CSR

I think I found the field that I am interested in. It is CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility. When I was teenager I thought I will become a business lady. Actually I didnt think about this so much, it was natural for me going into business. I wanted to do something by my own or if I would not have been come up with some good idea then I thought about taking over the business.

My mind changed when I was about to graduate the high school. I didnt like the world of the dirty business. I saw there a lot of corruption and it seemed impossible to do something alone without playing the game with others. My values didnt match the business world. So I went to study psychology because it was a way to help other people. Psychology and ethics are usually going together although sometimes you might hear about some "psychologists" who have no relevant education.

While discovering AIESEC I understood that actually business is not only about dirty games. There are many people who are living the right values and want to be a true leader.

Now I found CSR. Still I have some controversy with some people but I dont believe in Friedman`s doctrine - the business of business is business. And I believe that CSR is the future. It must be.

CSR is not as popular in Estonia as it is in West Europe. Hansapank is the first - they are building their CSR division. From this year Äripäev is also launching the CSR Index. So it is starting from somewhere atleast. And I want to do my seminar work in CSR (research related to values, personality...).

First post this year

I havent written anything for some time in here. Why? I feel busy. Somehow there is so many things to do so that I hardly find time for myself. To reflect. To enjoy free moments. Being alone with my thoughts. Yes - this feels like nostalgia. Earlier i used to have these moments more often.

Today i had my last exam. Now i feel i have more time. And there is no tension any more.

Many times i felt like writing down some of my experiences but then i couldnt sit down and do it because all the time it seemed like being in hurry and every minute seemed to be important - even if i did nothing at this one minute.

As it is a new year so i want to sum up the last year. What was different from previous years.

The year 2007 didnt begin with good news. There was a lot of trouble just from the beginning. And it continued wholly the first half of the year. I dont feel like sharing all the details but it was not an easy period.

Still there was a lot of positive things during the year 2007.

In february i participated on my first youth exchange in Macedonia. It was really exciting experience. After this youth exchange we organised a youth exchange in Estonia. It was very useful and fun. There was so many thing to learn by doing. In August i participated on my third youth exchange in Sweden. I liked it as well.

In february i joined AIESEC. It was my aim to be the member of this organisation because i understood it is a place what i really want to belong to.

In july i was a group leader in a camp. It was quite cool altough sometimes it is not so easy to manage teanagers.

From September i belong to ProjectEDU team. My dream of making change in education system in Estonia is coming true.

What about university? Yes.. in 2007 i started studing econimics as my minor. I planned to take both modules and now i am almost finished with them - only some more subjects are left that seem easy. And my psychology studies are going well. (One more semester and then my studies are supposed to be finished.)

When i think about my last year i feel like doing too much. Both semesters over 30 credit points, volunteer at youth centre, AIESEC, street dance trainings. Yeah... thats why i dont feel like studing ahead right after finishing my bachelor degree. I feel i need some time for myself, finding some vision for next period in my life. Right now i even prefer doing MBA than masters in psychology. Anayway - i need some clarity. Probably a gap year is the best solution.

So.. what about this new year? I have some high expectations towards this year. We will see what is going to happen :)

This is how i spent the 1st of January 2008.

Youth centre KOHT

projectEDU

This is a project that our team is working at in AIESEC. The aim of this project is to improve and diverse language teaching at secondary schools in Tartu and its near surroundings. What we gonna do is to bring native (preferred) language teachers to our schools and give a possibility to Estonian interns to go abroad. Why are we doing this? Because we see lack of language teachers and creativity at secondary schools.

By our side we want to give the best integration during the stay of a foreigner. Estonian language classes and cultural introduction (for example trips to every county) will be provided.

Interns will also work out a unique personal development/creativity class that the pupils will have as an optional subject.

At the end of a school year all the interns and some pupils will share their experience on a conference. Pupils will give their performs.

So - if you are a student of some language department dont miss this opportunity. Practice is the best way of learning.

Graffity

Today i did first time in my life graffity. It was awsome. I have tried to write something on the paper when i was about 15 years old or so but now i did it with the right cans and on the wall. Anyway it isnt so easy as it seems. We have one proffessional graffity boy in our youth exchange and he draws really nice. But it takes 6 years to draw like him :)

Sweden

Today i arrived in Sweden. From 1.-9. Aug our great team organized a youth exchange in Estonia (Promoting Healthy and Active Lifestyle) and on 10th Aug i leaved to Sweden by ship. The weather in Estonia was hot but here it is colder. We stay in a youth club in Gävle. This youth club is really great. You can find here rock studio, dj-studio, radio station, karaoke...
Why isnt there any youth clubs like this in Estonia??? :(

Strange findings...

Yesterday i read a study book of social psychology and found some new information that amazed me. It was about self-awareness, introspection, self-monitoring etc..

"Consistantly, as we have seen, people preserve their self-esteem by deluding themselves and others with biased cognitions, self-handicapping, basking in the glory of others, and making downward comparisons. Are these strategies a sign of health and well-being, or are they syptoms of disorder? "

"... individuals who are depressed or low in self-esteem actually have more realistic views of themselves than do most others who are better adjusted. Their self-appraisals are more likely to match appraisals of them made by neutral observers; they make fewer self-serving attributions to account for success and failure; they are less likely to exaggerate their control over uncontrollable events; and they make more balanced predictions about their future. They are also more likely to compare themselves with similar others rather than make downward comparisons. Based on these results, Taylor and Brown reached the provocative conclusion that positive illusions promote happiness, the desire to care for others, and the ability to engage in productive work - hallmark attributes of mental health: "These illusions help make each individual`s word a warmer and more active and beneficent place in which to live"."

Hmm.. what the hell?

Okay.. maybe it really works like that but i really dont want to live in illusions - whether they are positive or negative.

An other question is if it is possible to live without any illusions. We might break some illusions but maybe it is impossible to break all of them. Some of them might maintain even without knowing it.

Let imagine that life consists of a lot of illusions.. must we then maintain these illusions and try to live according to them?

Anyway i dont believe that living according to illusions is a right way.