Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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Expression

How are you in this moment ?

Are you ok?

Every once in a while

Just ask yourself  these simple questions.

And let yourself  answer

As the thoughts flow

Jot them down

There is much healing

In the journaling of thoughts

In expressing your feelings

On paper or to another

In simply voicing it out

Giving a path to let the steam off.

Build yourself  up with care

Connect with a deeper breath

And listen keen as you exhale.

As you externalize, you create space

And understand yourself more.

Savvy

 


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The bouncing ball

Bouncing ball

Think of any organization, like a bouncing ball. No two moments are alike Change is order of things. In such moments the leaders at the top need all the support they can get from their team. And for that clarity in communication be it timely updates , to them & to the team is equally  paramount.

When the ball bounces are extreme, it could be many factors, like the winds of change that’s affecting it. Let’s call it external forces be it political, economic,global changes and more…

No one can predict things to the T but if risks are part of the buisness, then leadership needs both resilience from the entire team and quick decision taking to keep the company ‘ball balancing’  afloat.

In times of internal instability from unexpected forces within the company, affecting the state of buisness the leaders need  more than just attention to detail to bring the dissenting fragments and solve crisis .

It’s a given that even in stable times there is always going to be  that bounce in the ball think of it as the pulse in the heartbeat. Just that the force and velocity is a little more manageable . Acknowledging it as a part of risk management  makes it more realistic than procrastinating  from planning for it.

Whatever be the force, the torque generated decides the nature of impact it has. Being prepared and building the resilience muscle and creating a strong srategic team in easier times, helps in times of crisis management.

Embracing the changes is about  understanding the experiences of highs and lows as a part of the journey. And most of all seeing the setbacks as an opportunity  to bounce back stronger again.

What do you think ? 

Savvy Raj

 


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Hear to be heard

Hear to be heard
Value to be valued
Acknowledge.

It makes a world of difference in a ‘ever busy world’ that’s always checking time.
Giving time and energy to understand another with empathy will help shift perspectives for the better.

Savvy


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6 Tips to Overcome Analysis Paralysis

On Analysis Paralysis

Some of the common Symptoms: Overthinking ,lack of focus,  Stress ,Frustration, Racing thoughts .Indecisiveness in high pressure situations, Cognitive confusion. Tiredness Sleeplessness etc.

If you are feeling caught

In a swirl of thoughts & emotions

As if you are being engulfed

In a whirlwind of overthinking…

Perhaps about family  & relationships

Or your career or finances etc

Where you feel stuck in a loop

Unable to take a decision

Or move forward with  a solution.

It could be Analysis Paralysis.

While anyone of us may have experienced  it, people with inflexible and fixed mindset often find themselves in this dilemma.

On the other hand people who are  sensitive and empathy also find themselves  unable to take a decision to move forward if it is going to upset another .

In fact Analysis Paralysis  can create blockages for intuitive people and hence they need to  understand it to address it.

If you are experiencing it now here are few solutions to manage  it.

  1. Acknowledge with Self Awareness  by scanning your entire body to sense what, when and where,and how often you are feeling this way.  
  2. Address it by allowing yourself to be more flexible and open to new perspectives without fear. 
  3. Stop trying to please one and all. Trust in your capabilities and know you are enough.
  4. Conquering  your fear of failure by taking  a small step towards that which seems impossible. Keep the faith in yourself and you can always  pivot without unwanted pressure.
  5. Inculcating a practice of mindfulness regularly helps increase focus by creating present moment awareness.
  6. Choosing to slow down and avoid  the pressures of multitasking help ease the cognitive challenges. 

 

 


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On Commitment

An interesting  quote on relationships  I read this morning…

The relationship between commitment and doubt is by no means an antagonistic one. Commitment is healthiest when it’s not without doubt but in spite of doubt.

Rollo May

As I reflected on the above words  a few thoughts came to me…

On life and relationships

Is there an interplay of doubt and commitment?

Is there commitment when in doubt?

What happens when doubt creeps in the committed?

Whenever they intersect there are conflicts

Whether at opposition or not

Both are in thoughts

Dashing from one extreme to another

At times contradicting at times rationalising

And returning back to apparent normalcy

When doubt dances in, commitment feels the burn

When commitment is strong, doubt rests on the back burner.

Have always felt there needs to be trust in a relationship as much as compromise else even the strongest of relationships fall apart.

What are your thoughts ? Do share.


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Handling Difficult People

If ever you are in a position where you are hurt and helpless and want to help yourself out of this situation  check on your own behavior

Are you speaking and sharing   more than you should?

Are you over explaining and try to match up to anothers expectations and not valuing your own strengths?

Are you defending yourself  when the other person  refuses to understand  anothers perspective?

Are you too sensitive and taking things personally  when actually  the source of the issues or the problem is not you at all?

Often  it is self awareness that is the first step towards bettering your life.

A self check to see your reactions  is definitely a way to improving  how you handle and manage difficult people in life.

Tbe way to make life favorable  to you , is in living as if all is rigged in  your favor.

Savvy


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Be an encourager

On Coaches & Coaching

At times just when a coach knows it’s progress the client wants to give up.

They may feel the changes are not enough or there may be other personal factors that may be inhibiting their success. It is important to acknowledge their emotions at the moment and celebrate small wins precisely showing how far they have come. As a coach  being empathic & encouraging while being flexible and adaptable as you adjust strategies for the way forward aids and facilitates progress.

Often clients face doubt and overwhelm at some point or the other. It is important then to remind them of their why and guide them to stay on course.

Your thoughts are welcome.

©Savvy Raj


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On Mentoring

Trustful Mentorship

The dynamics of mentor mentee relationship is one of trust and confidence.

Building trustful mentorship requires genuine love to help guide people for the better.

Besides the required skills and expertise, mentors having an inclusive, expansive and holistic approach while helping unique  pathways for clients, adds to their repertoire to create trustful mentorship .

Clarity and integrity in communication & behaviour , excellent interpersonal skills and empathic attitude add value beyond the experience and expertise of the mentors.

It is important to acknowledge the influence a mentor can have on the mentees decisions be it at work or personal life.

Hence, a good understanding of ethics while handling conflicting opinions biases, & emotional triggers helps empower the mentee than exploit them.

After all, a mentor is someone who guides advice and supports along the way…

©Savvy Raj

(A bit more from my writings On Mentoring)

  


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Lead with empathy

Empathy  & Leadership

Empathic leaders find it easier to understand the challenges of their teams but they also need to be empathic to themselves to avoid burnout and manage their lives.

Stress Management for Leaders

If you are feeling stress beyond a level you can handle as a leader  you need to introspect.

There could be many factors that build up the stress often without your own knowing. It can happen to anyone after all we are only human. And it would be good to acknowledge the importance of work life balance and self care.

Are you biting more than you can chew? To manage work stress as a leader, while delegating work check, if you are delegating tasks with clarity to the team.

Are you approachable and exercising  patience in communication?

Are you checking if they have understood your requirements?

Are your mails, messages and your  attitude,  building people up?

Remember the way you chose to behave rubs off on people. While it’s only human to err  and there could be good & bad days, being  a leader  is a responsiblity. For you have the power to influence and impact lives. 

Likewise your actions  beliefs and behaviour can affect your own health.  Hence managing your own stressors empathically become paramount as a leader to get work done.

Every now and then tweaking your own approach, to the changing needs, being flexible and  adaptable helps you and your team towards reducing  work stress.

©Savvy Raj


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On Trust & Delegation

Delegation and trust go hand in hand.

Why delegate work, when you can do it on your own. Because it is common sense that with growth, work increases you will need people to get things done. And without trusting people, you cannot build a team that you can trust. A huge part of delegation is about being accountable to get the  work done well.

Successful delegation empowers a team.  It is about finding the right person or team for the job. Mastering the art of delegation is rewarding in the long term for it develops and builds skills enhances productivity. It validates the values of  collaboration and trust to the team hence improves the attitude at work in a team.

Moreover it improves the time management not only for you but  for the team and the organisation thereby increasing productivity and this can help find balance in professional work and  personal life.

Do you delegate with the right attitude and for the right reasons?

© Savvy Raj


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On Speaking

An essential skill in any job that requires talking & handling people is speaking well and communicating effectively.

Handling challenging questions during a speech can be effectively managed by  a few  practical and strategic ways using conflict resolution techniques.
Get yourself some time to think by
practicing listening actively when a question comes up and then repeating  it in your own words to check if you have clarity on what is asked.
Acknowledge the questions with empathic voice and body language can  ease and reduce tensions and help  build the flow of  communication.
Get yourself back into the arena
by reframing the questions to align with your context.
Using an assertive voice shows command over the context.

Always remembering the goal is not to score a point but or win an argument but to build and sustain a positive and respectful connection.

©Savvy Raj


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Sustain yourself

How much of you do you give in any relationship?

Today I am sharing a thought Provoker. This came as a social media forward. But it was thought worthy and I do have a few questions as well.

Speaking of relationships, have you felt drained out beyond compare?

Instead of feeling energetic after an interaction or a conversation, have you felt like when will it end?

When was the last time you felt a little too empty?

Do you stop giving, if you feel it is an unequal relationship and you feel pulled from all directions or due to habit or situation you continue to give as you do?

If you are a giver by nature, can you actually stop yourself at all?

It’s truly important to acknowledge your emotions and feelings. It helps to know your energy shifts.

A Stringed Existence

There is a lot of inextricable strings of emotions linked to relationships but if you are constantly feeling drained out and exhausted when with certain people, perhaps you need to check if you have over invested yourself. Be it in career as a workaholic or in family where your sense of self is feeling lost.

You have one life & it is your life…

Pause and take a breather and set yourself back on course.

While there are many kinds of people you meet. And it is really OK to be extra helpful, and give the best you can. In fact it energizes abundance to manifest in life… For when you give from a spring well of kindness, nature sets in motion, a share of kindness back to you in its own time.

Yet like many are energy givers, there are many energy takers. Often unknown to themselves they behave in a way that saps anothers energy when they are around you.

Do remember who ever you are with… Giving more or less will not have value. For less is not fulfilling and more is just excess and will never be utilised. But will certainly tilt your balance for sure.

In your actions too, exercise this wisdom and you will find yourself in a good space.

And most of all…

Choose your tribe well. It makes all the difference.

©Savvy Raj


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On Attitude

If milk gets bad, it becomes yoghurt. Yoghurt is more valuable than milk. If it gets even worse, it turns to cheese. Cheese is more valuable than both yoghurt and milk.

And if grape juice turns sour, it transforms into wine, which is even more expensive than grape juice.

You are not bad because you made mistakes. Mistakes are the experiences that make you more valuable as a person.

Christopher Columbus made a navigational error that made him discover America.

Alexander Fleming’s mistake led him to invent Penicillin.

Don’t let your mistakes get you down. It is not practice that makes perfect. It is mistakes we learn from that makes perfect!

Loved this forward I received this morning, just had to share… So motivational. Our attitude turns circumstances around…

Stay hopeful and turn the misses around…


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Every bit matters

According to an old Native American legend, one day there was a big fire in the forest. All the animals fled in terror in all directions, because it was a very violent fire. Suddenly, the jaguar saw a hummingbird pass over his head, but in the opposite direction. The hummingbird flew towards the fire!
Whatever happened, he wouldn’t stop. Moments later, the jaguar saw him pass again, this time in the same direction as the jaguar was walking. He could observe this coming and going, until he decided to ask the bird about it, because it seemed very bizarre behavior.
“What are you doing, hummingbird?” he asked.
“I am going to the lake,” he answered, “I drink water with my beak and throw it on the fire to extinguish it.” The jaguar laughed. ‘Are you crazy? Do you really think that you can put out that big fire on your own with your very small beak?’
‘No,’ said the hummingbird, ‘I know I can’t. But the forest is my home. It feeds me, it shelters me and my family. I am very grateful for that. And I help the forest grow by pollinating its flowers. I am part of her and the forest is part of me. I know I can’t put out the fire, but I must do my part.’
At that moment, the forest spirits, who listened to the hummingbird, were moved by the bird and its devotion to the forest, miraculously they sent a torrential downpour, which put an end to the great fire.
The Native American grandmothers would occasionally tell this story to their grandchildren, then conclude with, “Do you want to attract miracles into your life? Do your part.”
“You have no responsibility to save the world or find the solutions to all problems—but to attend to your particular personal corner of the universe. As each person does that, the world saves itself.’”


If someone asks your help remember this story.

A lovely read I simply had to share. I am doing my bit…

Every bit matters!


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Somewhere somehow

In moments of loneliness

The tango of the mind & heart

May seem to overwhelm.

Choose to shift the narrative

Understand you can be alone

Without feeling lonely

Blame not your luck or fate

Find connects with your own self

Draw out the beauty of you.

Acknowledge your feelings

Allow your emotions to express

Draw your patterns of possibilities

Doodle, dance, sing or play

To express and let go.

The spirit of the soul revives.

Care to relish the moments

Of connects that you sense.

Remember you matter to you

Stop being hard on yourself

Start to discover your potential

Choose to know yourself

All of you body mind & spirit

Seek to sense the freedom to be

All that you want.

Do that which feels you

With or without company

Choose to carve your life

Choose to be in spaces

That makes you happy

Find ways to connect

Volunteer your time

For a cause that resonates

Sooner than later

You will find

Your kind of vibe

Somewhere somehow.

©Savvy Raj