How To Love What You Do

Two friends were having a conversation. One asked the other to predict how the weather was going to be the next day. The second friend said with a smile that tomorrow was going to be an amazingly beautiful day. The first friend asked how the other friend was so confident in his prediction of a beautiful day? The second friend replied that he has realized since he can not control the weather, the best option is to accept every day the way it is and enjoy it to the fullest.  

When we think about Happiness @Work, we often hear the phrase - "Do What You Love, and you will not feel burdened by the work a single day in your life". But many times we do not get this freedom of choosing work that we love. We may have to do jobs to financially support our families. You may be skilled to do such jobs but they might not contribute to enhancing your happiness quotient. 

Under such circumstances, you will hear another suggestion, "If you can't do what you love, then start loving what you do". Now you will say, "This is a reasonable suggestion but how to start loving my job?" A marquee research done by Positive Psychology Guru Dr. Martin Saligman and his team suggests that you will start loving what you are doing if you consciously use four or more of your core character strengths in your day to day work.  You may now be thinking about how to find your core strengths. The very first step is to introspect and identify what you think are your key strengths. You can also take feedback from your family and colleagues. Additionally, you can also visit https://www.viacharacter.org/account/register to utilize the survey designed by Dr. Saligman and the team. The survey will help you identify your core character strengths.  This method has worked for me, and for many others who have chosen to practice it in their professional life. I hope that you will also give this thought serious thought. "Do what you love, or love what you do" - in these two decisions lies the possibility of a joyful professional life. I wish you Happiness @work.  This is Dr. Arun Bhardwaj and I will be back next week. 

Namaskar!!!

The Power of Perspective

Once a little girl was holding two red apples in her hands. Her neighbor saw her and asked the girl if she would share one of those sweet apples with her. The little girl looked at the lady with a smile and quickly took one bite each of both apples.  The lady was keenly observing the girl's reaction and smiled with the thought that this new generation has grown up without the virtues of sharing and caring. How smartly this girl has secured both the apples... But suddenly the girl extended her hand, offering one of the apples to the lady and said, "Aunty, you can take this one, this is tasting sweeter of the two". 

Whoever you are - rich, wise, powerful - do you take time and show patience in understanding people? Do you listen to their perspective before judging them? Do you see things from their perspective or at least allow them to explain their side of the story? 

It is not necessary that what we see and believe is reality. Sometimes, it is not the world but how we look at it that distorts reality for us.  

I had read somewhere that "Ravan, a learned wise man, could have avoided all the bloodshed had he gone to Ram and listened to his side of the story. Do you always listen to the other side of the story?". 

This week, let us decide to trade our judgments with our curiosity. Let us not judge people in haste, rather let us try to understand them. 

This simple change has the power to strengthen our relationships and help us build new ones. This change can also help us inspire the best in the people around us. 

Have a joyful day, week, and life!

The Power of Forgiveness

Every one of us wishes to improve our relations,

But we keep hoping for the others to do the initiation.

Have you ever reflected that humans are the only living being that can keep punishing themselves and their loved ones repeatedly for the same mistake? Not only this, we can continue to keep the bitterness going for years for the same mistake.   

If your pet dog does something mischievous and you shout at him, he will go away but soon return with the same love as if nothing has happened. You also may not stay angry with him for long. But when it comes to mistakes committed by our loved ones, we keep remembering them for years. We don't even hesitate to keep poking and hurting our loved ones by reminding them of their past mistakes. 

I invite you to think differently in the coming week - 

Let us replace the baggage of bitter memories stored in our minds with joyful thoughts by asking for forgiveness for our mistakes, and forgiving others for their mistakes. Not because they deserve your forgiveness; but because you deserve peace. 

Getting angry is like drinking poison and hoping that the other person will die, and forgiveness is like nectar that you give to others but it heals your wounds. That is why forgiveness is a super virtue.   

It is not necessary to respond to every provocation in life with words; let us learn to respond to a few questions with silence and smile. 

Wishing you a joyful week and life.