I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to Sufiyan sir and jyoti ma’am for facilitating our life class and creating such a enjoyable and enriching experience. Learning about 7 habits was not only informative but also a lot of fun. The teamwork and support we experienced on the ground were truly invaluable.
Thank you both for your dedication and guidance.
– Karan G Sharma
It was an enriching experience of attending session 3 & 4 of life class. I learned how to covert any situation in Win-Win situation. It was a “learn with fun” kind of a session in which we learned by doing different activities. We , the team members shared our thoughts as well as problems and got the multiple fruitful solutions. We also had a fantastic talk on importance on listening. We had an intellectual interaction with Mr. Parag sir during the session. We showed our efforts as a single team and won few ground activities to learn synergize. The soul of the session was the trust and faith among all team member which made us to go deep down and shared incidents of our life. The success of the session goes to our kind and generous facilitators, Sufyan sir and Jyoti Ma’am for their tireless efforts. Sincere thanks to Sufyan sir, Jyoti Ma’am and all the Beta members.
As part of the TLIM program, I had already received training in 7 habits. And so I thought that going through 7 habits all over again would turn out to be very boring. But it was not so!
The Beta group was led by Ms. Jyoti Banthia and Mr. Sufyan Saiyed. From the outset, the facilitators created an atmosphere of trust and comfort with their welcoming smiles. Both of them did not hold back in sharing their own personal stories in order for us to understand the concepts really well. JB and SS, being perceptive of our energy levels, included energisers to lift up our spirits and even maintained the pace of the sessions as per our needs. I was able to understand the first 3 habits in even more depth in these two days through activities and discussions. The time matrix and big rocks were the biggest takeaways for me and I hope to apply it in my daily planning and scheduling.
My Beta group co-learners were nothing less than awesome. For me, it’s a wonder how the trust was built among us in such a short time and how open we each were in sharing our vulnerabilities, especially in the activity where we had to imagine our death. The atmosphere was heavy and yet the spirit of non-judgemental acceptance that reflected in everyone was really heart warming. I gained new friends and gained a space to push myself out of my comfort zone. I am sure that everyone, just like me, gained some new perspectives and gratitude towards life by the end of 2 days.
Words are not enough to express the depth of feelings I experienced in those sessions. I’ll end my blog here. Looking forward to the next batch of life classes!
In this delectable odyssey of life classes, the third and fourth servings were the anticipated courses. Like a gourmand awaiting a feast, I was eager to mingle with Beta members and relish new knowledge. The third serving, akin to a beautifully set table, unfolded with the captivating sharing circle, revealing the essence of ‘active listening.’ Unexpectedly, the fourth serving served up a playful dish of synergy, a delightful surprise, like finding an extra treat in a meal. The flavors of competition awakened the childlike excitement within, adding a dash of spice to the experience. As the session curtains closed, the EBA envelopes were a sweet dessert, leaving a warm aftertaste. Gratitude fills me for the ingenious chefs, Ms. Jyoti Banthia and Mr. Sufan Saiyed, who orchestrated this delightful banquet. Just as skilled chefs craft an exquisite meal, they led with the same fervor and enthusiasm. Now, I eagerly await the next serving, for this banquet of wisdom promises a continual satiation of the soul.
After a long break, life classes were back. after many HIs and Hellos, introduction with the new members , we recapped the previous 2 sessions and began with habit 4: think win-win; we were given many situations and had to find out whether it was a win-win, win-lose,lose-lose,win…etc and had to make them into Win-Win.
For our 5th habit: we learned how communication is done with and without words and how sometimes, just listening to someone helps them calm down / relieve themselves.
Talking about listening, we heard from one of the guest speaker on how listening is so paramount, how to clear up the noise in our heads and how silence is getting extinct.
The next day we got excited for the games at KG farm in which ‘synergy’ was the focus but our focus went on winning… in the 1st game atleast.
The 1st game was, how do I put it ? ‘Intense’; it was a mixture of relay , dog and the bone and the 2nd part was a stealing game.
The next game had a blind folded player and a person who guides that through the obstacle course, but it went terribly as the person was not just blind, he was deaf too. So instructions were of no value as he couldn’t hear them.
In the 3rd game, we made up strategies and it was in this game that synergy built up, the game was a mixture of balance, coordination and involved patience and active listening. Our team was in the lead for most of the game, but unfortunately we lost because of a little impatience; but I would still consider it a win as the entire team had demonstrated incredible lvels of coordination and the synergy was off the charts.
The final game was tug of war and I don’t know how it is possible that anyone could win at the game without synergy, we won 3 rounds out of 4 against the opposing team and honestly, it was fun.
We then came back after changing and having breakfast to continue with the final habit i.e sharpen the saw.
We saw how important it is to sharpen oneself so that he/she may ” last longer” like the axe, we then divided the actions which are sharpening our saws and those which are spoiling it.
Finally we watched a movie which clearly demonstrated many habits like: sharpening the saw, begin with end in mind, synergize, seek first to understand then be understood.
These 2 days will be very hard to forget and the wait starts once again for day 5 and 6.
I look forward to life classes as in this journey of learning through sharing, I’ve uncovered a world of intellectual excitement. I got to dig into the cognitive biases, challenge my entrenched beliefs, and learn invaluable strategies for everyday life.
Day 3 and 4 shone a light on cognitive biases, those subtle traps in thinking that influence my decisions without me even realizing it. This newfound knowledge is equipping me to make more informed choices and see the world through a clearer lens.
From “murdering our darlings” to applying the ‘consider all factors’ (CAF) framework, I got an understanding of a few practical tools to challenge thinking, embrace diverse perspectives, and analyze arguments systematically. The inclusion of videos and movies in the sessions adds a captivating dimension, allowing me to witness how people assume and presume in real-life scenarios.
In conclusion, Critical Thinking Life Classes have ignited my passion for analytical thinking and equipped me with valuable skills to navigate life’s complexities. Whether you’re looking to enhance your decision-making or broaden your worldview, these classes are an intellectual adventure worth embarking on. Not only the format but the facilitators’ experience and the sharing of participants are indeed cherry on top.
Both of these sessions were truly enlightening, offering a profound exploration of the seven habits and their tangible, real-life applications. The wisdom shared not only educated us but also ignited a sense of empowerment.
I really loved these 2 days. I met a wide variety of people, and there was never a dull moment. I learnt how to improve not only my work and life, but myself as well. I definitely liked the teamwork activities at KG Farm, and really connected with the movie shown (Madam Geeta Rani). 🙂 Can’t wait for next Life Class!
It was an incredible class that will have an everlasting impact over me as a person especially the movie – Madam Geeta Rani, from where we learn as a teacher what we should do. One of the Aha moment was – passing the dupatta. I really appreciate the effort put the our facilitators . It was an incredible journey. Thank you!
So in these 2 days we learned how we could be active listener and also that communication is necessary for making other understand (Highlight_was listen the silence ).
The team work which reflects the synergize habit on day 2 with some unknown people was awesome and unforgettable.