Purpose Meaning And Action

Control Systems Theory, a newly developing theoretical perspective, starts from an important insight into human behaviour: that people attempt to control the world around them as they perceive it. This book brings together for the first time the work of prominent sociologists contributing to the development of this wideranging theoretical paradigm.

Meaning and Purpose of Life are perhaps the most thought about, if not talked about, issues on the planet since human beings have walked on earth. This book is another attempt to understand the Meaning and Purpose of Life using the ideas of Vedanta in Indian philosophy, and of mainstream economics. Starting from first principles, Dr. Agarwal explores the core concept of Brahman in Vedanta, and builds an axiomatic foundation for understanding the meaning and purpose of life using the fundamental ideas of the Prasthana Traya, and in particular of The Bhagavad Gita and The Principal Upanishads. Dr. Agarwal adheres to the philosophy of Karma Yoga as his chosen area of interest for the exploration of meaning and purpose, which allows him to seek linkages between the concepts of social welfare in Vedanta and economics. Ideas of lokasamgraha in Indian philosophy and of externalities in economics provide a clear common ground between the two apparently disparate disciplines. Throughout the book, he emphasizes simple practical approaches for making life more meaningful and happier, while relying fundamentally on the basic ideas of Vedanta.

"This is a timely book, enabling teachers to reflect critically upon their existing work-place practices, which have been so powerfully shaped by the target culture and the logic of performativity that has underpinned it for two decades. More importantly it will empower primary school teachers to play a more active role in effecting curriculum and pedagogical change in their schools and classrooms."Professor John Elliot, School of Education, University of East Anglia, UK This book encourages the reader to question the existing culture of schooling and its practices, which have been shaped and dominated by a target led and outcomes driven agenda. The book draws attention to some of the conflicts that arise in the demand for performance on the one hand and teachers' responsiveness to children and their learning on the other. Sue Cox sets out to show how change might be based on clear understandings of how children learn and how teachers contribute to that learning. She does this by providing frameworks for change and shows how, from these perspectives, participation is key to children's education, both as an account of their learning and as a democratic principle. She explores the potential for transformation in teachers working collaboratively with children in areas such as interaction, curriculum and assessment. An underlying aim of the book is to provide the tools for teachers to develop a principled approach to what they do and how they think in order to challenge, and to re-construct entrenched practices and thinking. This book provides thoughtful reading and promotes reflective thinking for primary teachers and teachers in training, offering insights into new ways of approaching and developing primary education. Sue Cox is Senior Lecturer for The School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia, UK.

Showcasing the very latest in the theory, research and practice of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) across a range of clinical applications, including eating disorders, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, PTSD and substance abuse, with contributions from leading ACT practitioners including co-founders Kirk Strosahl, Kelly Wilson and Rob Zettle. Chapters range from detailed treatments of the scientific and theoretical aspects of the ACT model and research program, to detailed discussions of how to apply ACT to a variety of human problems. Divided into two parts, the first section features theoretical treatments of ACT, with the second (and larger) section presenting extended descriptions of how to apply ACT in different contexts. This rich content mix reflects the strengths of the contextual behavioral science (CBS) research program espoused by Michael Levin and Steven Hayes from the University of Nevada. In the end, ACT is an applied treatment model, and as such, it lives and dies by its ability to effectively benefit a wide variety of clients. In order to make the treatment increasingly effective and to maximize understanding about precisely how the treatment works, its tenets must be theoretically coherent, firmly based on empirically tried and true principles, and must have its active psychological processes clearly identified and sufficiently assessed. This book clearly demonstrates such a mix of full application, an appreciation of basic-applied research linkage, clear and behaviorally-consistent conceptualization of specific problem areas, and coherent explication of the ACT model. This book will not only tell you what to do with clients struggling with various problems, it will also tell you how those things work.

This book uses the work of Jurgen Habermas to interrogate leisure as a meaningful, theoretical concept. Drawing on examples from sport, culture and tourism, and going beyond concerns about the grand project of leisure, Spracklen argues that leisure is central to understanding wider debates about identity, postmodernity and globalization.

Purpose is fundamental and gives life meaning. It gives us the will to live and to live long and well. In this new edition of his bestselling classic, legendary personal coach Richard Leider offers brand-new tools and techniques for unlocking it. Purpose is an active expression of our values and our compassion for others—it makes us want to get up in the morning and add value to the world. The Power of Purpose details a graceful, practical, and ultimately spiritual process for making it central to your life. This revitalized guide will help you integrate it into everything you do. This third edition has been completely revised and updated. In addition to new stories, examples, and resources, it features four new chapters. “Purpose across the Ages” looks at how purpose can evolve during our lives. “The 24-Hour Purpose Retreat” includes seven mind-opening questions to help you unlock your purpose. “The Purpose Checkup” offers a new tool for periodically evaluating the health of your purpose. And in “Can Science Explain Purpose?” we learn what researchers are discovering about how an increased sense of purpose can improve our health, healing, happiness, longevity, and productivity.

Get there faster: Your road map to smart, sustainable change! Taking Action is a hands-on guide to the groundbreaking book, Coherence: The Right Drivers in Action for Schools, Districts and Systems, providing step-by-step protocols to help foster deep coherence for maximum student learning—all within a reasonably short time frame. You’ll develop: Deeper understanding of The Coherence Framework A 100-Day Coherence Plan Leadership, capacity, and coalition-building skills Systems and tools to assess your organization Includes video links, print resources, case studies, and diagnostic and planning tools. Fostering greater coherence is at your fingertips with this instant action guide!

Find your purpose at work. In an ideal world, our work lives would be completely fulfilling and intrinsically motivating. But what if you're stuck in a job and your heart isn't in it anymore? Or what if your company's mission seems unrelated to the work you do day in and day out? This book showcases the power of passion--and how you and your team can find it at work. This volume includes the work of: Morten T. Hansen Teresa M. Amabile Scott A. Snook Nick Craig This collection of articles includes "Finding Meaning at Work, Even When Your Job Is Dull," by Morten Hansen and Dacher Keltner; "What to Do When Your Heart Isn't in Your Work Anymore," by Andy Molinsky; "You Don’t Find Your Purpose--You Build It," by John Coleman; "How to Find Meaning in a Job That Isn't Your True Calling," by Emily Esfahani Smith; "You're Never Done Finding Purpose at Work," by Dan Pontefract; "From Purpose to Impact," by Nick Craig and Scott A. Snook; "Five Questions to Help Your Employees Find Their Inner Purpose," by Kristi Hedges; "How to Make Work More Meaningful for Your Team," by Lewis Garrad and Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic; "The Power of Small Wins," by Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer; and "The Founder of TOMS on Reimagining the Company's Mission," by Blake Mycoskie. HOW TO BE HUMAN AT WORK. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.