When you dance with another, what matters most is the trust you place in yourself and your partner to dance as one unit, moving in synchrony and feeling the harmony of your beating hearts. This is the ideal connection that makes dance come alive in the moment.
Yet as much as trust is a much-needed trait in dancing as a couple, often trust takes time to build and is subjective amongst dancers.
To trust is to let go of doubt.
To trust is to allow space for growth.
To trust is to know patience in waiting.
To trust is to allow space for faith.
To trust another is not easy
For one and all.
To some, it may be very difficult.
But trust is certainly worth trying.
To trust takes effort, not assumptions.
It takes practice in time and space.
For trust can be on many levels
Emotional, mental, or physical.
Trust is built to evolve along
For in building the relationship
The foundation needs to endure
The winds of change.
Trust what trust does.
Try to pin it down.
Watch how it turns out to be
Confusing and elusive…
Before you trust, you will
Spend time sensing,
And witnessing the energy,
The tension in the transactions
Being ready for changes,
Being prepared to brave
Through disappointments and dissatisfactions
That may arise at any moment.
And yet…
Trust is not only about building
But about the ability to let go
Of worry and insecurities,
Fear and failures.
To trust is to reach out
Without any expectations
But in utter faith and belief
That you will be supported!
A dance between a couple is a blissful feeling only when there is trust in both the self and the other, just as much as the passion, as only when there is the letting go, can there be the flow manifesting itself through the movements. Savvy Raj
Giving your attention without fear or favour and caring to understand what another is saying, before responding says a lot about the person who is listening…
Here is a true incident…
Viktor Frankl, one of the great psychiatrists of the twentieth century, survived the death camps of Nazi Germany. His little book, Man’s Search for Meaning , is one of those life-changing books that everyone should read.
Frankl once told the story of a woman who called him in the middle of the night to calmly inform him she was about to commit suicide. Frankl kept her on the phone and talked her through her depression, giving her reason after reason to carry on living. Finally she promised she would not take her life, and she kept her word.
When they later met, Frankl asked which reason had persuaded her to live?
“None of them”, she told him.
What then influenced her to go on living, he pressed?
Her answer was simple, it was Frankl’s WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN to HER in the MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
A world in which there was SOMEONE ready to listen to another’s pain seemed to her a world in which it was worthwhile to live.
Often, it is not the brilliant argument that makes the difference. Sometimes the small act of LISTENING is the GREATEST GIFT we can GIVE.
How can we choose to listen well?
What are the barriers to effective listening? How can we improve our listening abilities.
A few issues in listening well….or what is called Ineffective listening.
Distraction caused by the difference between speaking and thinking speeds in humans. So if the speaker speaks too slowly or too fast, the listeners may lose the plot.
At times the appearance or personality quirks or the environment changes can create distractions.
Distraction also causes the listener to show a lack of interest through body language like in posture of loss of eye contact.
Overcoming distractions requires keeness to improve and interest in personal development as much as a sense of commitment to the task at hand.
Here are a 5 tips for improving listening skills.
1. Restating . Pay full attention so as to be able to restate or paraphrase in your own words every once in a while, what it is that you have heard so as to make the speaker feel listened to.
2 Prompting . Use short and positive prompts by interjecting them in the pauses … to show interest like .. And then ? So ?or I know…
3.Validating .Express your empathy . Show that you understand what another is saying or going through. Acknowledge the issues faced by another or the feelings as they are speaking. It shows you are sincere in your concern.
4.Pausing . Allow for some gaps in the conversation.. it helps buy time to think for both the speaker and the listener . As it helps process the information. Silences are great tools to let go the unnecessary gibberish and loose-ended talks which may be counter- productive.
5.Shifting . Redirecting a speaker when needed by shifting the topic gradually changes the tone of the discussion which can at times get too aggressive or violent for comfort.
There are so many ways that develops the GIFT OF LISTENING .
Have also found that in practise, the art of listening well involves all of our senses.
After all the art of a great conversation lies in the ability to listen keenly and respond well than simply react.
Savvy
Personally speaking I have often been a good listener… yet I must confess that there are a few close friends to whom I have spoken who are such great listeners that they put me at ease.
It is truly wonderful to be listened to as much as to listen. There is so much healing in the listening as much as in the sharing. I take this opportunity to thank those friends and readers who cared to give me a listening ear and time.🙏
Ups and downs are part of life they say, But if you have ever been in the shoes of an entrepreneur Check out life on the other side Where pitfalls and catapults are happenings of every day!
Easier said than done, get married to one And watch the brewing storms and tumults of every moment. Staying centered is the name of the game Play on, as fame and shame are small matters under the sun…
Just know in your heart to trust the moment Live it with love and enjoy this now Cos worrying is never the path to take For it traverses on, a test of will in the torment.
Change is the only constant they say and its best manifested in the life of an entrepreneur…
One of the important lessons in living with an entrepreneur… that I can pass on…
Well take nothing for granted
Neither the gains nor the pitfalls.
Everything is in a flux.
So enjoy the moment at hand
And happiness is in your heart!
Savvy
Sounds so wonderful to say I have my own company, or I am the Founder ….
But chew on this a while ….before you bite
Entrepreneurs are a breed apart
They strive for and thrive on success.
Of late the world seems a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and their dream what with almost every one dreaming to become one . Yet the price of startups in scaffolding years leads to so much learnings through it all.
Yes amazing is the feeling of being the boss, where you think you have it all taken care of and you have mastered your game… but then being at the healm of things has so much more at stake! Like never ending work hours , overt commitment workholism, insecurities,and relentless tensionand stress and most of all the looming responsibility of raising funds.
You realise you have to answer to your investors and funders . Your liability is your own conscience Your success is like a game of chances. The laws can make or break you in no time!
Your peace is at stake and your family takes a backseat most often, as you have so much to prove every day!
Your time is not your own but your companies ….and you realise it all only too late.
It certainly is not for the weakhearted as the pressures that surmount to stay at the healm can challenge the strongest minds.
I wrote this as I have personally witnessed the price of the entrepreneurial dream upclose. In the ups and downs the journey goes on , as ironically, these bravehearts never back down!
If eyes could speak
They would say a thousand words
May be more
Yes eyes speak more than words can tell
Have you seen eyes up close
They say much more
There is defiance denial
Hurt and humility
Fear and pain
Sadness and confusion
Longing for approval
And anguish of anxiety
There is judgement and approval
Brazeness and courage
Hope and trust
Mystic and magic
Enigma so magnetic
And yet there is also
Surprise and innocence
Charm and grace
Kindness and Generosity
A Light of Love
For life and living.
Waltz of the Eyes indeed! Speaking much without words that portrays the undeniable truths of life .
How much life experiences can speak through these windows of our soul! Check it for yourself … so much to read in there. May be you can see much more ….do share!
Savvy
Thank you dear Efi for mentioning Stavros and this beautiful lilting music…’Waltz of the Eyes’ in my earlier post.This waltz is truly bewitching! 💙💙💙
It is Monday morning and a start to a new week! Here is a beautiful story share.
Sunflowers 🌻 turn according to the position of the sun, in other words, they “chase the light.” You might already know this, but there is another fact that you probably do not know!
Have you ever wondered what happens on cloudy, rainy days when the sun is completely covered by clouds?🤔
This is an interesting question, isn’t it?
Perhaps you think the sunflower withers or turns its head towards the ground. Is this what crossed your mind?
Well, that’s incorrect!
This is what happens?
They turn towards each other to share their energy.🌻🌻
Nature’s perfection is amazing; now let’s apply this reflection to our lives. We all want this light and seek it in different ways: in our family, friends, religion, work and so on. But there are always going to be cloudy days, gloomy days, because there is no escaping them!
When this happens, most people become overwhelmed, low-spirited, and the most vulnerable ones, some-times, become depressed.How about following the example of the beautiful sunflowers 🌻 supporting and em-powering each other. Nature has so much to teach us.
Wishing everyone a “Sun flower”🌻 trait of turning towards each other on their cloudy and gloomy days.
Reading this story drew me to another fascinating aspect so visible in the sunflowers. The mathematical order of their spirals, that continue to mystify us in all their glory.
Here is an interesting explanation for such a phenomenon.
Truly are many aspects to the ordinary… and yet simplicities of harmony in the very complexities and chaos of life and living.
In the inclusive and expansive attitude towards love for the self and fellow beings we emit a vulnerability that is actually the power within us all to heal and mend and shape us for the better.
With every hurt that scars the soul perhaps we may end up in restraints of our own doing. We fear to think beyond the boundaries, like the frog in the well … trying to seclude and exclude and end up confining ourselves within the walls we sadly create.
We are so afraid to express ourselves that,with our measured movements, of what might happen, or what others may think, we live in cocoons choosing to exist in doubt and insecurities. Perhaps, we may be stepping in our own way, instead of unfurling with all our innate potential the magnitude of our being.
Our life’s journey cannot not be about fear and doubt… for they will not allow us to take a step. And life is about movement, about understanding in discovery, why should life be suppressed in any way?
Think well
Walk with intent respect the space within and around you.
Speak with clarity and with conviction.
Express the self in faith and confidence.
Choose to see life unfolding positively
Allow space for spontaneity in trust, acknowledge it as the expression of your unique self.
Sense your potential and envision the future in hope. To be all that you truly are.
Stay true… To your words and deeds given and done. For they are who you truly are. Backing out in both, after promises Remember is not an option. For it shows up poorly for the self.
A Few Essential Tips to Spruce Up Your Work Space.
If you are already a part of the growing population of the work from home employees, there is a high amount of organisational skills that you may already possess. Yet in the rut of routine the chances of feeling weary and disillusioned the dip in productivity increases alarmingly.
Are you feeling overwhelmed stressed and frustrated take a moment to stop and look at your space right now what you feel do you think it is cluttered and chaotic or needs a bit of sprucing up?
Do you think that your work life is a little out of control and maybe having a more manageable and productive space to work from can make all the difference to you right now?
Then maybe it is time to simplify your work area and enjoy life working from home.. here are a few tips to start you up!
Take a few pictures of the work area :
When you need perspective it often helps if you can use your camera to take a shot of your workspace to see the amount of clutter for yourself. There may be many unwanted items which are lying unused for a long time unnoticed.
De-clutter to essentials:
Check whether you are using the things laid out on your desk regularly and if not try to remove them away from your desk make sure only the essentials are placed on the desk.
If there is just too many things on your desk set a priority on what stays. Start from your desk space take a look at the clutter and if there are just too many things around to distract you try to use the principle of 1 in 1 out. So for every item that you have chosen to keep on the desk make sure to discard one out.
Get a fresh perspective :
Often it is very difficult to notice and see the clutter in our working spaces by ourselves in the pace of monotony that we are caught in.So how about inviting a few close friends over to your home… and try to take stock of their opinions and acknowledge their perspectives as you see it through their eyes.
Create an ambience that is suitable for your line of work when you start throwing away the unwanted items and minimize. You will feel lighter and your room opens up.
Setting time to de-clutter: You can try to clear your desk area as you finish your work every evening for it takes maybe about 5 to 10 minutes to straighten things up you will end up having a clean desk every morning.
Storage matters:
It is important to find a space for everything in your work area, if you have trouble in keeping things in place you will find a desk all the more cluttered and difficulty in locating things. Use the idea of small storage trays or store away the least used items in closed drawers. You can try to keep your work area clean by using magnets to mount supplies and using coloured labels as well
Extra storage options:
If you find you have too many things on your desk which don’t fit it is time to think of extra storage. In a small room, you can make space under your desk by raising the monitor a level up and making sure to use your space wisely by using by enlarging your workspace vertically and by using every inch of the space you have to your advantage.
Remember the sooner you start getting organised the better you feel at work.
Simplify work area live life well!.
Moderation is the key:
Every once in a while we all need a bit of serious organisation time but it is important to not try to overdo it for it can be a huge detriment to being productive. For sometimes there is the case of delight in disorder for some. So choose your own way to what stays and what goes!
Savvy Raj 