The Essence of Bhagavad Geeta: The Art of Self Realization

 

Revealing Revolutionary Secret- The Art of Critical Thinking: A proven tool for circumventing your personal and business Problems.

BY: Mahendra S. Rathore MBA, MA, BA (Honors) CFP® CRPC® ChFC® CLU® PMP® CHE® CIMA, CHA®

Developing Critical Thinking:

Every day we are confronted with making difficult choices and decisions on the major purchases, paying for a child's fancy car, or planning for a vacation, or even whom to elect as RANA leader for the next two years. You might think some of these are small and unimportant, but trust me, none should be viewed as small as every decision we make today have far-reaching consequences and will significantly impact our financial, emotional l& social relationships in the near or distant future. For example, which candidate should I vote for in the RANA elections? Should I buy the latest car for my child because other friends have purchased it for their children? Or will buying ten lottery tickets will make me a millionaire? We are constantly overwhelmed with so many decisions that sometimes it is impossible to make a perfect choice every time.

Let me help you with practical tips to help improve the decision-making odds in your favor. And there are a few ways to improve your quality of choices, and one particularly effective technique is critical thinking.

Critical Decision-Making Choices:

By approaching critical decision-making choices thoughtfully and constructively would allow you to deconstruct a situation carefully, unravel unmanliest issues, such as motives, intentions, bias, emotional strings, and veiled manipulation, and make the best decision. If the critical part appears or sounds monstrous, that is because, in a way, it is a complicated process. It is essential that rather than choosing an answer because it feels right, my friend has done this way, getting too emotional and driven by sentiments, you might want to step back and use your critical thinking and subject all available options to rigorous evaluation, scrutiny and with curiosity and skepticism. We have God-gifted intellect and mind as the most potent tools and using the tools at your disposal, and you can easily discern the facts from fiction and eliminate everything but the most valuable and reliable information.

There are many ways of approaching critical thinking, but I find a logical five-step process that may help you solve many problems regardless of their scope, complexities, and severity.

Reason through logic:

First step: Formulate and reframe the question in your mind. In other words, Focus on What & Why? Thereby, to know precisely what you are looking for? Making rational decisions is not always straightforward as it may appear. For example, if you are deciding whether to vote for a friend or friend or someone qualified & competent, or someone based on caste, region, or gender. Your reasons for doing so may be clouded by other factors, like claims that you will see results voting for whom. But if you approach the situation with a clear view of what you are trying to accomplish by choosing a leader, whether that is good for the community, having more social engagement and support, that thinking process will equip you to navigate through this information critically, find what is right and decide whether the new car suits your child's needs.

Question the Question!

Step two: gather all relevant facts and information. There is lots of information out there; therefore, having a clear idea of your question will help you home in on the relevant information and determine what is appropriate. If you are trying to decide on major purchases or funding an expensive child's wish list or purchasing something to outsmart others and alleviate your status or reputation, you may ask an expert for their advice or seek other people's testimonies and experiences. Information gathering helps you weigh different options, moving you closer to an informed decision that meets your goal and giving you peace of mind and better relationships.        

Challenge the Assumptions:

Step Three: It is all about applying the knowledge, skills, and information you do by asking critical questions. Facing a decision, ask yourself, "What critical concepts/problems are at play here?" "What assumptions exist to work with?"

" Does my interpretation of the information sound logical and satisfying?" For example, in a TV Advertisement that promises you the opportunity to be a millionaire, you should consider, "What is shaping my approach to this situation?" "Do I assume the lottery seller is telling the truth?" "Based on the evidence, is it logical to assume I'll have a chance to win any money leave aside from winning the millions lottery?"

Synthesis of insights and implications:

Step Four: Understand, every cause affects. Every action cause reaction, so thoughtfully consider the implications of your decision in a holistic sense. Imagine it is RANA election time, and you have selected a candidate based on their professed promise to make it glorious RANA for promising everything that a community-based organization needs or expects. At first glance, that seems significant. But what about the long-term effects of choosing leaders prima facie on their views and promises?

 What are their quantifiable, measurable goals and timelines for delivery on those promises? If they promise something, who would be there to hold them accountable and do a half-yearly assessment of their progress towards the targets or milestones? How will they use & protect our personal information, resources, platform of the RANA for the community benefits? These are critical issues at stake, and this could also cause unintended consequence that is important to think about. We must not allow teams to assume offices and do little to RANA's goals and better our fraternity.

Diversify thought!

 Step Five: Embrace an abundance mindset.

Widen your horizon and explore others' points of view. Ask yourself why so many people are drawn to the manifesto of the different candidates. Even if you agree or disagree with everything that these candidates are saying or promising, exploring the full spectrum of alternative viewpoints might provide you some other information, insights, or perspectives as to why some promises or proposals that do not seem outright genuine or seem too presumptuous. Here is when connecting and listening to other's viewpoints can be helpful. Following the above outlined five step, critical thinking process or the approach will allow you to explore alternatives, evaluate your own choices, and ultimately help you make wise and informed decisions for our family and the extended family- RANA.

Critical thinking pays off.

However, please understand the five-step process is just one of many tools in your toolbox to unlock complex situations. While it will undoubtedly eradicate or resolve all complex decisions from our lives, it can help us ease decision-making and increase the probability of making positive choices. Therefore, when confronted with Hobson's will, it is useful to adopt Critical thinking as a valuable tool to navigate through the wealth of information and seek sound solutions to the complex and challenging decisions..

Making informed decisions process is analogous to the yogurt churning process. Just like in the olden days at our homes, to get the fresh butter, one gets to keep churning the yogurt in the big earthen pot until the cream comes up; in the same manner, we must keep using the mental critical thinking faculties until you master the art of making sound and well-thought decisions. The Critical thinking can make you a better decision-maker, thereby improve the family's & business fortune, raising responsible youth, and making RANA a vibrant and thriving organization.