Little Things That Matter

Learn From The Past, Live The Present and Have An Open Mind to Face Tomorrow

Archives for July 2012

Life : 30 Little Things That Matter

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Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things – Robert Brault

If you observe children, you realize that they are overjoyed by jumping into the pool and feeling the splash of water on their feet, their body, they are so happy with a kiss, a hug, a small piece of chocolate. We have all been in those exact same moments and feelings. As children each of us have taken pleasure and been overjoyed with playing in the sand, building sand castles in the beach, making a snowman and breaking it, going on a merry-go-round, birds, dogs, a pool of water, the sea, the bright colors around us and many more things.

As adults, however in our quest to accomplish big things we often forget that life is made up of little things. The happiness of life is in small things – gratitude from the heart, a smile, helping somebody in need to cross the street, holding the door open as a matter of courtesy for the person behind you. In today’s modern age and technology surrounded world why do we as so-called grown ups forget that it in these acts of trivialities that the seeds of joy are there forever.

We build big houses surround ourselves with gadgets and other luxuries and yet find no time to enjoy the small pleasures of life. How many times have you walked or gone for a run and forgotten to appreciate the beautiful weather, the less polluted air for those who live in big cities, the chirping of birds, or a smile from a stranger.

Most of us long for the weekend and fail to enjoy the week which may be filled with a lot of beautiful though small things like a compliment, a smile, a hug, a kind word, a cheer, feeling fit and fine, rising to a new dawn. We choose to concentrate and discuss about the rude boss, or the work load or some other person who may have been rude or showed a complete lack of etiquette.  Yes, those acts do spoil the moment and we can choose to get irritated, but best to get over it and move on to appreciate the beautiful things around us.  Nature is beautiful and yet we ignore her.

So what are these little things that matter in each of our lives during a day be it a work day or holiday or a vacation.

1. Smile – a smile from or to a stranger or from or to someone you see in the elevator quite often.

2. Walking bare feet on grass and yes this is possible even in cities. I know I’ve lived in 3-4 cities which is filled with concrete buildings and yet I have managed to walk bare feet on grass.

3. Listening to music either at work or after work.

4. Hearing the chirp of birds if you really pay attention.

5. For those who enjoy workouts, being able to go to the gym or yoga.

6. Meditation and the clarity that one achieves with this simple mind exercise.

7. Enjoying waterfalls or walking bare feet on sand in the beach.

8. The sound of waves hitting the shores.

9. If your meals are made for you, enjoy it, because not many are blessed with the grace of the same.

10. Learn to appreciate the two or three meals that you have on a daily basis and if you are blessed with variety on a daily basis, be thankful and enjoy it.

11. Being able to have a hot shower or bath.

12. Feel of water running down your fingers or feet and the tingling sensation.

13. Having access to clean water 24 by 7.

14. Appreciate the aroma and beauty of flowers.

15.I love colors, they brighten my day and whenever I’m feeling low I make sure I either wear a bright color or at least surround myself with bright colors.

16. A coffee just the way you like it and enjoy.

17. Sleeping in for an extra 15-30 minutes after the alarm has gone off on days you choose to.

18. To admire and enjoy the sunrise and or sunset.

19. Enjoying the greenery around you or getting to a place where you can be surrounded by the beauty of mother nature.

20 Lighting a candle of an aroma that you enjoy once you get home and allowing yourself to breathe in the beauty of life.

21. To have a long conversation with a friend.

22.A stretch or a massage which just feels so good and perks you up.

23. Doing something wild that you have always enjoyed. For me it is going on a roller coaster ride or sky diving or even venturing out on a difficult hike.

24. Striking conversations with strangers, obviously with someone whom you feel comfortable.

25. Reading a book and enjoying every moment as you turn the pages.

26. Watching one of your favorite TV shows by cuddling yourself up in bed or on your couch.

27. We often buy gifts for others, and praise them for good work done but we forget to treat ourselves when we have achieved something which we had set a goal on. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy your achievements no matter how small they may be.

28. Take the time to feel your surroundings, to enjoy that cup of coffee, savor the chocolate, feel the hug, or relish every sip of wine.

29. Laugh out loud and enjoy the feeling.

30. Count your blessings no matter what they are, make it special for yourself and it does not matter if it is important to anyone else or not.

We all cherish some of our bygone moments as memories which is great but let’s be mindful and cherish the moments as they happen.

The list can go on and on.  What are the little things that matters to you that you would like to share?  Please feel free to share in the Comments Section.

Top 5 Reasons to Show Gratitude

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Early this week I got chatting with one of my friends on Twitter ( @SusanMarie_NY).  The discussion started off on a quote by Bruce Lee and somewhere along the way we started discussing the quote by Aldous Huxley “Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.”

She mentioned about a day when she was feeling miserable waiting at the dentist for her turn and then her attention was suddenly caught by 5 children in wheelchairs being brought in by a school. She was thunderstruck that they were all so happy though they could not walk……

When you come across such meetings in life, don’t things automatically fall in perspective and you realize that we take many things for granted.

More often than not, many of us tend to moan about not having a good dress to wear for a party or not having enough time to be on Social Media or not liking the food since it quite didn’t match our expectation. But when we do so, have we ever asked ourselves what about those who wear torn clothes or have no clothes to wear or those who are fighting for life and or are in a vegetative state or those who have no food to eat.

When I travel, I learn not only about the city, the people, the culture but also realize how lucky I’m in many ways in the city I live in terms of the facilities and efficiency and remind myself I should stop complaining about the city I live in.

Gratitude, an act which we ever so often forget but need to keep it as part of our daily lives. Why Show Gratitude to people around us, things we have, people who care for us and many more..

1. Happiness – a heartfelt gratitude is pleasing to the soul. It reminds us of the positive things we have in our life.

2. Reminder – Many of us complain about Monday morning but have we ever thought there may be many who may not be seeing the Monday dawn. We complain about how stressful work is but what about those who have no work and struggling to find work to earn income. As I continued the conversation with my friend on Twitter, she mentioned something which brought tears to my eyes and I quote “When I begin to take things for granted, “I look at my arms and legs. I am serious.”

3. Peace  – when we pay gratitude to the little things – each day that dawns on us, our eyes, ears, nose, feet, legs, hands, we surround ourselves with peace. If you are at peace with yourself you will find serenity and peace at the world around you.

4. Stronger – life to any of us is never a bed of roses.  We face challenges, and some of these challenges could be nerve wrecking.  But if we allow oneself to step back and think how strong we became from the last daunting task, we will be thankful.  Let’s try to take every trial in life as an opportunity to get strong and be thankful that it makes us stronger.

5. Thank you – there is a God in each of us. Most of us believe in a higher power or God but have you ever realized that God could be in the form of a complete stranger who has helped you by holding the door open for you when your hands are full with loads of bags or someone who has pulled you back from getting knocked over by a vehicle whilst you were walking lost in your thoughts. Each of us have people in the form of parents, brothers, sisters, friends, acquaintances, spouse who care for us, support us and help us. A big Thank you to people who care goes a long way in making their day and makes you feel good.  On Twitter, many of us follow others and vice versa and we strike a relationship with many of them. They become friends and some of them we probably have not met to date in real life. Many of them take time from their day to connect, retweet your posts or some part of your time line and yet I find many who on account of the several followers don’t even bother to acknowledge. You don’t lose anything with a Thank you or a smile as a form of gratitude.

Life has its strange twists and turns but let’s not forget the simple Thank you, Sorry and other forms of gratitude. Make sure when you show gratitude, let it be from within and from your heart.

I know I often complain and moan about how hard my day is or when I have aches and pains but when I see people who are possibly worse than me and still smiling and take life with a positive attitude, I remind myself to smile and look up at what I’ve got in life.

Charity begins at home and let’s start with those who make a difference in our lives each day, who care for us by thanking them

“It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start” – Mother Teresa

Do you have any experiences of gratitude that you would like to share?

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Power of Listening – Shut Up and Listen Will Ya

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“You have to learn to listen and listen to learn” ~unknown

Following my two earlier blog posts on The Art of Listening and How to Listen –  7 Simple Tips, I decided to share some of my thoughts and experiences on a Video Blog on the Power of Listening.

What is the most demanding feeling that most of us go through at a time when we are stressed and feel like we are about to breakdown. To be Listened?  The act of not listening indicates a complete disrespect and lack of focus in what the other party is saying.  Listening is not only with the ears but also with the eyes and the heart.

Coach: Why You Must Hire One AND Top 12 Questions to Ask

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With the information overload that we have on a daily basis from Social Media, and the Internet, many times you find it difficult to get to where you want to go.

Let’s say you are a top performing executive in an organization and have consistently surpassed your targets. You have never shirked responsibility nor have you disappointed in your commitments. However, you feel you are reaching a saturation point and are not able to grow. You speak to your boss and he tells you to enroll in a leadership and motivational course. He also sends you some web links to read. You attend the course for 2 days, you read all the links he sent you and add some of them to your other regular reading sources.

Yet, you feel that you are not able to make the progress you want to make. You have tried to tell this again to your boss, Human Resources and other seniors within the organization but to no avail. You don’t want to leave the company but sometimes you feel that is probably the best option available.

On line, group trainings will not be able to help you in your transition because they are not tailor-made to address your individual roadblocks. Most leadership programs are too general to provide opportunities for intensive personalized work.

A Coach is someone who can help you. No, the person doesn’t need to be in your field of expertise.

Coaching is a process to unlock a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is essentially a conversation, a dialogue between the coach and the client which focuses on improvement of skills and concrete results.

Steps to take before you hire a coach and the questions to ask…

For the full post click on this LINK

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10 Reasons Not To Give Up

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Many of you who follow me on Twitter may know that I have the following statement on my Twitter bio “Don’t believe in giving up no matter what happens,not to shrink back but to move forward in life.”

Persistency is something I believe in and my friends and colleagues know me as a very tenacious person. I persist because I hope, I believe and I see potential.  While the path to achieve my final goal may change with experience that I gather during my journey, I believe in not giving up on anything that appeals to my within.

However, don’t each of us at some point in our journey of life, get to a part where we feel like just throwing it all away and walking away? Sometimes we stop trying even before start and other times we give up just before we are about to make that huge break-through. To keep trying be it at work or in a relationship does not necessarily mean allowing yourself to feel devalued or trampled.  But you need to evaluate options of achieving your end goal and change the course or methods to fulfill the same.

 10 Reasons Why You Should Not Give Up 

1. Choices – there are always possibilities and sometimes we get so frozen by what we choose to see that we block ourselves from looking at other alternatives.

2. Inspirers – every time you feel like giving up, be inspired by people who have achieved their dreams despite the odds – e.g. The man who lost his legs as a child scales Kilimanjaro with hands.

3. Failure – we allow failures and rejections during the course of our journey to become our self-limiting beliefs. However there is no one right path. What may have worked for me may not work for you and vice versa.  Success is not achieved in a day.

4. Mindset – we need to learn from our mistakes rather than just fold and walk away. Choose to walk away from the methods that have nor worked rather than away from your ultimate passion or goal.

5. Believe – we allow our surroundings to control us. We live in moments and many times allow that to dictate our beliefs and value systems. What has helped me in some of my vulnerable moments is to believe in myself, and be strong as difficult as it may be.

6. People who matter – accept critique to improve but don’t allow negative attitudes and haters to surround your life and dictate what you do. Learn to stay with people who challenge you but yet support you and care for you.

7. Evolve – always have a questioning mind. Ask yourself is that the best method, what are the options, if I started on a clean sheet of paper would I still look at the same options or choose something completely different.

8. Innovate – Our mind plays games and we need to control our mind rather than the other way around.  You may need to take the lead from someone else who has done it before. Listen to their success story and determine which of those you could apply to yourself.  Don’t reinvent the wheel but innovate on previous experiences where necessary.

9. Change – you should not be stuck by the alternatives that you have chosen.  Embrace change to the pathway to get to where you want to be.

10. Be your own friend – No one in the world is going to look at you if you are going to be miserable. Be your own best friend and be an optimist.

So Why You Should Not Give Up…

I’ve always been inspired by Pema Chodron and her thoughts…I quote.. “Every time we are willing to let go at the end of the out-breath, that’s fundamentally renunciation: learning how to let go of holding on and holding back”.

“The river flows rapidly down the mountain, and then all of a sudden it gets blocked with big boulders and lots of trees. The water can’t go any farther, even though it has tremendous force and forward energy. It just gets block there. That’s what happens with us too; we get blocked like that. Letting go at the end of the out-breath, letting the thoughts go, is like moving one of those boulders away so that the water can keep flowing, so that our energy and our life force can keep evolving and moving forward. We don’t, out of fear of the unknown, have to put up these blocks, these dams, that basically say no to life and to feeling life…Link

We hurt ourselves the most by giving up. We live but once and you and I have a calling in life… why give up?

For  Inspiration… Watch the Movie 127 Hours 

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