Being Aware

Though freely moving around the world, we are caged by the burdens of every day life that we fail to see the beauty around us. Most of us are so engrossed in ourselves that we don’t even have time to see rather become aware of the things around us. We don’t have to go to exotic places to find nature’s beauty, just need to aware of the simple things around us like feeling the gentle breeze, enjoying drizzle from the window, watching the men at work etc . These things are not something new, these were the same things that we used to be interested and enjoy when we were kids. And we don’t need to become a philosopher or poet to enjoy these things, just need to bring out the ‘child’ in us. As a quote goes -“There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Our daily routine runs on a time table we had set for ourselves. Unfortunately, even the breaks are strictly defined. This routine is so ingrained in our sub-conscious mind, that we do it even without actually being aware of it. In the process of automating the manual task at our work to make our life easier, we have automated our ‘personal’ routine, that we made our life so life-less!! It just keeps running until we interfere. Take a break and just be aware of things around us and enjoy them. These small breaks provide the ‘oiling’ to run the system better.

Sometime when things don’t work out and when life seems be too monotonous or dry, these are few things that we can fall back on for a break instead of breaking ourselves!! Let’s not bury the child-like spirit in us.

Acknowledge the ‘lesser’ people

There are people whom we ‘see’ regularly during routine work – shopkeeper we regularly visit, the auto-Walla at the stand, the receptionist, the office boy, security guy at the office, cleaners etc. These are few categories of people whom we see everyday but not really ‘aware’ of. They do a very monotonous job quietly for us but which may/may not directly impact us.

Just take the case of a security guy working in your organization. You pass by him and see him everyday but really don’t make a conscious effort to notice him and you just go your way. This person does a very monotonous job of standing there around the same place with none to talk. It’s definitely not motivating to stand in one place literally doing nothing. We don’t need give a motivational talk, but why not smile and say ‘hi’ to him? It doesn’t cost anything! This could be the best way we could acknowledge a person doing a ‘lesser’ job than us. This will definitely create a positive impact on him. I say this from a personal experience.

We are fortunate to be where we are. There are lot of people out there doing ‘lesser’ job. Just acknowledging them may increase their self-worth and could even motivate them.

Networking with peers, colleagues, bosses at workplace could enhance our career growth. But just acknowledging people doing ‘lesser’ job will definitely go a long way in building up human relationships!

Smile @ workplace

" Smile - a magic curve on the face needs a positive thought to bend it."
"Let your smile be a mirror – let others see what they already have or what they are missing!"

In this fast paced work environment with ‘succeed at any cost’ value system, cut-throat competition, fast food, quick lunch, frenzied work atmosphere etc there is no time for real meaningful breaks. Preoccupied and tired faces with exhausted energy moving around like robots, forgetting the fact that they are humans are common work place scenarios. Sometimes, even informal interactions happen with formal and expression-less face missing out an important element – a smile.

Take a break and smile. A smile provides a momentary break but albeit a valuable one. Smile not for medical reasons or everlasting health – but to take a break, to make a silent communication or a simple ‘hi’. It’s impossible to think a negative thought and smile at the same time. That magic curve on the face needs a positive thought to bend it!

Fake a smile, until it becomes part of the face. While it’s not possible to maintain a positive outlook all the time, but making sure to lend that smile during that common encounters like meeting someone at their desk, when someone comes to your desk, at ‘hi’ to known faces in that walkway, to the security at the gate, to the office-boy etc .will definitely make a difference. Every time you laugh or smile, you are recharging your batteries and others as well- sending out bouts of positive energy. While you may not do a good deed to everyone everyday, you can do a noble act just by smiling everyday. Everyone’s has their own share of burdens; your smile could be a momentary pain relief spray for them. As H. Jackson Brown Jr puts it “Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day”. Let your smile be a mirror – let others see what they already have or what they are missing!

Power of Appreciation

"Nothing is too small to be appreciated. No honest appreciation is too small to make a difference."

Every soul in this world has inner need to be recognized. Appreciation is the inexpensive yet valuable form of recognition. It’s an indicator of effort or the idea or the work being recognized.

Appreciation is morale booster. One never knows what an honest appreciation is capable of doing. When a work cannot be rewarded monetarily, a word of appreciation could be a rewarding one.

Appreciating a person’s effort or work in spite of its failure, really does wonders for the shattered morale. It helps to regain the confidence and propels in moving forward.

When a person appreciates, it shows his/her sense of gratitude, the ability to see the positive effort beyond the failed results, open-mindedness, ability to put him/her self in other person shoes and understand what it really takes to do the work etc. It fosters a good relationship. Anyone will be willing to take a positive criticism from a person who appreciates than from a person who looks for only the shortcoming. A closed mind is incapable of appreciating things.

It just takes a few moments to appreciate but could leave a lasting impact.

Appreciating need not always be restricted to formal atmosphere like cubicles or boardrooms or classrooms alone, it could be a compliment for personal things too like the dressing, a joke, a personal traits, a smile, a positive attitude, a quick response from a customer service, a painting done by a child, good dish in eatery etc.. Each one is unique and special and it’s even more special to look and appreciate the uniqueness.

Nothing is too small to be appreciated. No honest appreciation is too small to make a difference. Look around with an open mind and appreciate with an open heart and create a positive impact! You never know, your simple words could make a positive impact!