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“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...............
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............
I’ve written or called hundreds of people during my career who have never written back or returned my call. I’ve learned that people are often overwhelmed and overcommitted, and therefore unable or unwilling to help me.
Instead of feeling defeated, I try to focus instead on how grateful I am that many other people have returned my calls or answered my letters.
Many years ago, I wanted to get in to see a certain professional and was told that I couldn’t because he wasn’t taking any new clients. I persisted, but never succeeded. Finally, I spoke to the receptionist in an impatient tone and said, “Look, I really need to see him. Isn’t there anything you can do?” she responded to me in a very calm and respectful manner. Her words were, “I’m truly sorry, but the doctor has a three-year waiting list. He works six days a week, twelve hours a day, and hasn’t had a vacation in over five years. He’s doing the best he can, but he too would like to have a life.” His schedule put my own busyness into better perspective.
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If you want to feel good about yourself, make someone else feel good! It really is that simple. Perhaps it is because this idea is so simple that we sometimes forget to do it.
It seems that anytime I go out of my way to make someone else feel good, it ends up brightening my day and making myself feel better as well. It reminds me that so often the nicest things in life aren’t “things.” Instead, they are the feelings that accompany acts of kindness and nice gestures. It’s clear to me that “what goes around does indeed come around.”
Whether it’s taking the time to write a note of congratulations for a job well done, a written or verbal compliment, a friendly phone call, an unasked – for favor, a note of encouragement, or any number of other possibilities, making someone else feel good – however you do it –is almost always a good idea.
Acts of kindness and good will are inherently wonderful.
There’s an old saying: “Giving is its own reward.” This is certainly true. Your reward for being kind and making someone else feel good are the warm, positive feelings that invariably accompany your efforts.
infoyogee..........
Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy.
Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King’s woes and the servant’s story, the advisor said, “Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club.”
“The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?” the King inquired. The advisor replied, “Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant’s doorstep.”
When the servant opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins! He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, “What could’ve happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!
He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant’s life was changed. He was overworked and chastised his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor’s help, the advisor said, “Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club.” He continued, “The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they’re always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: “Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life .”
“We can be happy, even with little, but the minute we’re given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That’s what joining The 99 Club is all about.”
infoyogee...............
A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present “Seven Wonders of the world.” Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:
1.Egypt’s Great Pyramids
2.Taj Mahal
3.Grand Canyon
4.Panama Canal
5.Empire State Building
6.St. Peter’s Basilica
7.China’s Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noticed that one quiet student hadn’t returned her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, “Yes, a little. I couldn’t quite make up my mind because there were so many.” The teacher said, “Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help.” The girl hesitated, then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: To see, to hear, to taste, to feel, to run, to laugh and to love.” The room became so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop.
The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and which we take for granted are truly wondrous!
Next time when we complain about things which we don’t have, let’s remember these seven wonders of our lives.
infoyogee..................
Once upon a time, a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant and he got it. The pay was really good and so was the work condition. For those reasons, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.
His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he supposed to work.
The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees.
“Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!”
Very motivated by the boss words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he could only bring 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he could only bring 10 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.
“I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.
“When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked.
“Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…”
Reflection:
Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don’t take time to sharpen the “axe”. In today’s world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever, but less happy that ever.
Why is that?
Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay “sharp”?
There’s nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But we should not get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like our personal life, taking time to get close to our Creator, giving more time for our family, taking time to read etc.
We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow.
If we don’t take the time to sharpen the “axe”,
we will become dull and lose our effectiveness. :))
infoyogee..................
Today before you think of saying an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Today before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Today before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Today before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
Today before you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.
Today before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us are without sin.
infoyogee...............
Some mistakes are big. An air-traffic controller’s mistake or one wrong move by a surgeon can be deadly.
A vast majority of the mistakes we make, however, are not life or death. It’s true that even small mistakes can cause inconvenience, conflict, or extra work – and, can be expensive.
While no one enjoys making mistakes, there is something very freeing about learning to accept them – really accept them – as an unavoidable part of life. When we do, we can forgive ourselves, thus erasing all the stress that usually results from cursing ourselves.
So the suggestion is simple. Forgive yourself; you’re human.
infoyogee...........
“Reasonable” suggests the ability to see things fairly, without the self-serving justification that so often clouds our vision.
It’s the ability to see your own contribution to a problem and the willingness to listen to and learn from other's point of view. Being reasonable includes the ability to put yourself in the shoes of others, being able to see the bigger picture, and to maintain perspective.
People who are reasonable are well liked and highly respected. Because they are willing to listen, others pay close attention to what they have to say, as well.
Reasonable people rarely have enemies, and their conflicts are kept to an absolute minimum. They are able to see beyond their own desires and needs, which makes them compassionate and helpful to others.
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