Unconditional love for self

http://zenhabits.net/unconditional/

This just arrived in my inbox.. 

Unconditional love for self is a choice. Yes we have goals, dreams, and wishes. However, looking forward to these things shouldn't get in the way of perceiving the reality in less glamour! 

It shouldn't be a tendency to push this reality down in order to climb on to higher steps. I guess the present is always in a sadder, pitiful place from that perspective. 

This is you. These arms, these legs, this stomach, this smile, this walk, this home, these friends, this lover, these parents, this dog, this work, this company and this impact. This is all you(rs). 

Relish it! 

'I am great, I am beautiful, I am awesome and this day I am going to make all those things about me even better!' 

Happiness and contentment are choices we need to consciously make! 

Ordinary vs. Extraordinary

Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples and pears.

Show them how to cry

when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand.

And make the ordinary come alive for them.
The extraordinary will take care of itself.

- William Martin

I came across this beautiful treasure on Facebook! What a lovely thought - cultivating a habit in the soul to do ordinary things. We find love in the most simple gestures - holding the door open for someone and waving a hand to say goodbye. We find meaning in simple thoughts - saying 'I love you' and asking 'how was your day?'. We find joy in things that cost nothing - laughing with a friend and rain. We find satisfaction in simple things - eating the last bite of ice cream and getting a free slice of cake on your birthday.

I agree and wish that I did more to indulge in simple things, in everyday.

I disagree with (the phrase) not striving for an extraordinary life. I think that strife comes only when we indulge in ordinary things! Eating well, respecting the body, saying thank you, getting the needful rest, remembering to think of the universe and our minuscule role in the big picture, celebrating small wins, cultivating habits, enjoying the moment, and having fun. 

And sure enough, the extraordinary things will take care of itself!

Good night! 

Measuring customer service, inch by inch

Working in a field that is Customer Service at the crux and spending so much of my conscious thought on inspiring people to want to give good customer service, I look for good examples of the same everywhere.

Flight journeys are times when the genuineness of the customer service is obvious. I enjoy taking notes of their behaviour/training from my seat! I am yet to travel on a flight that gives awesome customer service. Might be because I frequent the MAA-SIN route more than any other, and because of which my data points are rather concentrated.

I had an epiphany earlier today while being onboard a flight from MAA. The difference in good customer service, from a bad one - lies in the gestures you make, in your entire body language.

The steward who came to give me food, bent down, asked for my meal preference, and placed the food on my tray; no other glamorous moves. The steward who came to collect my tray, stood there, with his hand stretched out, at about 1 inch (no exaggerations) away from the tray. I didn't notice him for a full 30 seconds, after which I lifted the tray, by that 1 inch, for the hand to collect it.

Now this 1 inch, is customer service. Or should I say customer satisfaction?

I was happy to hand him the tray, completely. What baffled me was that he stood there, without any speech, without any motion, but with his single demanding gesture of a stretched out hand barely short of the tray's reach.

If he had gone for grabbing the tray, I would have gladly put forth my help too. He would have made me feel thankful for having such help. Instead here I am writing a blog post about him.

Customer satisfaction, is going that extra inch to help your customers. You offer kindness and gratitude, for which they offer loyalty to your brand. We practice such gestures at UNIQLO - welcoming the customer once they are enter the store, offering assistance, using both hands to hand/take anything to/from the customer, smiling in all interactions, and thanking the customer for having visited us. I feel glad to have been trained so rigorously in giving this small inch of satisfaction to my customer. 

Hello 2015!

Its a whole new year and I am full of hope! Who isn't! 
I read a article earlier in the day about how just 8% of the people succeed in their new year resolutions every year. 

Who cares about statistics, hope is the whole point of existence! I want to do so many things in this year. And as these thoughts come by, I can't resist to firstly think of the year that has gone by. 

It was my first new year as an adult.

It was my first whole year of complete accountability.

It was the first whole year of salary. 

The first half of the year was great, I was in the glory of tiny successes at work. I was motivated by the recognition I got. I worked crazy hours and I was happy.
1) Increased expectations for myself: I intend to give up my usual pushover self. And to practice my strong will a lot more, actually in everything I do this year. At work, this would overhaul the way I have been dealing with things. I am breathing fresh air into all my projects as I write this. 2) Staying positive: It's the only way that works. Worrying, mourning, and bawling has helped nothing and no one. I should know that by now. 3) Staying calm: I display way too much emotions than I intend to. I have been a reactive person. I wish to change that and be a responsive person. Armed with these principles, I wish to go uphill on the path of learning! Perhaps the equation below will sum up my goals for the year :) 

The second half was spent in mourning; in doubt. I am still quite unsure why and what sparked the whole movement of backlash in my head. I think I was taking it out on myself. Work slowed down and I wasn't getting enough challenges. Rather, I was blind to all the opportunities that came by.

And as I recollect all those emotions, acknowledge them, and put them aside in the 2014 box, I feel like I am in a better place. I don't feel so light headed as I used to. I have thought about this coming year and I want it to be along the following things/themes:

Glow

I was watching Amelie (again) earlier in the day, and there is this scene where she walks away after helping an old man find his time capsule, from 40 years ago. It is pretty much the turning point of the movie. I love that movie. Absolutely. It captures small pleasures of life in the most astonishing way. It makes you want to work hard; to take initiative; to do things - all to stay and spread 'happy'. Because, quite simply, life is better that way. 

Let's talk about that scene. Below are the translated dialogues from that scene, in which she sees the fruit of her pursuit in helping a man remember good times. 

Amélie suddenly feels in perfect harmony with herself.
everything's perfect: the softness of the light, 
that little scent in the air, the peaceful sounds of the city .
Life seems so simple and crystal-clear that she's swept 
by this desire to help the all mankind. 

THIS my friends is the feeling I am referring to - the wind is in your hair; your eyes are sparkling; your smile is starring across the content face; your arms are swinging away; your walk is telling a story. And sometimes, that familiar feeling makes your stomach go funny. It starts in your stomach, rides up the throat, touching the heart on the way, and reaches your mouth. And if the intensity is stronger it rises up to your eyes and causes tears to well.

Some call it delight, some satisfaction, and some contentment. It's the feeling that fills you up entirely.   

You glow. 

After these times of satisfaction. 

You glow. 

At the evidence of your better self.

You glow. 

When you feel like a million bucks.

You glow. 

When you are infinite. 

You glow in the bravest of moments, after you accomplished something that you've been struggling with. You glow at times of sharing, from jedi to padawan. You glow at moments of seeing your hard work take form. You glow when you help someone. 

And there is this one lovely tweak to this phenomenon. You glow when you see someone else glow! 

For this glow, I wish; that this 2015 will be full of it - for me and you !