Be Receptive

“Receptive” implies being open to ideas and suggestions.

It means you are inclined and willing to receive whatever it is that you need at that moment – data, creativity, a new idea, or whatever. It’s the opposite of being closed minded and stubborn.

People who are receptive are willing to have a “beginner’s mind,” the willingness to learn, even if they are considered the expert. Because they are not defensive, these people have sharp learning curves and are almost always the ones who come up with the best ideas. They are fun to work with and are great team players because they think “outside the box” and consider differing points of view.

I know a person who is one of the most receptive individuals I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. He was a business leader who was willing to listen to everyone – and who would frequently take the advice of his employees. Rather than stubbornly insisting that his answers were always the best, he would take his ego out of the picture. He would reflect on the suggestions given by his employees to determine the best possible course of action.

He told me, “It made my job so much easier. By being genuinely receptive to suggestions and ideas, rather than shutting them off, I had the advantage of hundreds of brilliant minds working together – rather than having to rely on my tiny little mind.”


infoyogee...............

Change your perspective!

There was once an old lady who cried all the time. Her elder daughter was married to an umbrella merchant while the younger daughter was the wife of a potter. On sunny days, she worried, "Oh no! The weather is so nice and sunny. No one is going to buy any umbrellas. What will happen if the shop has to be closed?" These worries made her sad. She just could not help but cry.

When it rained, she would cry for the younger daughter. She thought, "Oh no! My younger daughter is married to a potter. Pots cannot be made without the sun. Now there will be no pots to sell. What should we do?" As a result, the old lady lived in sorrow every day.
Whether sunny or rainy, she grieved for one of her daughters. Her neighbors could not console her and jokingly called her "the crying lady."

One day, she met a monk. He was very curious as to why she was always crying. She explained the problem to him. The monk smiled kindly and said, "Madam! You need not worry. I will show you a way to happiness, and you will need to grieve no more."

The crying lady was very excited. She immediately asked the monk to show her what to do. The master replied, "It is very simple. You just need to change your perspective. On sunny days, do not think of your elder daughter not being able to sell umbrellas but the younger daughter being able to dry her pots. With such good strong sunlight, she must be able to make plenty of pots and her business must be very good.

When it rains, think about the umbrella store of the elder daughter. With the rain, everyone must be buying umbrellas. She will sell a lot of umbrellas and her store will prosper."

The old lady saw the light. She followed the monk’s instruction. After a while, she did not cry anymore; instead, she was smiling every day. From that day on she was known as "the smiling lady."


infoyogee............