As a Freelancer or a Self Employed Individual inspite of the independence and freedom to manage what you choose to do, there are often many challenges that test you on your journey.
Here are a few mindful ways to destress through your challenges using reflection for your personal growth.
Breath: Start the day by find time for your health. You can simply start by observing your breath. Witness it, moving in and out of the body. Sense your own breath. Check the speed and patterns in your breath. Are you breathing fast or slow? Are you able to hear the sounds of your breath? Our breathing sends many signals to us about our health, if we only care to observe.
Meditation. Reflect on your life as you go into a deeper state of being.You can choose your kind of meditation from the many practices of meditation options. Be it breath awareness through deep breathing, or mindful walking meditation or sound meditation. Be fully present in the Now.
Movement : Reflect on the positive ways you can use your body to reset and recharge your self. Choose to take a mindful and conscious walk. Sense everything in and around as you move with self awareness Reflect on your day and observe your thoughts. Many thoughts will vye for your attention. Let them come and go as you witness their unfolding. You will find much inspiration as you go. You will note your state of mind. You will have clarity of your emotional and mental health. You will sense the truths of your life.
Journalling.: Writing your thoughts is a good reflection tool that helps process and synthesise new information and life experiences. In fact it increases creative thinking and problem solving. As you reflect on your reactions and responses you will find greater clarity on your path.
Reading : A beautiful practice for any time that you can be inspired is by inculcating a habit of reading regularly. Choose a good book take time to read. You will find yourself charged with many inspirations to kickstart your day. It can be a contemplative practice for some deep thinking and self introspection and improvement.
Feedback : An opinion of another about you is their assimilated perception that they may voice out to you with or without your asking. Seeking honest feedback from trusted sources can help you course correct yourself. It is how you take the feedbacks you receive and what and how you focus on it that makes all the difference. Be aware that feedback is a valuable tool for self reflection and personal growth.
There are many tools for reflection like the above. However even acknowledging ones feelings and emotions helps in understanding more and managing stressful situations better.
Reflection practices can be inclusive and expansive. Besides silent contemplation and introspection while learning from mistakes, participating in a conversation, be it Group discussions, workshops can be an engaging practice for Self awareness.. They are also opportunities for self growth.
Are you listening to your body and what it is telling you?
Do you find time to invest in yourself?
Are you on your priority list?
Do you have a habit of putting others happiness and health ahead of yours?
Do you accommodate for everything and are perhaps less assertive and over tolerant?
The truth is you can never give from an empty vessel. Creating a beautiful life that you love is as important as for others. If there are gaps in your vessel of life,what will you share from?
Creating your own well-being in life is a responsiblity to yourself.
Ultimately it’s all about finding time to find yourself your way!
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.
If we are able to understand the reason for life is to be…
As it is meant to be We will be more tolerant and inclusive We will think before we speak We will choose to see the good and nurture the good. What we choose to notice life presents itself in many ways As the way we choose to see the world The world mirrors itself to us.
See the world with wonder and awe Choose to respect and be responsible Cultivate a sense of respect gratitude. For the infinite abundance called life!
When words propose in a flow That is persuading and all pervading No matter the rhyme or form It becomes poetry Creating a zen like feeling That makes you want to be In that state of awareness Inspite of knowing Everything moves on…
Have you ever been enticed by the eloquence of words?
Personally I have many favorites
But these profound words by Gibran deeply impacted me… Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
Infact all the lines that follow are equally poignant as well as profound.
So much wisdom in those words for life and living.
Which is your favorite piece of poetry? Do your remember those verses vividly ?
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…
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…
A young entrepreneur I know, just does not seem to have the time or patience to listen to the employees. She says how can she find time to run the company if she has to hear them all…
Well it’s actually valid as her company has more than hundreds of people.
I have had many things to say about the issues, worries and problems that are of concern, but as her friend and confidante too, it is somewhat very challenging to get the messages across all the time.
Here I share a few of my observations as suggestions that may work for holistic development of any organisation.
It is very important…
To know your circle of people.
Those who work with you
Those who work for you.
To show genuine care & understanding.
Genuine appreciation and acknowledging people for their work without favouritism makes a huge difference.
In return
You as a leader understand much more
Of what motivates them
Or challenges them
And you begin to create
Possible ways to make a meaningful difference
And grow together.
And if by chance you sense a lack of common purpose
You know you need to be ready to draw a line,
And let them go, if need be.
But all the same it’s important to be aware of, and connect with your circle of people well.
Try growing a bamboo plant. Water it regularly. Seasons will come n go. It will stay adamant without even growing an inch taller. For four years it will stay the same. One has to have patience watering it for four years. Nothing will happen to make you happy. On the fifth year the magic will happen. On the next season it will start to grow. Not an ordinary growth. In one year it will reach a height of 80 feet
How a plant which remained dormant for the first 4 years could reach this magical height in the fifth year.
There lies Nature’s secret.. The wonder of Creation.
The first four years the plant prepares a strong base inside the earth. For it’s astonishing growth in the fifth year it needs strong root base to hold it’s height . The patience it has is for the initial four years is for it’s sustenance in the following years.
That’s the reason when it reaches great heights in the fifth year it never collapses or fall down.
Patience is a virtue that creates great heights in success. Never be in haste to grow and expand until you create a strong foundation & groundwork for your growth. Then nothing can stop ur growth and success.
Savvy Raj 
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