A MAGAZINE FROM THE GOPAST CENTRE FOR LEARNING

Inscriptions 37
TRUTH STAYS FOREVER

April 2022
 PAGE INDEX

Page CHAPTER Topic By

PROUD LIST
3 SCULPTOR SCULPTS
Part 3 of Coping Skills
MR R.GOPINATH

Partnership Insurance:
15 GURUS SPEAK MR R.GOPINATH
A Niche Market

Allocating money for your most

27 CATERPILLAR SPACE
important goal
Mr Malay Chitalia

Ms D Akshada the budding

32 WE ARE PROUD OF
Classical Dancer

SCREEN SHOTS OF THE

37 GALLERY
SESSIONS IN PROGRESS
SCULPTOR INSCRIBES

R.GOPINATH
 Proud List:

Coping up Skill

“That one skill that makes humans Omnipotent”

Part 3 of the total 4 parts

R.Gopinath

gopinathr@go-past.com

If there is one essential skill that all of us have to learn and

master well is “Coping Skills”. How well do we cope up
with situations in life and businesses. All other skills like
negotiating, dancing, singing, playing, driving, arts and
crafts are all secondary to this skill. Without this skill, the
other skills can be useful only when situations are
favourable. During unfavourable situations or incidents that
creates emotional upheaval the other skills will not be put to
use. Other skills will get trapped under the crushing weight
of our emotions.

We will have our own mixture of events that give us

happiness and events that creates sorrow. Some such
events creates deep emotional wounds in us. Even though
those incidents are momentary, the pain they cause last for
a long period, sometimes even years.

Some people suffer more from a painful incident (Loss),

than others who face similar situation. Why does this
happen? It is quite logical to assume that if the extent of the
loss is the same, its impact on the emotions of different
people should be the same. But in reality it is quite different.

Some people are pushed into a state of grief for years,

while some get out of it in few months. It is not just about
the period of grief, it is also about the intensity of the pain
they undergo (feel). Some people cope up well with tough
situations, while some don’t.

This triggers some questions in our mind that,

Is this pain self inflicted?

can we control its intensity?

Should we have to just wait for the time to heal the wound?

Does it happen to us, or are we causing it to happen?

“We can reduce the span of suffering (of a loss) by

feeling confident. We extend it, by feeling meek. By
practice we can accomplish gaining confidence ad lib.”-
rg

In this article I will be using the word Loss to represent

anything that caused (or can cause) pain. It could be a
broken relationship, Financial Loss or an Accident that
caused physical rehabilitation, or a severe insult, or
anything like that…

Look at this picture:

Feelings are generated by thoughts. Our thoughts are

sourced from 3 avenues. In this issue (Coping skills part 3)
we are going to discuss about “Memory”

Out previous experiences are etched in our memory. When

we face a similar situation our mind goes into the stored
information and effortlessly bring to surface such thoughts
associated with such events.

For example:

1) As a person enters a big hospital to visit his Friend

admitted there, the mixed aroma of the medicines,
sanitation liquids, antiseptics, and the linen there brings
to surface thoughts of pain and anxiety undergone last
time when a close relative was admitted in a hospital
after an accident. These thoughts create a feeling of
fear or anxiety or even helplessness.

2) Even while hearing preceding music of a very inspiring

song, the body senses a flow of adrenaline. We can
even notice our feet tapping on the ground and our fists
closed and our forearm still like a steel rod.

PROUD LIST:

Looking back in our life there can be many instances where

we have won a match, top scored in an exam, got
thundering applause for a great rendition. At a lower scale
we would have earned an appreciation from a friend or
brother for a timely help rendered. Gratitude expressed by a
smile from a stranger for a small courtesy shown to him. A
puzzling problem cracked by a brilliant idea.

PAIN LIST:

Equal in numbers can be instances of being rejected,

heckled and ignored. Failures in some crucial attempts.
Instances of being let down by people close by. Even grave
incidents that almost brought us to life or death situations,
like civil wars or riots, famine or calamities.

Mostly these negative experiences get strongly etched in

the memory more than the positive experiences would. So
they are effortlessly recalled when another threatening
incident is in the making.

But such memories trigger thoughts of helplessness which

can shake our confidence, with a result the pain of this
incident is going to be prolonged and intensified. Instead of
that, if we feel confident that we can handle this situation
well, then the pain will be short-lived and also less
intensive.

We can train our mind to recall those positive experiences

we had in the past. Even as the memory of such successes
start emerging, we will sense a flow of adrenaline, serotonin
and dopamine start flowing in. (Energy, Happiness and
Calmness hormones)

https://images.app.goo.gl/BCmh3VoMwF8YKKDy6

It is like opening the flagged pages of our diaries where

such proud things happened. Try to record such instances
more vividly like the scenes, background sounds etc, it will
be very useful here. They will gush in a feeling of
confidence not just for a while but for a longer time span.

I have tried to give you the verbatim of the discussion I had

over phone with one of our associates who was right then
undergoing a very stressful period in life due to a health
emergency. So while you read the following paragraphs
please imagine and follow as if you are on the conference
call with me and that friend.

One of our agent friend had to undergo a surgery, in fact

multiple surgeries to remove the malignant tissues on the
right side of his face and also plastic surgery to restore to
an extent his appearance close to prior operation. For
almost one week before the scheduled date of surgery lying
in the hospital bed, listening to the non-committing
statements of the Doctors (like “We will try our best, rest is
in God’s hands”), mechanical approach of the support staff,
he became extremely anxious.

When he spoke to me over phone, he was in tears, he was

sobbing. He was asking as to what are the chances of his
surviving this phase?

I suggested to him, “Let doctors do their best, which they

will, but let us also support them in the surgery. Let us
make it easy for them. You know our brain helps us heal our
diseases and injuries. It supports in many ways to cure us.
By generating supportive hormones, growing a flesh or
bone, making muscles flexible and even create new Neuro-
connections. Our immune systems are at its command.”

“Let us use this to support the efforts of the doctors and

surgeons who are trying to cure you and make you well
again. To do this our brain needs to be told that we need
its help now and also a confirmation that it can help
well. Both motivation and confidence are required now.”

“Even though this situation is incomparable with anything

that we have faced so far, still there will many instances
where we have overcome difficulties and succeeded well.
Surprising others with our comebacks. These instances can
be from our business spectrum or from our school life or
from areas related to our dreams. Let us make a list of such
instances. To start with look into the immediate past 3 years
and recall 3 such instances.”

Initially he felt he was finding it difficult to recall any such

big achievement. Then I encouraged him “don’t label it as
big achievement or small achievement, just start recalling.”
He hesitantly started with a couple of such in the life
insurance marketing experience. I urged him to define it
with more details like how those scenarios appeared and
what all did he hear during such meetings with the clients.
He could now go into some more details. I could sense that
even as he was explaining those experiences to me, his
voice, tone and modulations were improving. I could hear
“Confidence” emerging. I cross checked with him, he said
he is feeling little better.

I encouraged him to also visit areas related to his children

and how he shaped/supported their states of mind. He
went on to explain it. While all this was happening, his wife
near his hospital bed, asked him to put the phone on
speaker mode, so that she could hear the discussions. In
the course of further discussions she kept adding much
more to what he was narrating.

Some of the nursing staff in his room were also listening. He

said to me later, that one of the nurses, came back to him
after her duty hours and congratulated him for the way he
supported his daughter when she was doubtful about her
performance in the exams and how she later on went to top
the class. The nurse even shared with him that her father is
also an insurance advisor of the same company as our
agent’s.

I asked the agent to do such recalls again and again and

share it with his wife, even if he has to repeat the same
incident again let him still do it.

Three days before the surgery, the Chief doctor mentioned

to him that his fundamentals are indicating lots of
improvement in the last one week. He even commented
that he (our agent) is appearing bright, confident and
healthy.

He confirmed to me a day before his surgery, that his brain

is ready to support the doctors/surgeons in their endeavour
to cure him. By the grace of God and the expertise of the
medical team the surgeries were successful. He
recuperated soon.

This is not the only incident that I have experienced about

the effectiveness of “Proud list” there are many many more.

I have benefitted personally by recalling the items on my

Proud list many times.

I am quoting from a scientific article that explains the

science behind whatever we had discussed in this issue.

Researchers led by Dr. Kareem Zaghloul of NIH’s National Institute of

Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) set out to determine
whether similar brain activity takes place in people when recalling
memories. The study was supported by NINDS, along with NIH’s
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Results
appeared in Science on March 6, 2020.

These findings suggest that memories involve coordinated replay of

neuronal firing patterns throughout the human brain.

“Just as musical notes are recorded as grooves on a record, it appears

that our brains store memories in neural firing patterns that can be
replayed over and over again,” says Zaghloul.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/memories-involve-replay-neural-
firing-patterns

Have a look at this picture, you will agree with me that we

have a choice to recall those green coloured incidents or the
red colour incidents.
So stay tuned for the next issue of our inscriptions for Part 4
of Coping skills.
GURUS SPEAK

R.GOPINATH
 “Partnership Insurance: A Niche Market”

R. GOPINATH

gopinathr@go-past.com

One of the essential needs of businesses is to ensure a

smooth transition of ownership through a well designed
legacy planning. This need is all the more felt in Particular
for family run businesses and closely held businesses. This
is the most important concern for Partnership firms
because of the legal tenants that govern such firms. Even
before I get into explaining the finer points of Partnership
life insurance policies let me detail on why our life insurance
marketing force should specialise in such niche markets.

Mostly companies choose to follow one of these

approaches, based on their research and study of the
prospects in the market:

1) Mass Market, 2) Target Market and 3) Niche Market.

Mass marketing is a strategy when the company has a big

range of products that can cater to the needs of the
majority population in the market. The company has
products to suit the price preferences and minor variations
in the features of the products to suit the widest base of
participants in that market. Examples of such approaches
can be easily found in electrical fittings, textiles, utensils
markets.

Grouping customers based on homogeneous criteria like

needs, preferences, behaviours, affordability, etc so that
they can be better approached and served is the core
aspect of target marketing approach.

Examples of such approaches can be quoted even from the

industries mentioned in the previous paragraph 1) Electrical
fittings: Commercial and domestic. 2) Textiles: Warm and
regular use. 3) Utensils Cooking, serving and containing.

Niche marketing is a marketing strategy that focuses on a

unique target market. Instead of marketing to everyone who
could benefit from a product or service, this strategy
focuses exclusively on one group, like having unique need
mostly who can afford high prices, those who seek
exclusivity, 1) Electrical fittings: High voltage, Designer
models, 2) Textiles: Sports, for Artists 3) Utensils:
Microwave, medical/clinical.

This picture explains the correlation between the volume of

sales and the profitability per sale with respect to the above
three approaches, Mass, Target and Niche.

In Life Insurance marketing also companies and individual

advisors select any of the above or combination of two or
all of these approaches. For example: Term Assurance
products marketing can be promoted for a mass market
consumption. While Insurance for female lives can be like a
target approach and Insurance to protect companies from
the loss of key men or to protect the firm from the loss of
the death of a partner of a firm can form a part of Niche
marketing strategy.

To understand the details of Partnership insurance

arrangements, let us deal with a real life case study.

Let us say a partnership firm by the name Jupiter tools is in

operation for the last 20 years, and the partners P1,P2,P3
and P4 had contributed 10 Lakhs (10Million) each as the
capital in 2002 when the firm was formed. In the last 20
years the company has grown multi folds and say the
present valuation of the company is 100 Crores (1Billion).
Since each one of the partner is holding equal shares, each
one of them is worth 25 crores (250 Million) in the books of
the company.

At this stage the partner P3 died. What is the position of

this firm now? The legal heirs of the P3 (like spouse,
children, grand children, parents...) are now entitled to this
25 Crores. If the other 3 partners P1,P2 and P4 want to
continue the firm in its original name, enjoy the licenses
issued to the Jupiter tools, use the trademarks and assets
of the firm, then they will have to settle the dues of P3 to his
legal heirs, or make fresh agreements with them.

A firm with 100 Crores worth, can not instantly shell out 25
Crores cash. Because the 100 Crores is not in the form of
cash, but mostly in the form of assets, lands, buildings,
machineries, inventories, receivables etc. Liquidating these
assets will create severe losses or even cripple the
functioning capacity of the company.

But if the firm had had Partnership insurance life policies on

the partners P1,P2,P3 and P4 individually for 25 Crores
Sum assured, then the Life Insurance company upon the
death of P3 will pay 25 Crores to Jupiter Tools, which the
firm can use to settle its dues to the legal heirs of P3 and
P1,P2 and P4 can smoothly take over to reconstitute the
firm and continue using the assets, trademarks etc.

Imagine what can happen otherwise if there was no such

partnership insurance arrangement. 20 years of hard work
of the partners to create and sustain a company suddenly
comes to a nought overnight. They are now at the mercy of
the legal heirs of the deceased partner to allow them to
continue their business.

In this instance where Jupiter tools had partnership

insurance policies in place, so the company could
financially sustain the loss due to the death of one of the
partners and could continue their operations without a
major disruption.

The benefits of Partnership insurance flow to 1) The

partners, 2) The families of the partners, 3) The firm, 4) The
employees of the firm and also to the 5) Creditors.

1) The Partners: The surviving partners have a stake in

that firm. They would invested years of their life in
building the firm. The future earnings depends on this
firms profitable functioning. If a distress sale of assets
of the firm are made to make cash to settle to the legal
heirs of the deceased partner, it will reduce the value
receivable considerably. The partners have a future
ahead. They are passionate about everything related to
the firm, right from the name of the firm, the logo, the
brand, the reputation they personally earn from this firm
etc.

 Without the cash available to settle the claims of the

legal heirs of the deceased partner, they may be forced
to take the representative of the legal heirs into the
business. Such people may not be emotionally
compatible with the present relationships and
understandings between the partners which has given
them the autonomy in many aspects. It is also likely that
the legal heirs may insist on settlement as they are
engaged in other professions and can not take up this
assignment.

2) The families of the partners: To cash the assets and to

settle the dues to the family of the deceased the firm
can take months and at time years. The income of the
partner in the form of salary/dividends have stopped for
the family. The delay in receiving the value of their
shares can put the family under financial stress. It is
also likely that the surviving partners seek time to settle
under the pretext of not getting suitable buyers or
pressing business commitments. But with partnership
insurance sum assured flowing into the firm, the dues to
the family of the deceased partner can be taken care of
promptly.

3) The firm: The biggest beneficiary of the Partnership

insurance arrangement is the Firm itself. The firm
continues its normal business. The firm is able to keep
up its commitments, to its employees, vendors and its
clients.

4) The employees and the creditors feel relieved when a

smooth transition takes place reconstituting the
partnership agreements. Otherwise even as the
discussions are underway to find a good solution to
solve the succession/reconstitution they become
anxious due to the uncertainty.

The insurance advisor must study the partnership deed and

further amendments made to the initial deed to study the
clauses of the continuation provisions upon the exit of any
of the partner by way of death, incapacitation, or any legal
bar from his continuing as a partner.

The advisor must also go through the profits and loss

account statements, balance sheet statements and the
schedules pertaining to the capital account of the partners.
Based on these data and information collected, he can
come to a conclusion of how much of Life insurance cover
the partners will need to safeguard the interests of the firm.

The advisor should also inquire with individual partners

about their other life insurance policies, whether any of
those policies have been accepted at other than ordinary
terms and also about their present health conditions.

The sum assured under these types of partnership

insurance policies are decided based on the capital
account balance of that partner and also a multiple of the
gross profits/net profits to asses the good will value
attributable to the partners.

By and large the Sum assured is arrived at as under:

As far as medical/health underwriting is concerned it is the

same as any other individual life underwriting based on
their ages, previous history and the present health
conditions, family history, habits etc.

Not many partnership firms are aware about the benefits of

getting their partners insured under this arrangement. To
approach a firm with such a proposal, study their financial
and legal status, help them with the documentation
required to support the underwriting of such Insurance
requires expertise, diligence, and patience, that is why very
few life insurance agents venture into this.

But the rewards of such ventures are quite encouraging.

1) The firm, the partners, their families, employees,

creditors are all protected through this arrangement.

2) The sum assureds are normally huge.

3) The prestige gained in the process is like a capital

invested, that yields returns for years to follow.

4) Opens vistas to probe the individual financial planning,

risk management for the partners, employees and their
contacts as well.

5) A personal satisfaction that normally a professional

gains in his mind for doing such a challenging job.

This a very specialised area of insurance marketing. It addresses to

a very specific segment of the market. Therefore acts as a Niche for
the marketer.
CATERPILLAR SPACE

Mr Malay Chitalia
PROUD TO BE
ASSOCIATED

Ms D Akshada the budding Classical Dancer.



M s . D . A k s h a d a d a u g h t e r o f M r. K .
Dhandapani LIC Agent & Mrs. V. Anithaa. She
is studying in 8th std at PRIMROSE School
Pondicherry. Under the training & guidance of
her Guru Shri. k. Mariappan she has
successfully completed her Salangai Pooja 25th
June 2017. Her amazing interest in Bharatha
Naatiyam has made her to participate &
perform in many festivals and functions for
which she has been honoured with many
memento & certificates.
NEWS AND GALLERY

EVENTS AT GOPAST
Inaugural session of AWF of CII and FCFP
course of Gopast
Leading from the front Level 4 for Dev off/SBAs

Mission COT TOT Hindi Batch