How to Form and Operate a Non-Profit Organization

All Videos in this Series
Summary: Non-profit organizations are often political in nature, pushing for issues such as heath care and environmental regulation. However in this series, Expert Village will leave politics to the political action committees and instead focus our energies on issues very close to our heart: culture and education. As we turn the corner into the 21st century, non-profit groups throughout the country are striving to preserve the memory of the musicians, artists and writers who form the backbone of our cultural heritage. After watching this series of videos, you too will feel confident in lending your support by means of your own non-profit organization.

Original source:http://www.expertvillage.com

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How to Build Self Confidence

Steps
  1. Recognize your insecurities. What does that voice in the back of your mind say? What makes you ashamed of yourself? This could be anything from Get Rid of Acne, to Overcome Serious Regrets regrets to Deal with Emotional Abuse motional abuse (past or present) from a loved one or friends at school. Whatever is making you feel unworthy, ashamed, or inferior, identify it, give it a name, and write it down.
  2. Talk about it with friends and loved ones. Wear it on your sleeve. Each day chip away at it; wear it down. There's no quick fix. Get to the root of the problem; focus on it and understand that you need to resolve each issue before you can move on.
  3. Remember that no one is perfect. Even the most confident people have insecurities. At some point in any of our lives, we may feel we lack something. That is reality. Learn that life is full of bumps down the road.
  4. Identify your successes. Everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Give yourself permission to take pride in them. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you've declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized.
  5. Be thankful for what you have. A lot of the times, at the root of insecurity and lack of confidence is a feeling of not having enough of something, whether it's emotional validation, good luck, money, etc. By acknowledging and appreciating what you do have, you can combat the feeling of being incomplete and unsatisfied. Finding that inner peace will do wonders for your confidence.
  6. Be Positive, even if you don't feel positive. Avoid self-pity, or the pity and sympathy of others. Never allow others to make you feel inferior--they can only do so if you let them. If you continue to loathe and belittle yourself, others are going to do and believe likewise. Instead, speak positively about yourself, about your future, and about your progress. Do not be afraid to project your strengths and qualities to others. By doing so, you reinforce those ideas in your mind and encourage your growth in a positive direction.
  7. Look in the mirror and smile. Studies surrounding what's called the "facial feedback theory" suggest that the expressions on your face can actually encourage your brain to register certain emotions. So by looking in the mirror and smiling every day, you might feel happier with yourself and more confident in the long run.
  8. Fake it. Along the same lines of smiling to make yourself feel happy, acting confident might actually make you believe it. Pretend you're a completely confident version of you; go through the motions and see how you feel.
  9. Express yourself, whether it's through art, music, writing, etc. Find something you enjoy. Everyone is born with talents and strengths. You can develop and excel in yours. If it's difficult to name two or three things you have some ability in or just plain love to do, think about things others do that you would like to do too and take some lessons or join an enthusiasts club. When you're following your passion, not only will it have a therapeutic effect, but you'll feel unique and accomplished, all of which can help build your self confidence. Plus, adding a variety of interests to your life will not only make you more confident, but it will increase your chances of meeting compatible friends!
  10. Stick to your principles. It might be tough, but if you don't have something you can believe in, you don't have anything. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. No matter what's happened in your life, you can always lay claim to the fact that from this day forward, you've followed your principles to the best of your ability.
  11. Help others. When you know you're kind to the people around you, and are making a positive difference in other people's lives (even if it's just being kinder to the person who serves you coffee in the morning) you'll know that you are a positive force in the world--which will boost your self confidence. Go volunteer twice a month at an elementary school. Bake something for your neighbor for no reason. Confidence that you have earned is the most long-lasting.
source:http://www.wikihow.com

Tips for Mastering Critical Thought

Here are some ideas to help your critical thinking skills:

Be Skeptical

Doubt things. Don’t accept things at face value and think them through. The worst error you can commit is to delegate all your thinking to another person. By creating a layer of doubt on everything, even your ideas, you can improve them.

Skepticism isn’t cynicism, which rejects everything. It just means you need to place a layer of rational thought before accepting anything as truth.

Be Empirical

Many failures of thinking have to do with the beautiful theories and complex models we form inside our heads. These models can serve us well, but they can also trap us. Blinding you to potential opportunities and disguising threats.

Being empirical simply means that you experiment where you don’t know. Look towards data, not hypothesis, and follow what the numbers are telling you. No solution can be permanent, but resist the urge to force a complex reality into a simplified box.

Emphasize the Important

If I inform you that elephants are purple or that you can cut your e-mail time in half without problems, which would be better for you to think about? Rational thinking is an energy consuming ability. As such, you need to force it upon the things that matter most in your lives.

Sadly, many people who have mastered rational abilities of skepticism and empiricism avoid using them where they matter most. Within their narrowed field of study, they are ruthless thinkers, bringing out the truth. But then they go home and apply weak thinking skills to matters critical to their lives.

Here are some thoughts for where you might want to use your newfound critical thinking skills:

  • Habits. Where do you spend most your time and energy? If you are wrong about your habits, the result can be huge over a period of years.
  • Beliefs. How does your religious and spiritual beliefs influence your thinking. Using rational thinking skills can help you fine tune this ever-present aspect of your life.
  • Goals. What do you want to accomplish? Are you going about it the right way?
  • Opportunities. Have you summarily rejected opportunities because they don’t fit your worldview? Use some critical thinking skills to open up new possibilities.