Embracing the Inclusiveness

Good enough is not good enough…… ! Raise the bar for performance ……..!

What you achieved yesterday is past …….. !

How many of us have felt completely left out in this game with our minds often raging over declared mediocracy and self-proclaiming the title on us so mercilessly! This life of comparison either within the peer, or within companies, or even amongst siblings at home has tirelessly left us insane much at the cost of our health and internal peace!

As I turn back into the years of pandemic conditions, I know many organizations have done zillions and possibly all work towards the wellness of their employees. There are teams that are persistently working on such initiatives continuously. As weekend reflection (which has always been part of my professional life), I was thinking of what are some of the areas that have gone past so far well and many others that are yet to even pass the gate. The recent life losses have been devastating in my peace arena and has compelled me not to be merely labeled and run the race for proving my individuality for anything including my personal gain. There are plenty of work deliverable in each of our lives – be it personal or professional with most times the latter gobbling the former time. 

Today I decided to pause and tell myself its perfectly alright to slow down and be average. Running the race in the name of “raising the bar” doesn’t mean you raise to heaven to prove it. So there are few key priorities I start today to note down including and not restricted to making every connection lovable, educating myself with something beautifully reflective, write at least one article a month, pay it forward to those who need the support and most importantly looking inward.  

In this journey of interdependencies,  as i let go more of my toxins in the form of expectations, anxiety, pain, or any other stressful toxins connected thereof, I wanted to internalize few key priorities and even discuss during my subsequent year appraisal conversations with my leader. With my priorities becoming clearly evident areas of focus, I now feel light to think further and with a clearer mind. 

I would love to stay connected lowering the barriers between all my connections – whoever it may be. It is interestingly evident that each one of us in this world is personally defending our own experiences and when somebody offers an experience it most often clashes or contradicts or intrudes upon ours, and then the automatic mechanism to push away the unknown and fortify what we already know. Most of the so called “Experienced Professionals” may recall this on an everyday basis. Connected feeling involves recognizing every value add are valid and equally human. Yes ! I get there to the world of joy to comprehend that during these difficult time period that has pushed us to virtual working and accountability, as a manager there had been immense value add that as collective team we could bind with each other (irrespective of competency levels), build to help and support each other. I could not see even a single involuntary exit in my team that was thrown under undue work pressure. Though as team we keep ourselves agile in the world of exploring the new, we do it in an interesting and yet with learning filled moves. We aren’t randomly connected at the subtle level like telephones, nor can we turn the connections off. We are bonded. Though many a time we gladly connect more through new ideas, it’s at the feeling level that one sees past, the wild disagreements created by the mind and replaces them with a shared regard for truth and love. So why not make every minute of our interaction more meaningful to others? And what a way to make this as a design of operations and not out of any compulsion.

Through this consciousness, there is no stress or anxiety as transparency tranquil & overshadows the depression and any other suspicion connected to either parties.  The greatest foe of inclusiveness is isolation. I am also forced to believe that people who have had extraordinary things happen to them fear that they would be disbelieved or ostracized if they are verbalized.  There is a great need for all of us to engage in connected speaking: confide, share, and be intimate about what each one of us in this difficult terrains are facing and swiftly embrace them irrespective of any perceived notions. I want to give this to anyone coming in contact with me – a pleasant experience! This world needs more love than knowledge.   Being an armchair sceptic or an armchair believer are both equally passive. Now for those who need evidence out of scientific statistics – 9 out of 10 survivors from severe critical illness have all unanimously confirmed that one of the best feeling even during their turmoil for them was to understand and acknowledge the fact that someone in this world is happy because of them!

 This performance year of mine as I look backward and in years to come , my key focus shall lay strong on believing highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective - people who know to see a problem as an opportunity. I realized somebody could be very smart and even get a Nobel Prize but be extremely unhappy at the same time in the interiority. There is high possibility that this hinges on me. All that I let it go at ease & work with internal thermostat mechanism to exercise and pull off heat mechanisms! Overall, the past few years have re-emphasized that driving over-ambitious project, formidable hard work and exacting plans are no more the ONLY ways to succeed. It’s part of the cultural ethic and mindset that I don’t believe in anymore if performance succeeds at the cost of relationship!