Let's Look Around

From our birth, through school and higher education we keep thinking of ourselves only as our attention is only to be ahead of the rest. In short we become great "I" specialists.

We get to work and we are there with a lot of "I" specialists, and the institution, organization or company wants us to work together because the want the "I's" become "We's."

This can be possible if we stop looking at just

our progress

our excellence

our win etc.

And

other's mistakes

other's errors etc.,

We are guilty of such acts consciously and unconsciously, instead of looking at the many things around that are amazing and beautiful.

This day and all the other days that follow, let's make it a habit and make a conscious efforts every morning that we will only look for amazing things. An object

An observation

A service taken

A friendly chat

Someone's performance

Alone time

Observations @ work

Good things in work

A kind gesture

The list can go on endlessly...

Let's

-  Observe it

-  Acknowledge it

-  Recognise it

-  Appreciate it

-  Express gratitude And feel a amazing.

Patience

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."- Leo Tolstoy "Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."- Saadi

The Power of Because..

Over centuries our culture and traditions have taught us that everything we do is about finding an angle and our communication being creative with truth as the underlying necessity - the "master of spin."

It doesn't have to be this way, at least when marketing or selling our services or while doing business.

We can choose to do things we are proud of.

What instead of trying to come up with an angle, we mastered truth telling instead.

We rediscover truth about our value proposition revisiting the reasons we originally showed up for people at this time.

...Our company exists, because...

...We make this, we do this because...

... People need this, because...

...We want to appeal to the customer, because...

...The right thing to do, because...

Truth is the most powerful personal and professional strategy of all. We become better people, by being honest with ourselves, first and foremost.

It is reasonable to consider yourself as an evolving person, if you haven't changed.

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

PRAYER QUILT

Jennifer Thornburg, San Tan Valley, Arizona

I started quilting so I could spend time with my aunt. I didn’t accomplish much until my little sister was put into the hospital. She lived 13 hours away, which meant I couldn’t be at her side, but I could pray, and I could make her a blanket. Every stitch was sewn with prayer and tears, memories woven in between layers of cotton and polyester. Doctors said she was going to die at least three times. I sewed faster. By God’s good grace, I delivered that blanket two years ago, and my sister still sleeps under it today.

Anticipating the next move

Every successful business strategy is dependent upon making good decisions about the next move.

In a commercial world, we spend a lot of time planning to create growth. Often those plans rely on getting the customer to do what we want them to do - so we make our next move.

The businesses that not only survive but thrive are the ones that anticipate and obsess about the customer's next move.

They intentionally create products and services that take the customer where he/she wants to go. The brands like Netflix, Airbnb, Amazon and so on are masters of planning for our next move.

When our future is dependent on our customers, it's their likely next move that should prompt our next strategy.

Being in HR and your customers (internal) redefining business what is your strategy - planning seeing their next move, or devising their moves that you want them to take.

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

EMERGENCY CONTACT

by James Gates, Watertown, South Dakota

We’d divorced three years earlier and hadn’t seen each other since, but for whatever reason, I never took her off my emergency contact list at the nearest hospital. After my accident, I was put in a medically induced coma, and when I woke, she was the only person in the room. She sat in a hospital recliner, watching The View, looking unshowered. She turned her head casually as I slowly came to. “It’s just like you to have something like this happen,” she said. “I’m here, so I figure I’ll get us something to eat. What do you want?”

Nurture

•        "Nurture your mind with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes." - Benjamin Disraeli

•        "The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul."

-  Alfred Austin

•        "If you nurture your mind, body, and spirit, your time will expand. You will gain a new perspective that will allow you to accomplish much more."

-  Brian Koslow

Seeing and Hearing

vs

Being Seen and Being Heard.

We learnt as children what motivates people around us, is the shortcut to gain attention.

As we grew we seem to have unlearnt this art, this ability to be emphatic communicators when being seen and being heard becomes our main driver.

We have a better chance of being heard when we understand what the people we're speaking to are open to hearing.

We do that by asking ourselves better questions.

Four Important Messaging Questions

01. Who is this information for?

2.     What do we want them to know?

3.     Why do they need to know this?

4.     What do we want to know next?

Communication is not only about finding the right words but also the right reasons to say them.

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

THE YELLOW HOUSE

by Rose McMills, Woodridge, Illinois

I’ve lived in my condo 15 years now—long enough that I don’t even see it anymore. I started dreaming about moving into a house, where I was bound to be happier. I fixated on little yellow houses somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago and watched for them from the train on my commute. “Oh, look— there’s one!” I’d say as it slid by. Then one day, sitting in the sun on my patio, I looked up and realized the outside of my condo was done in yellow siding. I already had a yellow house. And I was home!

Soft Skills Are Really The Hard Skills.

How have a few mastered them.

When we think about what gets in the way of great results, great relationships and more enjoyable days, it really boils down to soft skills. Our attitude towards work and the people around us. Imagine how much better things would be if everyone on your team could be described as someone and someone who is...

-  Approachable

-  Attentive

-  Encouraging

-  Humble

-  Kind

-  Resilient

-  Resourceful

-  Objective

When you are ready to push things and go beyond the common level of meeting expectations, inspire better attitudes and better action from everyone (not just yourself) with SMOVE - SMILE & MOVE as a reminder to happily serve.

SMILE would mean

-  Wake Up

-  Be Thankful

-  Be Approachable

-  Complain Less

-  Smile more

MOVE would mean

-  Start early and go along

-  Go beyond expectations

-  Have a sense of urgency

-  Be resourceful and resilient.

SMOVE on through everyday.

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

SS SERENDIPITY

by Vernon Magnesen, Elmhurst, Illinois

In July 1915, Henry and his eight-year-old daughter, Pearl, were excited for the company outing the next day. That evening, Henry had a violent argument with his landlord, ending with the landlord spitting on a painting of the Virgin Mary. Henry was so upset, he fell ill and canceled their trip. He and Pearl missed the cruise on the SS Eastland, which sank with over 800 people on board—but not my future grandfather and mother. Thanks to that miracle argument 100 years ago, 22 descendants are alive today.

Switch Off.. Switch On..

Imagine this. You are in a terrific mood this day because of a great piece of news, you received. You're excited about it and tell it to your friend with joy. However, he/she listens to you disinterested as you gush away. And, before you know it, your happy feeling evaporates, to make you feel discouraged and dumped.

It happens, often for some, there's no surprise.

May be you, I AND everyone without exception, has faced a situation like this somewhere, sometime.

Here's an insightful story, I heard very long ago. I love it. Am never ever tired reading it, or listening to it.

Buddha, was well known for his ability to respond to evil with good.

There was a man who knew about this reputation and travelled several thousand miles to test Buddha.

When he arrived, he stood before Buddha abused him verbally, heaped unbearable insults and challenged him to the extent of getting physical. He did everything possible to offend Buddha, but, Buddha being Buddha, was absolutely unmoved.

He simply turned to the man and said, "May I ask you a question?" The man replied, "Well what?

Buddha said, "If someone gives you gifts and you refuse to accept them, then to whom does the gifts belong?"

The man replied, "Naturally to the one who offered it."

Buddha smiled, "That's correct! So when I decline to accept your abuse and insults, do they not belong to you?"

The man apologized and walked away silently.

All of have an MCB (Main Circuit Board) embedded in our system, we ought to know when to Switch Off, and when to Switch On.

Prioritize

"The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen Covey

"Pursuit of perfection is futile. Instead, I prioritize and often realize goals or tasks I've been aiming for just aren't that important." - Aisha Tyler

"The best we can do is prioritize our needs and make choices accordingly." - Janet Evanovich

Busy-Ness

We are all in a state of Busy-Ness isn't it?

Meet anyone anywhere, anytime these days and when you ask, "How are you?"

Reply would be, "Good, but I don't have any time, I'm very busy with work, client calls, etc., etc.,"

Oh ok, I can understand, but, let's make a deal, and a real one too.

Just imagine, someone (not me...surely), came up to you and said I'll give you a Million $ will you do what you'd like, (not what I would like ok), yeah you heard it right, what you'd like to do!!!

I bet you'll first go numb, then become flooded with joy, and when you start thinking back several fantasies and shelved ideas begging to flower in your mind.

Your perspective will change.

Suddenly you'll begin to find time for yourself, your near and dear, your ideas etc.

You'll stop flipping your mobile for WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, FB and other Social Media, then watching Amazon/Netflix, and you may even stop going to parties.

These are all things that rob away your time during a waking day. In fact, it's not the actual work that keeps us busy, it's these gadgets and connections.

You begin to realize how your valuable time gets chewed away by these rodent distractions.

The point is it is not about time, (all of us have the same 24 hours a day, not a minute extra, and in the same space several greats have made life), it is about priorities.

Chalk up your priorities and attend to them the way you sequence them. Observe, to see how your Busy-Ness, melts and you begin to have a lotore time for better things in life.

Getting There

In our growing years, being with our parents, "getting there," meant completing education, getting a job, settling down, then alliances are entertained, suitable match found, settled down, having a home if our own and raising a family which we can afford to feed and look after.

Now, "there" is a now the exclusive place where accomplishments are built ever higher, boxes are ticked and accolades rain down.

A transient state of worthiness, we achieve when we have proof that we've already done enough, achieved enough, been enough, have enough. There is a metric that quickly loses its shining allure once it is met.

A journey we are encouraged we should be on and a destination which many of us feel we've never quite arrived.

The "truth," is we are "there," in the moment every moment when we live without comparison, or without competition, spending our time wisely. When we give off ourselves generously, we create ourselves intentionally. It is not some distant or better horizon, but, a grounded state we can give ourselves permission to inhabit.

You're already "there," only if you choose to be.

Are you there?"

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS

by Stephanie Adair, Metairie, Louisiana

Every day, upon picking up my 11-year-old son from school, I would ask, “How was your day?”

For years, I got the same response—“Fine, fine”—with no eye contact.

His autism, it seemed, was going to deprive me of the normal chitchat parents unconsciously relish.

One early spring afternoon, I asked the question, expecting the same answer. “How was your day?”

My son replied, “Good, good.”

Then he looked at me and said, “How was your day, Mom?”

With tears streaming down my face, I said, “It’s really good—the best day ever.”

Change and Choices

Am sure no one will argue that change is a constant, and is as inevitable as death is.

We have choices though, that we can make.

How can we make choices?

Let's appreciate the fact that when choosing actions there are some things within and some outside our control.

Of those we can't control we can keep resisting and keep fighting, at the cost of time, money, energy and mental strength, or accept things as they are and work out means of going around them.

That leaves us with things we can change - those in our control - we can either change them determinedly by leveraging our capabilities or give up to them.

Then there are alternatives that come our way at a time and stage we aren't looking for, or those that don't fit into the scheme of things - the options left for us then is either reject or keep 'em open.

The wisdom while making choices, lies in:

-  Knowing what we can or cannot change and then taking action.

-  Knowing it can make a difference, make the choice, when you know that acted upon, it'll make an impact.

-  Being open to alternative choices too, though they may not have been on our originally chalked list of wants to change, but may prove to be better when executed.

Finally, once the choice/s are made, we need to stretch ourselves to the max and toil hard in executing them with rigour with smarts and with smartness.

Happy Changes to all with a variety of Choices.

Self-Control

•        "By constant self-discipline and self-control you can develop greatness of character." - Grenville Kleiser

•        "Emotional self-control is the result of hard work, not an inherent skill." - Travis Bradberry

•        "Self-control means wanting to be effective at some random point in the infinite radiations of my spiritual existence." - Franz Kafka

Content isn't enough, Confidence is essential too.

A teacher called one of her students to stand up and recite a poem in front of the class.

The boy started. No sooner he did she shouted "NO."

Boy became nervous. Looked at the teacher sheepishly, but, gathering a little courage he began his recitation again. This time too she yelled "NO. The boy was confused. He gave up recitation and sat down.

The teacher asked another boy to recite.

He began and this time too she shouted "NO." This boy just went on to finish his recitation despite all the shouts of "NO, from the teacher.

When he finished, the reached appreciated it and praised him to the skies while everyone applauded.

At the same time the boy who started reciting first got miffed and asked the teacher why was he stopped when he was reciting the poem in the same manner.

The teacher responded son, "It's not enough if you have a content, you must wear confidence, too.

There are people out there in the world who will invent a thousand way of interfering, intervening or interrupting you while doing a particular thing. If you buckle under them, you'll never be able to complete anything you start. When the do that, you must have the confidence to translate the interrupting "NO's" with "YES." Those who test you, tease you, rag you, bully you or pull you down must become your supporters, your cheerleaders."

Just think it over. How many of us face things like this in our daily life, be it at work, family or society.

Our perception has to be to respond with stronger confidence with an aim which should enable us complete and showcase, the results.

"YES!!!"

"JUST DO IT."

IT SHOULD BE YES I CAN, ALWAYS.

A Flawless Story

A fisherman netted a beautiful pearl with his day's catch.

He looked at it and though there was a tiny flaw in it, he was proud of his possession.

That very moment his thoughts transformed to what it might turn his life into if he could eliminate the tiny flaw, because of the price it could command being big and rare.

He began to scrape it and peeled one layer. The flaw remained. He went on vigorously scraping and peeling layer after layer, till the flaw was gone and so was the pearl gone too.

I'm real life too, everyone we know or meet has some flaw or the other. No one is perfect. And if we go scraping or peeling them to correct the flaw, we will end up losing every one of them completely.

Let's therefore learn to change our mental make up and accept people with flaws irrespective of the size, mass, colour, creed, background etc., and be happy to see everything and everyone around you as beautiful only.

Inspiring true story Originally Published in the Readers Digest.

TINY TREE

Monte Unger, Colorado Springs, Colorado

A neighbourhood kid with branches and leaves sticking out of his pockets and a headband came into our front yard.

He looked like a little soldier in camouflage.

“I’m acting like a tree so butterflies will come,” he said.

As he waited on the grass, I brought out a huge blue preserved butterfly I’d purchased in Malaysia and hid it behind my back. I walked over, kneeled, pulled out the butterfly, and said, “A butterfly has come to see you.” He gasped, and his eyes widened.

His wishes won’t always come true, but one did that day.

Confidence  vs Overconfidence

I'll call Confidence C" and Over Confidence "OC."

READ ON...

C: "I can do it."

OC "Only I can do it."

C "I know this subject well."

OC "I know this subject better than everyone else."

C "I'll strive to give my best shot."

OC "I'll always beat everyone every time."

C "My hard work will help me reach my goals."

OC "I'll reach my goals regardless of my efforts."

These are not things people will speak out loudly, there may be some instances, though. These can be made out by the body language people display.

A fine line divides the two. While confidence is associated with success, on the other hand over-confident, is associated can cause or lead to a downfall Understanding the difference is like a ship sailing and another sinking.

Things that can help :

01. Self-Awareness

-> Emotional Self Awareness.

2.    Emotional Self-Management -> Emotional Self Control -> Attitude

3.    Social Awareness -> Empathy

-> Environment Awareness - meaning organization, societal, home etc.

We seriously have no idea of what people are going through in their personal lives and what all are the challenges they've got to deal with. The least we can do is to be simple, kind, nice and helpful.

4.    Relationship Management -> Influence

-> Conflict Management

When it hurts, just ask them to observe and remember to tell them life is trying to impart them a lesson. But before you do that remember this lesson is for you too.

C's of C

Credibility - Context - Content are very important aspects of any Communication.

Whenever we communicate to convince people to either support us, who we service or outside them to buy a product or any idea, we often provide information with context and conviction. While we do this we assume that people would need a lot of information to help take a decision that they will need willing to act on.

We don't realize how false can this assumption be?

Facts and figures alone aren't enough to pursuade us to take action.

Gifted communicators are powerful storytellers know that people need more than just be convincing arguments, endless details of facts and figures in order to help them decide.

Three things your audience would want to know.

1.     Can I trust the message and the messenger.  (CREDIBILITY)

2.     Does the message make sense? (CONTEXT)

3.     Does the message and the values of the messenger align with values. (CONTENT)

Persuasion is both an "art," and a "science."

A compelling argument, communicated with emotion by a source we can trust and believe in.

Always remember

COMMUNICATION

should be CREDIBLE,

and has to be in CONTEXT,

with the right CONTENT

that has to have CLARITY,

be CARESSED

with the right words

that is delivered with CONFIDENCE and CONVICTION to CONVINCE people to take action.

E

Among all the alphabet’s of the English Language the alphabet E is the most Eminent of them all.

With E - everything is possible, everywhere, every time with anyone and everyone.

E comes from our emergence in this world and presided over many aspects of whatever the life we live till we exit.

We have choices to escape and rue or to experience and grow.

E has emotions in all men and women, not in plants and animals though. We have it in brothers, sisters, father, mother, uncle, friends and foes too.

E is there in peace, not in wars. E gives us life and love.

E is in homes, houses, clothes, bread, butter, life, spouse and colleagues.

E is in our senses - eyes, nose, tongue, taste. E is in our important organs -

heart, liver, kidney.

E is energy.

E is in organizations - estimation, evaluation, creation, design, testing, interviewing, hiring, engaging, exciting, developing, compensating, remuneration, appreciating, rewarding, retention, retirement, enjoyment. It is sadly there in retrenchment, and exiting too. If we run into trouble we can escalate issue to seniors, supervisors up to the Directors or CEO's.

E in our times now in all exchanges are by

E-mails, E-money,

E-transfer, E-recharge,

E-ticket, E-governance not to forget Emoji's.

So you see how much eminent the alphabet E is in our life.

It fits in positively well in most places where we go, except in the negative call Ego. Let of off the E and go on with life, erasing hate and memories of the past, embrace everything in the present, and look forward to the future with hope and excitement.