Srikumar Rao says we spend most of our lives learning to be unhappy, even as we strive for happiness. At Arbejdsglaede Live! 2009, he teaches us how to break free of the "I'd be happy if ..." mental model, and embrace our hard-wired happiness.
Srikumar Rao was an executive at Warner Communications and McGraw-Hill before he created his celebrated MBA course, "Creativity and Personal Mastery." The course -- the only business school course that has its own alumni association -- shows students how to discover their unique purpose, creativity and happiness, through group work and a philosophical perspective. Its popularity has led to write-ups in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Business Week.
Rao is also an adviser to senior business executives, whom he helps find deeper meaning and engagement in their work. He's the author of Are You Ready to Succeed: Unconventional Strategies for Achieving Personal Mastery in Business and Life, and has been a contributing editor for Forbes.
"[Creativity and Personal Mastery] is a forum for self-exploration, meant to help future business leaders define their personal ethics and goals." -The New York Times
Six of the state's most successful and outstanding women were honored last night for their accomplishments and public service. The Association for Women In Communication presented its yearly Women of Achievement Awards at its annual Matrix Table dinner at the Westin Hotel. "We just feel it's very important to recognize women who have made contributions to our community," said association president Vanessa Gallant.
The APS and WITEMTM Women in ICT Awards were presented at the inaugural WITEM Alumni Celebration Dinner held at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra on Thursday, 15 April 2010.
The other day I recieved this email and felt it was important to share with you all, as it's message is truelly an important one
I just read about a tragic story today: "I lost my beautiful youngest daughter to suicide 3 years ago... She was not referred on to an appropriate service after suffering post-natal depression... She had 3 children whom she adored, and she had so much to live for. She said to me not long before she died, 'Mum, I wish I had cancer, then people would be more understanding and caring'. We need improved and increased specialised services NOW." --Mary, a GetUp member who shared her story.*
No parent should have to experience this. Please sign this petition today to get more support for people suffering with mental ill-health before it's delivered to Parliament House on Thursday: http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/MentalHealth
The Government's head advisor on mental health, Prof. John Mendoza, has just resigned, saying that the Government is ignoring the need for mental health reform. He says that only public pressure will move politicians, and is aiming to collect 60,000 public signatures on a petition to be delivered to Parliament this Thursday.
Prof. Mendoza has written a letter requesting we all join his call - you can read it below and join his petition.
On 3 May 2010, the Minister for Finance and Deregulation released the Government Response to the report of the Government 2.0 Taskforce - Engage: Getting on with Government 2.0.
Some key points from the Taskforce's report include:
Government 2.0 or the use of the new collaborative tools and approaches of Web 2.0 offers an unprecedented opportunity to achieve more open, accountable, responsive and efficient government.
Though it involves new technology, Government 2.0 is really about a new approach to organising and governing. It will draw people into a closer and more collaborative relationship with their government. Australia has an opportunity to resume its leadership in seizing these opportunities and capturing the resulting social and economic benefits.
Leadership, and policy and governance changes are needed to shift public sector culture and practice to make government information more accessible and usable, make government more consultative, participatory and transparent, build a culture of online innovation within Government, and to promote collaboration across agencies.
The report included 13 recommendations which are addressed in the Government Response.
The OECD has cited Australia's growth potential as ‘clearly standing out as the best' in the world over the medium term.
After weathering the crisis well in 2009, the Australian economy is projected to experience strong growth in 2010 and 2011, above its trend rate.
Activity might expand by as much as 3¼ per cent and 3½ per cent in these two years, driven by booming exports and domestic demand. The unemployment rate is expected to fall below 5% by the end of 2011, in a context of moderate inflation.
Did you know that in February 2009, Twitter was the fastest growing social medium with 1382% growth from the year before. Total unique visitors grew form 475,000 in Feb 2008 to seven million in Feb 2009. I can't find this years statistics but imagine them on the same trajectory.
Has your Department started using this yet. The UK Government has. Read the UK Government's website outlining the Template Twitter strategy for Government Departments. For those of you who don't know what Twitter can do, it is all explained here as well. Another article you may find interesting is engaging public online
Here are some interesting facts that I have found in my travels:
Women lack access to essential services in the northern province of Faryab, 80 per cent of women experience violence in their daily lives and lack access to basic health, education and justice services, according to Fawzia Raufi, an Afghan MP.
However, the Afghan government insists it is making progress towards gender equality despite there being three women serving in Afghanistan's interim and transitional administrations from 2002-2004 and now there being just one female minister in the cabinet.
Fact Box!
Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan
