A life-long learning process

To have a dynamic life, full of energy and meaning, it is important to understand that this is the greatest university!

Every day, every moment, at every interaction or chance to contemplate, you and I are learning. There is no ending for that.

So, I would like to suggest you two things.

First, always be OPEN TO LEARN. This requires humility and self-esteem, kindness and courage, and most importantly, the deep desire to progress.

Second, always be OPEN TO SHARE. You will need to feel the pulse of the person with whom you are sharing, teaching, coaching or mentoring. You will have to go beyond knowledge and trust your own wisdom. And share with generosity, openness, mercy and love.

We are sharing the same classroom, let’s make the best of it.

 

8 asana of the heart - opening your heart with GENEROSITY

There are lots of people who get in touch with us and we don’t even notice. Particularly during this pandemic, we have been more aware of them and even though they are out of our social circle and yet, they are indispensable for us.

A friend of mine commented that was probably a blow to the ego of many to know even though they are managers and they have so much study, their clerks became more important than them for the society...

But this people require your help, a very subtle and easy help: To love them!

There also many other people who are not part of our personal radar in terms of relationship, and yet they are so important in their own way, and they also require the same help: To love them!

For all of those, there is something you can do. Let me explain with an example: I do believe humanity is like a mosaic of love and each one of us complements each other not only physically, but also subtly. As in the mosaic, if the red color piece is not there, the yellow piece won't be that beautiful. That is, your brightness, your energy, your power and the color of your company are just ways of expressing the infinite love you have in your heart.

And that's why you should change your heart, to that it gets bigger and bigger, as if you were doing an asana with it! All those people who are not that close to you need is your GENEROSITY, which is a wonderful way to show your love. I am not talking here in terms of money or resources, but in terms of your energy, presence, your smile and many other ways to express love.

So, focus on those people and feel love for them... Maybe talk with them about it or send them a message. A smile often works and if nothing of that is possible just send them your vibrations of love by using your thoughts and attitude. I am sure they will feel it.

 

This post is part of a series called 8 asana of the heart.

I recommend you to watch 8 postures of the heart.

Your character impacts many others and changes their lives – Reason 41

Leaders have a range of influence far beyond any normal person and it may even transform other people’s lives as many real life stories support this.

Within the range of the concept of influence, character is a very distinct element, because you cannot teach someone how their character should be.  Well, you may teach them, but what they will really absorb is you as an example, not your lecture.  How do you teach someone to be generous or perseverant?

There is a story of a grandmother who furnished her small beach house with very ugly and flimsy plastic furniture.  Used to her eccentricities, her grandchildren tried to tell her they weren’t good and necessary, but she refused to listen to them or to give an explanation.

It took some time for them to learn the truth and many years to understand the lesson: a neighbour single mother with two kids was desperate in need of money to buy food, so the older woman bought her tables and chairs to provide the woman with some money.  That grandmother left a powerful legacy to her grandchildren in the form of an example.

Leaders don’t give lectures to help others in their own character development, as they teach with their actions and intentions, instead of words.

(Excerpt from the book 82 Reasons to be a Leader)

Your generosity is required at your work

According to reports and observations, sometime ago, life and work were completely separated… Every Monday, you would give up on your life until Friday when you would resuscitate. Of course, along the years, people had glimpses of life during the evenings, but still it was not enough…

A few decades back, someone had the strange idea that work is part of life. Even without proper confirmation, people started to assimilate that concept by changing the rules of work and being be more humane there.

Even crazier, someone talked about values and love AT THE WORKPLACE CONTEXT. Absurd, right?

Anyway, nowadays it is considered by many that work is part of life and so, there is no real separation between both. That means all that love and dedication you have your family, or all that fun and sharing you have with your friends, you should also have something similar for your job, enterprise or work project.

It is a change of attitude that is not yet registered in our general culture (take Dilbert for instance). But it is growing and dominating the general landscape of society.

A good worker, a good employer or an excellent entrepreneur is valued not only for his or her achievements, but also on how they behave in relation to the whole community. It is expected some volunteering work or donation, some care about animals or plants, or at least a different behavior, with more values there.

A few years ago, while working at a company with a team, our leader started to have some headache. With no questioning, the rest of us took over her duties and responsibilities and we all insisted she should leave and go home, since she had an operation just a few weeks ago. That was just one case among many I have been seen.

There is a logical background that favors the company: by showing mercy on an employee, the rest of us felt motivated to work even harder, with the certainty something similar would happen to us if we were the ones to get sick.

But, beyond logic, by integrating work with life we opened a door for deeper reflections on human behavior and communities in general. Qualities as generosity, solidarity or patience are now important at places we normally don’t associate with those values.

Yes, being a good person is not enough to get a job or to keep one, but being a bad person is enough to lose one.

So, think about that, reflect on the invisible power of being generous, showing solidarity or expressing patience with another co-worker, customer or provider. It is important for your own career and the community where you live. And work, of course…