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Let me tell you about the story of Don Ritchie from Australia.
There is an infamous spot called “The Gap” where people try to take their own lives. Don Ritchie would invite these people for a chat and some tea with him. His kind gesture has intervened in countless suicidal attempts, saving hundreds of lives.
As a result, he was dubbed "The Angel of the Gap."
Life can be unpleasant in a variety of ways. We tend to believe that others appear to have it all together. Despite this, we have no idea what difficulties they are enduring. Some of us may put on our best smile for our circle to see but in reality, we are cracking on the inside.
We may not realize, yet we can make a difference in someone's life. How?
Here are ways we can do to help people out:
Check up on your friends and loved-ones. Send them a chat message or a phone call. We will never know how much they may need it.
Offer a hug. Make sure it’s Covid free, otherwise, a virtual one will do.
Surprise someone who’s feeling down by ordering food, and have it delivered to their doorstep. Rich and healthy food selections can nourish the soul, too!
Compliment and acknowledge someone genuinely. A compliment can greatly build someone up.
Lend a helping hand to someone struggling. Always be on the lookout for opportunities to offer your assistance.
Accompany them to therapy if needed. Despite how skeptical people can be towards therapy, encourage them. Therapy promotes healing and wellness.
Express thanks to people who helped you out and changed your life. Making someone feel that they are appreciated goes a long way.
As the expression goes, "no man is an island." We are still human beings at the end of the day. We all need to be loved, cared for, and understood. And it never hurts to offer and receive support from people close to us, or even from others beyond our circle of family and friends.
Let’s spread love and light. Subscribe to my blog now!
One time, I was working out while wearing my favorite sneakers. Then I noticed that one of my shoelaces got untied. So I paused my routine for a moment, fixed my shoelaces, and carried on. If I didn't pause to knot my laces, I could have slipped or wouldn’t have done my routine seamlessly.
A pause is not about throwing in the towel. It’s about taking a step back to check what’s working, and what’s not. It is about finding the good, the bad and the ugly. This will help us identify what we might have overlooked because we’re too immersed in what we’re doing. We are also at risk of burnout and lose inspiration. We miss the opportunities to admire and see the beauty of our work.
I love going to museums. I would walk mindfully and savor the essence of each masterpiece. But at times, I would still catch myself pausing when one catches my eye, because it connects with me in a different way. I would pause, check the plaque to find out more information about the artist and the artwork. And then I would step back and look at it again from different angles, maybe take a selfie, and admire it even more. This is the way we should treat our lives.
Yes, we have to make sure that we earn a living; we also need time to smell the roses. Without these meaningful pauses, our hard work wouldn’t be worth our while. We need to constantly look around in order to remind ourselves that there's beauty in and around us.
Let's live a life full of color and meaning. Subscribe to my blog!
Have you ever had a boss, a colleague, or a client compliment you on your work, and it completely made your day? As if it increased your self-esteem and inspired you?
All of us love being appreciated and acknowledged. We cannot deny the warm fuzzy feeling we get in our chests when we get compliments. It always makes us feel that all of our hard work is worth it.
It is a guaranteed way to brighten our day, and energize us to complete our tasks more efficiently.
The National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Japan did a study to prove that people work better when complimented. They concluded that receiving compliments is a social incentive on par with earning money.
For the organization to reach its objectives, we should also help each other to reach that mark. Nobody gets left behind.
How can we express our appreciation to our colleagues and bosses? Here are four ways:
Acknowledge their ideas
Always encourage cooperation and collaboration. People enjoy collaborating when they feel their ideas are valued. Create a space where everyone feels safe and empowered to share their ideas.
Practice Empathy
We don't know what struggles our colleagues are fighting during these trying times. But we have the power to offer them our sympathies, a crying shoulder, and a listening ear.
Show Thanks
We should always say "thank you" whenever possible. Let us thank them for patiently mentoring us, assisting us with our workload, treating us to lunch, and much more.
Pay It Forward
Whatever kindness has been shown to us, we should always return the favor. There are times when we just need to be kind, more than insisting to be right in order to get the job done faster and more efficiently.
A simple gesture of appreciation can go a long way. Why sustain a fear-based and negative culture when it is better, and more productive to foster a work atmosphere based on loyalty, trust, and teamwork?
Let us all live a life ignited. Subscribe to my blog today, and I'll send you a thank-you gift!
