Little Things That Matter

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

How Are You?

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Lalita Raman

Lalita Raman

How are you is a common question that some of us ask of each other, answer to which is many times not listened to or is stated as a matter of fact.

In this day and age where relationship with your mobile may be stronger than the relationships in real life, even the How Are You is rarely being asked?

Do you take your life and those around you for granted ?

My first experience or realization of not to take life for granted happened about 11 years back. A colleague and friend of mine, who was working in our Korea office, whom I had met 2 days back, suddenly passed away. I initially thought this was a cheap joke being played by somebody but unfortunately it was hard-core reality. This guy was in his mid thirty’s and died because of a sudden heart attack. I couldn’t believe this and it took me awhile to come to terms that he was no longer in this world. He was one of our best traders, a friend and a good soul.

Sep 11 was another incident which created a severe jolt in several lives for those who lost their near and dear ones and for many others. Lives were lost in a snap second and from an incident which was beyond their control and with destiny playing its rude game.

These incidents to me are a lesson that there may not be a tomorrow. Let people who matter to you know that you care, you are there for them and appreciate them.

I still remember one of my clients who used to get upset if I asked “How are you doing?” Or “How are things?”. He wanted his daily call from his sales coverage to be to the point with no niceties whatsoever. Being a client, I didn’t want to rock the boat and continued to adhere to his request. However, there were days when I realized that he was not his usual self from his tone, his response and the way he listened. On one of those days, when I called him, I asked him How are things? and he retorted “strange you have stopped asking me how am I doing?”
The point is we all at most times like to be asked, How are we doing? How is life treating us?

Ask these from the heart and not as a chore. And if you are not feeling fine say so, and if you don’t wish to share details with everyone who may have asked you, so be it.

What I can’t understand is why are we forgetting these basic courtesies? Has kindness and basic courtesies gone on a long hiatus in your daily life?

–Each of us have our day-to-day schedules, however, why choose to shy away from humanity?
-Do you feel belittled by asking others how was your day? Or how are you?
-Why have stereotype answers as I’m busy or I’m fine when the reality may be something else. No, I’m not suggesting that you start sharing your day and life with everyone who may ask you this question, but be realistic.

You may be independent and a tough and strong person but even the strongest need a hug, an appreciation a smile and to be asked How Are You Doing? It is okay to share the real you with your friends and people whom you have a rapport with. You never know when a simple question like How Are You Doing ? Or How is Life With You, may reveal the challenges others are facing. You may be able to help in such situations.

We are born into the same Earth and nature or death makes no discrimination.

Choose to fill your day with kindness and gratitude.
Choose to be known as someone who leads with their heart.
Choose to care about little things because they matter.
Choose to touch people’s lives with the gift of your time and attention.

Time will keep moving forward but are you taking the moments as given?

Ask of yourself How Are You Doing ? Take time to reflect and go on the journey within.

Water..

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“Water has no taste, no color, no odor; it cannot be defined, art relished while ever mysterious. Not necessary to life, but rather life itself. It fills us with a gratification that exceeds the delight of the senses.”ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY

Recently published data reports that some one billion people are chronically undernourished and 100,000 people die of starvation every day, 16,000 of whom are children.  Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse! With a projected 50% increase in our global population within the next 40 years, 80% of whom will be living in or near urban areas, we must take steps now to plan for future generations.  As a result, increasing global awareness of land and water use has become front page news & something which each of us need to address and take steps

I have grown up in India, having lived most of my years in Bombay. I lived 2 years in Madras (Chennai) where there is a perennial water shortage.  When water  is available  24*7  we rarely realize the value of water and take it for granted.

In my two years in Madras, I realized the importance of saving water, and the pain of storing water and rationing its use.  In many parts of India, including Bombay, there are houses and condominiums that get water from a water truck (tankers as they are called in Bombay) on a daily basis since there is no regular supply of water. Clearly there is a huge water shortage & with the growing population things can only get worse.

It is a common site  in India to watch people fighting in the streets and/or queuing for access to fresh water, which is in limited supply.  Conservation of water is of utmost importance and More so for countries like India, which battles with ever-growing population and faces the fear of drought with lack of monsoons.

What the Water Crisis Really Means for You & The Planet

We know we’re using too much water and depleting our ground water sources. But by how much? And exactly where is it going? And which steps improve water use? In these ways, accounting for water consumption is much like trying to account for carbon emissions—we ask the same questions about how we account for it, so that we can know how to measure it, so that we can know how to cut back and if the cut-back measures are effective. While the accounting may seem difficult, we know we have to do it because—as we noted when we discussed sustainability earlier this month—we know we aren’t being sustainable with our water consumption and we know we have to change. For full article please read Planet Green.

For, How can each of us make a difference, please read my Article on Earth Hour.