Power of pausing
Last week, a small incident made me realize that I have been unconsciously responding in certain situations. I was using the same response repeatedly for certain incidents, without giving it much thought. It had eventually become my default response. However, when I paused this time, I was able to become aware of my default response and stop it. A pause created that space between the trigger and my default response ultimately saving me from having a bad morning.
“It’s a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately filling up space.” – Pema Chodron, American Tibetan Buddhist
Working with a bar raiser
A few months ago, I had involved someone as a bar raiser when I was building my website. We all admire those who seek excellence in their work. However, it can be challenging when we involve them in our projects. They do not settle for something that is ‘good enough’. There are iterations and revisions. Their feedback can make us aware of our shortcomings. They insist on fixing even the smallest things that we might have overlooked. Despite all those inconveniences, we realize we have done something worthwhile and our standards have improved when we get to see the result of our work. Today I feel grateful to my bar-raiser when many people appreciate the quality of my site.
“Surround yourself with people who are going to lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey
Connecting with people
Solopreneurship can sometimes feel like a lonely journey. To overcome this feeling, I decided to reach out to some of my old friends. I made them random calls. While some were unavailable, others were happy to talk. Some people were welcoming and some were confused. Some conversations went on for a while, while others were brief. However, what I found common across all conversations was that people felt happy to be remembered out of the blue. Deep down we all crave to feel connected to someone.
“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things, the heart finds its morning and is refreshed” – Khalil Gibran