As we battle the chilly weather, I wanted to shine some light on an observation.
My commute to work is incredibly tedious and long. It's not something that I fancy on a day where the temperature is cold enough to freeze boiling water. That being said, I realized while at home, staying warm, how much I missed the Good Mornings that I would hear not only at work, but also on the train.
Every morning, rain or shine, when I walk to my desk, I am always greeted with a good morning from my peers. In turn, it is an automatic response for me to smile when returning the greeting. I end up smiling until I reach my desk and start working, which enables me to start my day in a good mood. On the train, the conductor, as he does his rounds for tickets says thank you to every single person as well as a good morning at every car. This not only wakes us all up, but also makes us subconsciously acknowledge that the morning is going to be "good".
I've listened to many discussions from Infinitheism leader, Rangarajan, where his followers always start by saying "Happy Morning". This got me thinking, what is it about these words that happen to put us in a good mood? Can we substitute these words with a "Whats up?" or another form of acknowledgement and still feel the same warmth?
Studies show that man craves attention, however, to some extent, we also crave validation. At a very psychological level, we need a certainty about our day. Now, practically, speaking, there is no way to achieve a 100% certainty as we never know what could happen, however, an assurance that it's going to be "okay" is what we fundamentally want. By smiling, we are using a nonverbal method of communication to convey that we are glad to see a person, as well as releasing a rush of endorphins. This achieves the need of man to be wanted, or liked as a part of the community. When you combine all these things, in the form of a 30 second greeting, it becomes magical. When we return this greeting, we are not only exchanging these positive actions but also basking in it.
To me, it's incredible to see how much just a single greeting from a conductor, or a colleague can brighten my day. Many times I have gone into work with a disturbed mentality, not really ready to tackle the day, but when I hear that "Hey! Good Morning", I automatically smile.
So the next time you are at home, or at work, or just bump into someone, see if you can remember to greet them. You might have a million tasks to complete, but at that moment just take 30 seconds to brighten a person's day. You never know how much of an impact that could have on them...and even more so, on you!
To all the lovely peers, conductors, and bus drivers who have warmed my day during this cold week....Thank you!
My commute to work is incredibly tedious and long. It's not something that I fancy on a day where the temperature is cold enough to freeze boiling water. That being said, I realized while at home, staying warm, how much I missed the Good Mornings that I would hear not only at work, but also on the train.
Every morning, rain or shine, when I walk to my desk, I am always greeted with a good morning from my peers. In turn, it is an automatic response for me to smile when returning the greeting. I end up smiling until I reach my desk and start working, which enables me to start my day in a good mood. On the train, the conductor, as he does his rounds for tickets says thank you to every single person as well as a good morning at every car. This not only wakes us all up, but also makes us subconsciously acknowledge that the morning is going to be "good".
I've listened to many discussions from Infinitheism leader, Rangarajan, where his followers always start by saying "Happy Morning". This got me thinking, what is it about these words that happen to put us in a good mood? Can we substitute these words with a "Whats up?" or another form of acknowledgement and still feel the same warmth?
Studies show that man craves attention, however, to some extent, we also crave validation. At a very psychological level, we need a certainty about our day. Now, practically, speaking, there is no way to achieve a 100% certainty as we never know what could happen, however, an assurance that it's going to be "okay" is what we fundamentally want. By smiling, we are using a nonverbal method of communication to convey that we are glad to see a person, as well as releasing a rush of endorphins. This achieves the need of man to be wanted, or liked as a part of the community. When you combine all these things, in the form of a 30 second greeting, it becomes magical. When we return this greeting, we are not only exchanging these positive actions but also basking in it.
To me, it's incredible to see how much just a single greeting from a conductor, or a colleague can brighten my day. Many times I have gone into work with a disturbed mentality, not really ready to tackle the day, but when I hear that "Hey! Good Morning", I automatically smile.
So the next time you are at home, or at work, or just bump into someone, see if you can remember to greet them. You might have a million tasks to complete, but at that moment just take 30 seconds to brighten a person's day. You never know how much of an impact that could have on them...and even more so, on you!
To all the lovely peers, conductors, and bus drivers who have warmed my day during this cold week....Thank you!
