister Rupa, would you like to share any new skill that you learned that has helped you in the path of your ministry? Okay, I think the network dropped. Shrikumar, would you like to share? Thank you, Master. I am doing at once excellent so that I am also doing some courses from the, it's something which is free courses from Google directly. So I am also doing it, as you said, it's difficult. But yeah, I am taking a little time. That's nice. Yeah, that's the thing I just want to share. But it was a very eye-opening for me to learn so many things as a church. Many times, people think that only spiritual things are needed. So, but I believe that this is very important. Thank you, Master. Thanks for your class. Thank you. These are certain skills that can come in handy. Despite your ministry, there also can be a professional skill that you could add and that could develop, you know, or make you be confident in your work, whatever area you're doing in. Advanced Excel is something very important. Yes. Anyone from the class? Are there any new skills that you are learning during the course? Yes, Asha, please go ahead. I learned a lot in this life skills, how creativity really helps in the way we communicate, the way whatever activities we do, it's just something that God has put in within our lives. As soon as we were, he knew what we were going to become and what we will be doing in the future. The most important thing is communication, which I sometimes lack in that way because in many ways I did that, but as I was learning this, I found the proper way to communicate and also like to develop more the skills of knowing how to invent new stuff. Thank you. Thank you Asha for sharing. And I also seek to share like one of my take away from this class is about the communication where she's she's become more aware of the verbal and non-verbal communication. We also see Maxine poster commencing this course has sharpened them and personal development plans, having vision and using a personal skill. Yeah. Anyone else in the class, Sister Rupa, would you like to share anyone from the class? Rose, Maxine, Maxine has already shared. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. Thank you for the life skills class. It has really enabled us to see where we are going wrong and correct ourselves and to be more focused on the things we can do. The best of the people we are communicating with and shepherding. It's very personally also very helpful, ma'am. You have made it very interesting. Thank you for that and God bless you. Really blessed through the class. We have to put them into practice. It's only at the binding state and some places where we are doing things wrong need to correct. Thank you ma'am. True. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah. There are so many skills that we learn and also learning and we would be continue to learn because life skill doesn't stop maybe. Yeah. Point is like what sister Rupa was sharing. We need to apply it. We need to apply it in our life. We need to put that into action. That's where the skill is all about. So yeah. Being said that when I'm working on that many skills we tend to learn many things we want to do. We desire to do. But yes, we need to come into an action where we put that skill into practice in our own life and see how it makes us. It improves us to be efficient in every area that we are. We also see a command from Rose Selesito to first and foremost to be a good listener. Very important. Yes. The 10 principles of learning really helps especially when we deal with people in our ministry. Very true Rose. Yes. Yes. So down. Okay. Take away personal planning understanding the skills we need to develop to achieve our vision knowing clear vision of where we want to be and why. Thanks. Thanks for sharing. So down. Okay. So if there's anyone to share you can unmute and share or post it on the chat or we can close the session with a word of prayer. Okay. Has everyone a silent? I guess. Yeah. Okay. Fine. We can close the session with a word of prayer and y'all can please take a note of the assignment and quiz that will be posted on the class. It won't be an assignment. There would be a quiz posted on the classwork and I would request you all to please read the ABC publication on the topic change that which will help us motivate us and, you know, embrace the change that we need to develop within ourselves. So request y'all to please download that book and read through it. Okay. So can I request this to Rupa if you can close the session with a word of prayer please. Sure ma'am. One second. Father we thank you. Bless your holy name this morning. Individually and as a group and this learning lot is valuable teaching you have administered also each one of us. Holy Spirit God let it not go into waste but enable us to put it into practice and be faithful towards the knowledge you have imparted to us Lord God. Father God we thank and praise you for the way you are bringing us together and Father thank you for shedding light in all areas where we need to enhance correct ourselves and improve master with thank and praise you help us to be Father your changes help us to change ourselves and also bring changes in the places where we are ministering according to your will and purpose. Thank you for Pastor Nancy Father and Pastor Paul the family the ministry they are doing faithfully unto you Lord God increase your anointing and your faithfulness in their lives Lord God Lord you're good in each one of our lives Lord strengthen us in your might Father God bind us together with your purpose and your love Father God. In Jesus name enable us to Father go forward in your faith and guidance in Jesus name amen amen thank you ma'am. Thank you sorry my mic was muted none of them said yeah okay thank you each one for joining the semester the course life scale it was a joy journey through and it was a blessing I hope you will develop new skills just not these what we went through but new skills that can help each one of us in our ministry in our professional workplace okay so God bless see you all next year but then I want to end this session by wishing each one of you all a blessed Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new year God bless you all bye bye ma'am thank you wish you the same thank you thank you bless