Blogs

Saying Farewell to 2018 - Personal Note by Liji Nowal, Managing Director at ODeX India Solutions Pvt Ltd 2018 was an eventful year for me – both professionally and personally. And when the going gets really tough, it makes you feel helpless, angry, desperate and disgruntled. The question of why me/us playing like a broken record in your mind… It was also the time that I learnt that we, and we alone can change our outlook, and with it the outcome of any situation. And the one powerful way to achieve this was by practising Mindful Gratitude. I’m not sure where I’d read of this or who told me about this. But on a day when the events around me got too tough to handle, I sat down and decided to pen down my thoughts and sift through them to arrive at the solution – a very typical approach to problem-solving for a management graduate. Instead, I found myself writing of things, people and events that I was grateful for. Even in the toughest of times, I discovered that there is a lot to be grateful for, even happy about. And when I penned down all the reasons that I had for being grateful in life, I experienced magic – the solutions for the toughest of my problems appeared miraculously. It was as though by choosing to focus on my blessings, I was able to find the answers to the many problems that had seemed unsolvable, and had boxed me in. And for the problems that I could not find a solution to – I found that it became easier to let go, not fret and allow time to take its own course. So here’s what I do now, every single day. I end my day by making deposits in 3 Jars: The First – Gratitude Jar: Each day there is something to be thankful for. Like today I was thankful for a smooth ride to the office in 10 mins when usually it is a 30 minute, slow-moving agony. Or yesterday, I was thankful for the manner in which our housekeeping staff managed the service for an important meeting flawlessly. The day before that I was thankful for the crisp chill in the air – something we rarely experience in Mumbai. The Second – Happiness Jar: Small or big, every day brings moments that make you smile, make you happy. Today it was when my son made toast for me – as I was getting ready to leave for office. Yesterday, I saw a 12-year-old carry a puppy out of the way of traffic; restores my faith in kindness and makes me smile. And my college mate called me out of the blue – just to catch up on coffee. The Third – Small Change Jar: Every night – each one us at my home makes a small cash deposit into a jar. And this jar is emptied only once a year. We’ve found that small savings can add up to thousands. Amongst the three of us at home, we are able to save approximately Rs.50/- per day, and that adds up to a cool 18,000 per year. Whether you’re a Believer or non-believer in the practice of Mindfulness – these three jars make you focus on the positives, see the good …and saves you money. So Go On…This New Year Be Grateful, Be Happy, Be Prosperous…Wish you a Very Happy New Year !!!