Globalisation beyond West and America

Courtesy: The Economist

Globalisation, etymologically, can be understood as the process by which something hitherto belonging to a particular place, community or culture expands itself to the world. Also, it is a result of such process. Though the word, thus, carries a neutral meaning and concept primarily without discriminating between places and cultures from different parts of the world, many people view that the process of globalisation is unilateral and its movement is from the West to the East. Hence, for them, globalisation is equal to westernisation. Likewise, many of them believe that America – the United States of America – is the centre of the West and consequently westernisation most of the times means Americanisation.

Yes, America is significant in the West and the West is transmitting its cultures and values across the world in the name of globalisation. Yet, it may be a narrow, thus incomplete, view that America only is the world leader; for other nations too are also proving their powers in different times. European nations including Britain and France assert their dominance in world politics frequently. Also, nations from the "non-west" like China, Japan and Russia also come to the front in different issues backed by their increasing economic strengths.  Globalisation today thus does not mean westernisation; and westernisation is also not limited to Americanisation. Globalisation today is also outside America and the West.  

War of Power

Critical Discourse Analysis of a Section from Rookmangud Katawal's Autobiography

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is an act of explaining and interpreting any kind of text – both written and oral – and similar discourses, in order to understand what meaning is created in the text, how and by whom. In a CDA activity, the researcher analyses how the text means what it means in the given social context. As context is a broader term that implies a variety of backgrounds; such analysis attempts to identify how power relationships affect the discourse. Teun A van Dijk, one of the most important theorists of the CDA, defines, "Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is a type of discourse analytical research that primarily studies the way social power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted, reproduced, and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context" (352). Van Dijk's definition hence apparently urges analysts to look into aspects of power relationships including social power abuse, dominance, and inequality.

            A couple of weeks back, former Chief of Nepal Army Rookmangud Katawal launched his autobiography titled after his name and written in Nepali language. Published by Nepa~laya, the book, penned by the General assisted by skilled journalist Kiran Bhandari, is a talk of the town in Nepali literary and intellectual circle today.

Racist Media in Native Son

A scene from Pierre Chenal's 1950 film Native Son. Courtesy: http://filmcomment.com/

Native Son, a novel by Richard Wright, is often named as one of the greatest pieces of literature in showing experiences of the African-American people. There are many issues that the novel raises regarding racial segregation and torture. The novel exposes how black men and women had to live during the first half of the twentieth century, years after slavery ended. It portrays the treatment of black people by various quarters of social and political life. Among them is the press and, in particular newspapers. The newspapers' role is brought into the novel when pressmen significantly cover the death and murder of Miss Mary Dalton and the incidents following that, in the two chapters ‘Flight’ and ‘Fate’ of the novel. Like other institutions established and operated by white people newspapers too in the novel, are apparently racist; and they sensationalize more than inform the public about what is happening.

What if Stronger Women: Retelling The Winter's Tale

A scene from the Utah Shakespeare Festival's 2004 production of The Winter's Tale. (Copyright Utah Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Karl Hugh.) Courtesy: http://www.bard.org/

In The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare, Queen Hermione is one of the most important characters. Her importance is not only limited to the context of this play in particular; rather Hermione is perhaps one among few strongest women characters Shakespeare has ever created for/ in his plays. Paulina of this very play can also be categorised as similar to Hermione. Yet, the overall development of the play is not presented from her perspective. Although being strong and heroic, the Queen's role is made subordinate, and the role of the King Leontes is highlighted. From a feminist perspective, the point of view which the Shakespearean drama is presented through thus can be called patriarchal, for it presents women in submissive roles who always accept decisions of their male counterparts. If the story is retold with the feminist lens, the plot of the play will go to a completely different direction in which women characters are decisive in themselves for their life.   

Why Ban on Smoking in Public?

By now, after much research is done to study effects of smoking in human health, perhaps

Courtesy: http://www.calvinshub.com/

there is no any debate on whether smoking is unhealthy. But the debate whether people should be allowed to smoke at public places is still a debate in national and international forums. In 2011 April, Nepal also introduced a law called Tobacco Product (Control and Regulation) Act that prohibits smoking in public areas. As expected, the law did not get accepted cleanly. Besides scattered public opinions against such a strict law, some industrialists also launched a campaign seeking cancellation of the law (The Himalayan Times "Anti-tobacco bid").  Arguments for and against allowing smoking in public seem valid on their own. But considering facts established by scientific researches about effects of smoking, national and international legal documents on the issue and sense of moral responsibility, public smoking should be legally banned in Nepal and other places of the world.

Value Judgement of Literatures under Questions

Literary studies in almost all parts of the world involve a system of valuation of literary texts and authors. Consequently, some texts and authors are canonised and established as "standards" in every literature on suppression of rest of "non-standard" texts.  Traditionally, some qualities like test of time, aesthetic standard and representation of real life are regarded as benchmarks of value judgement of literary texts and authors. Nevertheless, such systems of judgements are most of the times suspected to be false as they apparently exclude many of texts with different qualities and they base the judgements upon few select critics. Due to exclusion of many texts and authors as decided by few critics, value judgements in literature are under the questions of accuracy and credibility.

English Medium Education: An Individual and National Need

From www.ekantipur.com

On a day in my twelfth grade, my English teacher was marking my test papers in front of me. Suddenly he asked me if I came from a government school. I said, "Yes, I am from Nepali medium." Then he commented, "If your parents had enrolled you in an English medium school…" He didn't complete the sentence, but looked at my face directly and seriously. My face turned very serious and quite shy. This comment had such an impression on me that I am still thinking what if my parents had enrolled me in an English medium school.

No Respect for Native Rules

"To write every word in correct rhaswas and dirghas, I'm not a Nepali professor after all", many youths and adults tell this sentence when someone tries to correct some spellings in their Nepali writings. So – does one need to be a Nepali professor to write Nepali correctly? If yes, given that most of us try to make our English spellings as correct as possible, why have not we been English professors yet?

 http://202.166.193.40/kantipur/news/news-detail.php?news_id=269940

Author and journalist Sharat Chandra Wastiwrites, "The national language should have become stronger day by day, but this is not the case due to extreme ignorance and an impulse toward fashion. On the one hand are those risen to senior positions and highly educated who feel proud, not shy, to say "I don't know Nepali much". On the other hand are those involved in language-related professions who take linguistic incompetence for their pride by saying "Do I need to learn Nepali? Whatever I write is Nepali." The general user lies confused between these two poles" (IX). It shows that Nepali population has been too much ignorant about correct use of own language. And, this can be best seen in spellings of Nepali words in Nepali (Devnagari) script they write.

Rigidity in Old Age: Natural and Human

            We demand to our parents that we need internet access and laptop at our home. "Why?" they ask. We say we need to research online for our study and assignments. They answer, "We too studied and were abided with assigned projects in our times. We completed our bachelors and masters under dim lights of a tuki, when there was no electricity. But we never thought of laptops or the Internet. So, you can study and do assignments without them if you really wish them. You complain means you don't want to do them!"

End of Internal Exams: Not Reasonable for Real Students

Almost all +2 and bachelor level colleges in Kathmandu Valley schedule internal examinations for its students; but surprisingly very few students attend them. The students are neither forced to attempt them if the exams do not contribute to their final evaluation/score. Nevertheless, many colleges have never thought of any alternatives which would be more favourable to their students. Disparity between attitude of students toward such exams and the colleges' continuation of them can be taken as an evidence of the fact that we have many problems in education system. Yet, internal exams are beneficial too, thus can not be removed altogether from the system.

Party politics in media in Nepal

1.       Introduction

Multiparty politics and independence of press both are inseparable parts of today's democracy. They both together contribute to strengthen democratic values and practices. However, the relationship between political parties and media / press sector is quite complex and interesting.

Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia defines, "A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions." [1]

The Legal Dictionary of "The Free Dictionary Dot Com" defines 'freedom of the press' as, "The right, …to gather, publish, and distribute information and ideas without government restriction; this right encompasses freedom from prior restraints on publication and freedom from Censorship."[2] Thus, press freedom also includes the environment also free from any political interference. In this respect, involvement of party politics in media is regarded as an intrusion to press freedom. In principles, political biasness of any media or any journalist is never acceptable. 

However, as in various sectors of social lives, practices are deviated from the principles. Frequently political parties are seen to be involving in controlling media and manipulating the messages. In Nepal too, party politics in media is an apparent phenomena. That can be seen in different forms.

2.       Forms of political involvement in media in Nepal

I)                    Journalists' organizations with political face

In Nepal, there are many organizations of journalists, which are well known for their political identity. For example, Nepal Press Union is backed by Nepali Congress, Press Chautari Nepal by CPN - UML and Revolutionary Journalists Association (Krantikari Patrakar Sangh) by UCPN Maoists. These organizations don't claim themselves to be sister organizations of respective political parties, neither do the parties call them formal sister organizations. However, we can easily know them from their programs and activities. Some of the most common programs by these groups are to organize press meetings when a leader from respective party visits districts, and provide the platform for the leader to interact with journalists in the district.  Besides, they become more active to serve its "mother party", when the party has some grand programs like general conventions to foster media coverage of such programs.

II)                  Media run by political parties

Besides their authentic mouthpieces, political parties in Nepal are believed to be running other media as well to disseminate their ideas. It is most commonly seen in weekly tabloids. No matter they claim themselves to be objective, they have specific group of readers with specific political ideology and thus, their political ideology is a kind of an "open secret". For example,   'Chhalphal', 'Dristi' and 'Budhabar' are near CPN UML, though the party has its authentic mouthpiece, 'Navayug'. Similarly, 'Tarun', 'Sanghu' etc are near Nepali Congress. Moreover, different fractions of a single party have different outlets and they compete for larger readership. Not only big parties, small parties also have newspapers to spread their agendas.

III)                Political panel during FNJ elections

Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) is the "umbrella organization" of Nepalese journalists, and it works for rights of journalists and media without political discrimination. However, its members are elected from political panels.  During general convention of the body, the above discussed journalists' associations with political face form their separate panel and run for election. Nevertheless, FNJ doesn't acknowledge political affiliation of its candidates formally.  In the last FNJ convention (May 2011), Press Chautari and Krantikari Patrakar Sangh had a common "progressive" panel, whereas Nepal Press Union had its own "democratic" panel. Besides, there were some "independent" candidates, however in comparison to politically allied panels, they seemed far weaker.   

IV)               Political appointment

In Press Council, the governing body of media freedom and responsibilities too, executive members of the board including the chairperson are appointed politically. Article 4 (1) of Press Council Act, 1992 says, "The Council shall be an autonomous and corporate body having perpetual succession." However, the sixth article of the same act provisions for political appointment, that government is free to appoint people form the sector of law or journalism as it wishes. It has been tradition that the government has been appointing the chairperson and members, only those who support the governing party.

Besides, the Government of Nepal own and runs many media houses, namely Gorkhapatra Samsthan, Radio Nepal and Nepal Television, and a news agency Rastriya samachar Samiti (RSS). In these houses too, office bearer executives and other members are directly appointed by Minister of Information and Communications. 

3.       Political affiliation of journalists:  Accusations and defences

I)                    Accusations

Because objectivity and balance are two of the basic components of media ethics, there are many critics who can't tolerate party politics in media, including political affiliation of journalists.  They opine that it brings biasness in their profession, and they might favour one side whereas criticizing another even in news.

Nirmala Mani Adhikary, Assistant Professor of Journalism at Kathmandu University, who has written dozens of books in media, says, "Whenever journalists do politics, or politicians do journalism, it hampers both sectors." For him, political biasness results in decrease of accuracy, balance, creativity and objectivity, which are in deed prime responsibilities of a journalist. [3]

IN the same way, P Kharel, Chairperson of Nepal Press Institute and the first professor of Journalism in Nepal, opines that Nepali journalism is yet to be professional. In addition to many reasons, "... there has been 'Party Journalism' in Nepal. It is more on weekly tabloids, in comparison to broadsheet dailies", he says.[4]

II)                  Defences

No one ever openly acknowledges that political involvement of journalists is positive.  Even those who are involved in politically-backed journalists' associations too don't accept the accusations that they are promoting party politics in media. However, they defend themselves as saying that every one has political ideology, and it is fundamental human rights as well. So, journalists too are free to choose and express whatever political stream they like.

However, Nirmala Mani says that there lies a great difference between having a political belief and practicing politics itself. Thus, though journalists are allowed to keep their beliefs, as they too are human beings; they can't practice politics at the same time being a journalist.

4.       Conclusion

As of everything, involvement of party politics in journalism (or journalism's involvement in part politics) has both positive and negative sides. However, in consideration of well-established global journalistic norms and values, political affiliation of journalists and media can't be considered acceptable, since it endanger objectivity, neutrality and objectivity of journalists. Of course, they are free to keep and follow whatever belief they like. But they should always be careful and cautious so that there beliefs doesn't have any negative influence in their professionalism. 

---

[1] Political Party, Wikipedia, , accessed on 16 October, 2011

[2] Freedom of the Press, Legal Dictionary, The Free Dictionary, , accessed on 16 October, 2011

[3] Nirmala Mani Adhikary in a lecture on media ethics, Sagarmatha College for Higher Studies, 28 April 2011 (2068/01/15 BS)

[4] Adhikari, Antariksha. 'Nepal ma Party Patrakarita Bhairakheko Chha', interview with P Kharel, Page 3, Swatantra Patrakarita weekly, Volume I, no. 1. 17 September, 2009 (2066/01/01 BS)

Virtual Wishes of Happy Birthday

"Happy Birthday to you, wishing more fun, success and progress in the coming year!" I wrote on her Facebook wall, just after I signed in my account before leaving for my college. Unexpectedly I met her that afternoon when I was on the way to Baneshwor. We shared 'Hello', 'How are you?', 'I'm fine' and 'Ba-Bye' to each other and continued to own journeys. When I signed in my Facebook that night, I got the notification that she had commented on my post. I found that she had written 'Thank you!' for my post. I gave a 'like' to that!

This real incident on a particular day of last week urged me to think some aspects of growing "fb"-culture. Facebook is popularly known as social network/media. But, do we ever examine its un/sociability?

Facebook has been overwhelmingly popular among internet-literates in Nepal and in other parts of the world. Being all-time active and updated on Facebook has become a matter of prestige for many youths among their friend circles.  It has been indeed helpful to connect ourselves with long-lost friends and far-flied relatives. Facebook is really a useful book on which you can find many useful and interesting faces.

But, let's discuss about my introductory incident. What difference would be there if I didn't have Facebook account; or if Facebook didn't have birthday reminding application? If I had remembered her birthday, I would call/send SMS to her wishing something good, and she would reply me 'Thanks!' But, if I hadn't remembered the date, the day would go so and so as other days. Simple!

But,  had I known the date and really met her face-to-face, I would surely said Happy Birthday in front of her face as well.

There might be hundreds of friends on your Facebook. Probably about a quarter may be unknown to you (so is the case for me!). Another fourth might be covered by some sort of known-by-all celebrities from many sectors of your interest and they don't really interact with you. The remaining half might be your people (including close and distant friends, family members, relatives, teachers and even some friends and families of your friends). And, interestingly you will be reminded of everyone's birthday. During the last ten days, there was no any day without any birthday notification, on my "fb" profile. To my surprise, April 1 was seven persons' birthday. (I guess some of them have purposively cited the date as to make us April Fool!).

And, I am habituated to wish them all happy birthday, no matter whether or how much I know to them. Thus, I feel same if it was my school time best friend or any celebrity writer, who is on my "fb" friend list. After all, I post the same message to everyone. Thus, Facebook birthday reminder has somehow been something like a wallpaper of my room that I observe everyday "taken for granted" and I use that everyday without knowing that I am using it.

To much surprise, some of the friends comment, "Thanks, but this is my LEGAL birthday, and my ACTUAL birthday is on x day of the y month." Or, some claim that the date was their actual birthday; however they will celebrate the legal one. There are many people who remind us that the "fb" birthday is according to solar calendar, but they celebrate according to lunar calendar (TITHI system). We can't calculate the number of persons who haven't mentioned their actual date of birth. Let's not spend much time to talk about those people who just mention any day of the year as their birthday just because there is the space to keep it.

In this way, virtual birthday wishes are taken for granted by many of its senders and receivers. They know that is there. They know it is to remind one about his/her nears' and dears' birthdays. And, they express wishes with decorative metaphors. But, the irony teases you when you happen to forget the matter that today was her birthday even after you meet her by face!

Birthdays were the occasions that would provide you the opportunity to celebrate the past success and enjoy the future dreams, with your family and friends. There were times when you would be so happy to hear 'Happy Birthday' from someone. This would be a matter of curiosity for your closed ones to plan together a celebration and offer you a surprise gift. It would be a memorable time for you when you would pay all bills of your friends at college canteen and the friends would immediately sing "Happy Birthday to you" for you. But thanks to Facebook that makes you alone, but with mere virtual birthday wishes without meanings, and words without expressions.

Let me claim again that Facebook has offered us fantastic service to connect ourselves with our world. It is nicer that it reminds us of some important dates for some people, who are important for us. The application is really helpful to celebrate those significant times with good spirits of prayers and wishes. But, do we actually take it so? Have we been able enough to enjoy all the benefits of such applications? To be more precise, has the birthday reminder really reminded you for the real birthday wishes and celebrations? Or, are they only wallpaper where you look everyday but don't care of its colours and composition?

Impacts of mass media in youths

Youths and mass communication – both of these subjects can be well explained in relation to the pace of development. Be it the enlightened thinkers or the layman, youth are the agent of change in everyone's perspective. Mass communication likewise is the yardstick to gauge the degree of development. More the numbers and varieties of mass media more the area is likely to be prospered, in other words. Mass communication as such in any way exerts a massive impact in the human life.

Since the entire society and life is influenced by the communication, its impacts on youth cannot be denied either. They are in fact even more influenced since they crave strongly to build affinity with those devises. The thought crisis engendered with age and sentiments itself propels them towards this direction.

Blessed with audio visual techniques, television stands way ahead to every other mass media, the impacts of which might be negative as well as positive. There is no dearth of people who have kindled progress in their life by dint of these. Whereas on the other part we have begun to hear many people saying" television has propelled him out of gear" Now the question to the fore is how to distinguish negative from positive. How to weed out the negative if any and if positive, how not to forfeit it?

Forwarding the questions here need answers as well to be addressed. We but can well dig the answers if we give our thoughts at least once to it. The facts which degrade our physical, mental, personal and social life should be abandoned. And if they exert any positive impact, then of course, they need to be well confessed.

Nowadays, people describing the impacts as negatives refer it as the agents of westernization for which youths are equally blamed along with the media itself. Positive thinkers on the other hand confess it as the way to modernization. It nonetheless seems to be more judicial and objective to define the impacts as directly guided by the notions and views of consumers, in a larger scale. Even from this perspective, the negative upshots have but governed the today's urban society. And of course, this is a matter of vexation to the positive thinkers at par with those wishing the involvement of youths in social welfare.

The youths in fact had to pilot the mass media as per their need and demand of time. To the contrary, these youths, they are evidently suspected to have been stagnated in the paths shown by them. This is of course not good news in any way. To minimize this, on the one hand youth need to mobilize their thoughts and skill ands on the other the programs that prove friendly for the full fledged improvements should be escalated, significantly.

(Thanks to Shruti Kadariya for translation. It is written some 3 years ago.)

Neutral Condolence

Yes, I have to write something about death of Girija Prasad Koirala (GPK).

Pages of newspapers on Sunday and Monday and programs of all radios and TVs on Saturday and Sunday were filled with appreciation of the late leader. They introduced him as "the greatest leader of the era in Nepal", "the towering freedom fighter", Guardian of the nation" and so on.

However, I personally think that GPK was one of the most criticized politicians in his lifetime. Many people - from laymen to established think-tanks - have blamed him for being autocrat and hypocrite.

It is not unnatural because every personality is blending of strengths and weaknesses. GPK has contributed a lot for establishment of peace, democracy, and liberty in our country. He is mastermind behind today's on-going political transformation. BUT, it is also not lie that he was somehow autocrat. He had many times prioritized his family than his own political party, and the nation. His love for the daughter was uncountable!

Among many critics of Koirala, I found three interesting as well as thoughtful : Gagan Thapa (Youth Leader of Nepali Congress), Khagendra Sangraula (Political writer) and Moda Nath Prasrit (Former UML leader and writer). Thapa, after death of the leader, in a radio interview says, "Person near death forgets selfishness. Despite his previous self-centered actions, Girijababu lying in his deathbed didn't talk about his daughter. Neither he talked about Koirala family, nor about Nepali Congress. He generously suggested Prime Minister and Prachand a to lead the nation. This final act has outweighed all his selfish words and actions. He proved himself a national leader". Sangraula, who hardly appreciates anyone, writes, "His presence on the streets used to be inspiration of courage and strength for us during street movement after Gyanendra's takeover. He was the only tall, credible, and effective guardian able to stare at Gyanendra's Marshall ruling." He further opines, "Statue of Tribhuvan is placed above statues of four martyrs at Sahidgate. That place of respect is now for Girijababu". I, so far, have not got opportunity to know what Prasrit is thinking on him, after his death. If you know something, please share...

Heartfelt condolence to GPK, the great leader as well as the great autocrat.

Get a goal

"A person without a goal is a monkey."

I used to her this saying frequently when I did not know anything about goal, even its literal meaning. That time, I thought it is all lie, because I was not monkey! But when I grew up gradually, I began to realize seriousness and truth contained in this silly statement.

In early teenage, we may have a number of goals, not a single one. We want to be "jack of all". Gradually we begin to realize that our capabilities are limited as the time and space available to our life. We step   by step subtract our goals and reduce it into single one. This seems a logical way for goal setting. (But WAIT – Don't try to reduce even after it is one. Otherwise, it will be zero, and you will be goalless.)

Having too much goal is really a problem. You can not move to east and west at the same time. If you try to do that, you will be pressured by two opposing forces and thus feel trapped and weak in yourself, and both of these two sectors.

However, it does not mean that a successful person is restricted to one profession .In fact, multi-professional people have also achieved great success with great satisfaction all over the world. Ronald Reagan was a successful politician and a popular actor at the same time. In Nepal too, BP Koirala is one of the most acknowledged leader as well as story writer. However, you need to have strength to maintain balance between and among such professions. It will be easier if the sectors, though different in one way, are interconnected and provide a common space. One can be journalist and a littérateur at the same time, because both are games of the words and their intersect-ground exists. One can be teacher and leader simultaneously. But, it will be very hard and required exceptionally great effort for him/her to be an athlete-cum-professor. A very narrow, if any, ground exists there sharing quality of both professions.

The more problematic than multiple goals is not having goal at all. And, it is seen in our society that most early youths are in such a circumstance. "M…………, I want to be …... To tell the truth, I don't have any goal so far……. Suggestions please…………..", most of our friends tend to reply in such ways if they are asked to tell the goal of their life. For it, not only youths are responsible. Our social and cultural values do not guide us to determine and attempt for a specific mission in our life. Rather, it tells "whatever you will meet in your future is already assigned to you before birth". Opposing to general Western belief, our culture thinks that fate guides our life, not our actions. Fatalism leads us beyond goal setting orientation.

So what to do? For success in your life, you need to have a goal.  If you have fixed a goal already, try to make it more specific and attainable and initiate your attempts to achieve it. If you are still in confusion about your future, think immediately and decide your goal. But how to find out appropriate and attainable goal?

Setting the goal

Before discussing about how to set a good goal, lets try to define what a good goal is. Great Poet of Nepali literature opines, "Lets take the goal to fly and touch the moon" (Uddesya ke linu udi chhunu Chandra eka. ) It means that our goal should be quite ambiguous and great. However, modern experts opine that our goal should be as specific and attainable as possible.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia defines, "A goal or objective is a projected state of affairs that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve—a personal or organizational desired end-point in some sort of assumed development." And www.mygoals.com has defined a good goal as "For our purposes, a good goal is one that is worthy of individual pursuit. And that is so highly subjective, far be it from us to define what your worthy pursuit is…………. A good Goal plan is one that when followed, offers a reasonably high probability of success, given sufficient time."

Here are some tips to find out your goal:

·         Observe and study your own behaviours. What interests you most?

·         Assess your strengths and weaknesses. What do you have? What can you do? Know that your life is for those strengths, so follow them. If possible, try to minimize those weaknesses. If you can't, let it be.

·         Know yourself and think critically. Don't follow blindly what other people say. However, don't hesitate to listen their suggestions.

·         Don't lose your confidence. Be optimist.

Traditional goal-setting wisdom has taught us that a good goal must be a) written, b) challenging, c) believable, d) specific, e) measureable, and f) have a specific deadline." However, this traditional formula is outdated now because of rapid development of technologies.

Even then, it is better to follow 'SMART' formula for a better goal. SMART stands for:

 a) Specific,

b) Measurable,

c) Attainable,

d) Relevant

e) Time-bound.

'Life Skills: A guide book for teenagers' published by UNICEF Nepal suggests thinking on following, when one goal of self:

a)      What do I need to do to attain my goal?

b)      What might be the challenges on the way?

c)       How can I overcome those challenges?

d)      Who can help me?

Our destination shows the way and speed to approach it. Determination of our goal is a basic for what profession should we choose. On the other hand, "who has to reach farther walks faster" – meaning, the person progresses better and more quickly, who has a greater goal. Hurry up so, and get a goal.