Have not you heard this ?
- a few decades ago, in Schools
and at Home, when one was not studying properly, the Teacher and Parents used
to scold - you are fit only ‘for taking
care of cattle’, especially buffalo ! – herding sheep, buffalo, - cattle was
considered to be menial and a task to be performed by those who do not study
and who do not have any other worthy job.
Life is all about observance, motivation, learning, knowledge,
performance, earning, relaxation and
enjoyment. When you live in closed doors
and when your mind is closed, you are most unlikely to understand leave alone
enjoy things. Literally, one needs to
keeps the doors open ! [and mind too]. The
modern day offices are with good interior decorations that look deceptively
attractive – they protect you from rain and shine – also keeps you away from
nature, not letting you know how hot it is outside nor would you know of the
pleasant drizzle outside. The walls and
structures are no longer open with big windows but are closed to contain the
cool air provided by airconditioners inside.
There are many a Venetianblinds
made of slats of fabric, wood, plastic or metal that adjust by rotating from an
open position to a closed position by allowing slats to overlap.
People respond to stress in different ways, namely, by becoming
overwhelmed, depressed or both. Whatever
will be, will be ! – work is not stressful to every one – not to those who love
thy work and those who know how to remain relaxed without getting the tensions
on to mind. There are so many relaxation techniques of methods, processes, activities and even of
remaining simply naïve – activities that helps a person to relax; to attain a
state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of anxiety, stress or
anger. One need not be a Yoga expert; there can be simpler practices as
well. To some music is relaxation, to
some looking at some serene setting, a look at fishes swimming in a tank, or
birds can be.
A couple of years ago, in a study performed on the Ovisaries [common
domestic sheep], two University of Cambridge researchers found the
long-underestimated mammals could pass a psychological test that stumps most
monkeys.And it was all by accident, according to New Scientist.Laura Avanzo and
Jennifer Morton were researching neuro-degeneration, with a focus on
Huntington's disease, an inherited disorder that leads to nerve damage and
dementia.As part of their research, Avanzo and Morton focused on a new breed of
genetically modified sheep which carries a defective gene that causes
Huntington's in humans.They put seven normal sheep through a set of challenges
often given to humans suffering from Huntington's.
The researchers found that sheep could learn to recognise
patterns in colours, change their behaviour when the pattern changed, and even
conquer "intra- and extra-dimensional set-shifting", which is a
complicated way of saying the sheep learnt to recognise and respond based on
the shapes of objects, instead of their colour.New Scientist said that is very
difficult for most large animals - except humans and other primates - to
do.There is no doubt sheep have a powerful herd or flock instinct that appears
to kick in and override other rational thoughts.But the next time you watch a
kelpie usher a motley flock of sheep through a gate at your local showgrounds,
best you think twice about who is really in control.
Away
from this is ‘Raising the Baa’ – the Corporate executives paying £2,000 to de-stress by learning to be
sheepdogs. MailOnline had reported about
this course run by a working shepherd who is turning his hand to executive
training.It is the latest craze in motivational and team building for deskbound
executives and a far cry from taking them paintballing or teaching them to
juggle.
Raising
the Baa: The company website asks: 'Is your team the best in your field'. It
pledges to help companies find out if workers are leaders or followers. The office workers turn up at a Wiltshire
farm to be greeted by shepherd Chris Farnsworth and his ‘Raising the Baa’
course.He gets the groups to act as sheepdogs and, just as the canines do on
One Man And His Dog, round up sheep and get them into a pen.The way the various
city slickers work not only helps them bond and develop teamwork, but also
shows who are the natural leaders or followers.In other words, which of them is
the human equivalent of shepherd, dog or sheep and how that could relate to
their day jobs.
People
on the motivational course are filmed rounding up sheep into a small pen. The
course works out which of the employees is the human equivalent of shepherd,
dog or sheep and how that could relate to their day jobs. The teams are filmed as they try and work
together to round the sheep up and then it is played back to them as their
roles are shown and defined.
Chris
and his partner Caroline Palmer run the course on local farms where Chris has
been a contract shepherd for neighbouring landowners for over 30 years.However
he was once a sales executive while Caroline works in marketing so they have
both have seen the stress of busy, more urban lifestyles first hand.For fees
from £400 to £2,000 they offer courses called Lamb, Ewe and Ram for various
size groups. It is reported that everyone from bankers to retail executives are
flocking to his courses, a gentle British version of the cattle ranching course
in the famous film City Slickers.
They call it - Open
Ewe-niversity ~ and there is learning
everywhere !!
With
regards – S. Sampathkumar
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