Saturday, 9 November 2013

The power of appreciation!

Appreciation is a very powerful tool and works well in motivating people. The action itself brings positive energy as the person who appreciates genuinely has to be in an ego-less state while doing this. In this state, only two people exist, the appreciated who receives an instant positive energy from the one who appreciates, who possess the positive energy.
So what prevents us from appreciating the good work of others is the ego that plays spoil sport!
Let me narrate two incidents where I was at the receiving end of this positive energy.
I was returning home from the nearby super market one day.  I walked past my daughter and her friends who were playing badminton and they greeted me with big smiles.
One of the girls told me that sometime in the past I had taught her how to play badminton and from then on she picked up interest in the game. I could not recall the incident. But I was very happy. I told them it felt nice to receive appreciation from young people. After I returned home I pondered over the episode.

What a powerful tool appreciation is! It can mend broken relationships; it can fill your heart with ecstatic happiness and satiate the air around with positivity. I thought hard to remember the time I last appreciated someone and felt really ashamed.

The little girl in one nonchalant moment had taught me a very valuable lesson. 

The second incident also descended upon me rather suddenly when another youngster, Vivek, who had been reading my blog posts sent me a message. He wanted me to check a particular post in which he had nominated me for a Liebster award. Being an avid blogger himself, he is the creator of interesting and absorbing posts like this one:

When I read the details of the award I was rather touched. Let me begin the journey through Liebster award with this one statement: Thank you Vivek. 

Playing the game by its rules is very important, so read ahead...

The Liebster Blog Award: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, and lovely. Started in Germany (probably) & is used to highlight new/recent/lesser known blogs or let say blogs with less than 200 followers.(Though the original rules have changed a bit, the purpose is same - highlight fellow bloggers' works and appreciate each other's works)

Here's a brief on how this award works:

*   Link back to the persons blog that have nominated you
*   Answer all questions posted by the nominator
*   Create 10 questions for the nominees
*   Contact the nominees and let them know that they have been nominated for the Liebster

So here are the answers to the 10 questions that Vivek asked me:

1)  Life full of tough decisions that might pay well (money,satisfaction,happiness) or a life of easy decisions?  why?
I prefer a life full of tough decisions. This would equip me in facing challenges unknown that lay hidden as I tread the path ahead. There is a Thirukkural, which, when translated reads thus: What one acquires as knowledge in one birth aids him/her in all the seven births…

2) Your biggest regret?
I have taken decisions based on situations, so even if I regret them, I guess there was nothing else I could have done better. Given that I am the person I am I will react the way I do, so I guess there is nothing I regret (at least, nothing so far).

3) Cat or dog?
Cat for its cleanliness, Dog for its loyal companionship.

4) Would you survive a zombie attack? If so describe how.
I am not sure about what a zombie attack is. If I am allowed to ask a question in my reply, please tell me if zombies are fake or real?

5) Do you believe in love at first sight?

6) You wake up to realize that your entire life so far was just a dream. Your reaction?
Take stock of my current reality, find a few people whom I can call friends and go ahead with life!

7) First word that comes to your mind on seeing the pattern "--*--*--"
Similar to Morse code

8) The farthest and nearest place in your bucket list.
Chennai would be the nearest place and Mars is the farthest place.

9) What stops you from being what you want to be?

11) Find the mathematical mistake in this post.
The sum of the digits of this question number should have been 1 and not 2.

Now for the nominations from my side:

Do write the first answer that comes to your mind after reading the question:
  1. If God gave you another chance to live your life all over again, which one thing  would you like to change?
  2. One act of kindness that you encountered.
  3. One moment that you felt indebted to your creator…
  4. Is variety confusing?
  5. One ingredient that makes a good listener…
  6. Which one of these two you do faster: thanking people or apologising?
  7. ‘Ageing gracefully’ – What does this mean to you?
  8. If you are allowed to make one change to the ways of the world, what would you   like to change?
  9. What constitutes a balanced life?
  10. Has the internet globalised the world or polarised it?
  Happy question & Answer session...