How do we recharge ourselves?

Actual question in my mind was – are we recharged enough? But when I started thinking on that I realized that if I know how we recharge ourselves, I will have the answer to the main question – if it’s enough or not!

So, I reframed the question to – how do we recharge ourselves?

Now some of the obvious recharging options, which I call “direct plug into power socket” type recharge, are:

  • Good night sleep
  • Morning walk or exercise
  • Healthy meals
  • Good work environment
  • Having a hobby or ‘me’ time
  • Time out with loved ones
  • Any celebration or festival
  • Breaks or vacation
  • Prayer or meditation

This list depends on individual’s choice, routine and circumstances. Important thing to notice here is that most of these need some bit of planning or effort from our side. And to make that effort itself, we need some initial charge to provide motivation.

So, in this post I will discuss such options of recharge, which can keep our battery at a ‘motivated’ level. I call them “fire-fly moments” type recharge options. Just remember this analogy of a person collecting fire-flies in a glass jar to have enough light on a dark night.

To give you an idea, some of the “fire-fly moment” examples from my own experience are:

  • Getting up beside a loved one and exchanging sleepy smiles
  • Looking at the morning sky, trees, birds and absorbing the enthusiasm of the atmosphere
  • Saying hello with full excitement to fellow morning walkers
  • Exchanging smile or a little chat with a neighbor’s kid going to school
  • Exchanging greeting with a neighbor going to office
  • Acknowledging someone’s effort with a little chitchat; like a traffic police officer, road side vendor, bus conductor or a cab driver
  • A simple act of chivalry in the bus by offering a seat or space to someone
  • Sharing some light moments during lunch or coffee break with colleagues
  • Sincerely appreciating a colleague for a job well done
  • Surprising loved one by carrying their favorite snack item in the evening
  • Listening to loved one’s day experience
  • Listening or humming a favorite song together with your loved one, kid or a friend
  • Dancing on a favorite song with your loved one
  • Remembering a good old time on a telephonic conversation
  • Even recollecting or discussing such experiences with your loved ones

We can see that we don’t even need to create them, these”fire-fly moments” are constantly happening around us. All we need is to open ourselves for these real “social connection” experiences with people around us and the environment.

So simple yet so powerful, isn’t it?

Above list can easily run into pages depending on our willingness to recognize, consciously experience and creatively convert even the faintest of such “fire-fly moment” into a powerful recharge option.

Just by living in the moment and enjoying these simple experiences to the fullest, we can easily get enough energy for making that extra ‘conscious’ effort and achieve more in life.

And the best part is that most of these experiences are two-way recharging option, so not only we get recharged; we recharge others around us.

Just imagine how much joy we can spread in the process of keeping ourselves recharged!

Think about it…

Stay well and live in the moment!

~ Piyush

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Relationship – Is it about me or us?

Well, what a week I have had after my first post – Are we living or existing ? . I am overwhelmed with the encouragement from all the friends and family. I would like to thank each one of you for taking time to read it and sharing insightful thoughts.

I now feel a lot more comfortable touching another topic close to my heart– “Relationship – Is it about me or us?”

I would be using a metaphor to make it easy for our brains to ask the right kind of questions, look at the picture above – a couple maneuvering a kayak through a river. Though relationships are much more complex but I could immediately see a lot of similarities. Let’s for this post imagine a kayak as a relationship, that we are taking together on an amazing and unpredictable journey of life.

*Note for my left-brain, even if the couple in picture were on different kayaks, imagine it like those couple races where you need to reach the finish-line together.

Now to simplify further, I have divided this journey into 2 sections: Section 1 – The planning and preparation phase;  Section 2 – The journey itself. For both these sections, we will have questions for an individual – ‘me’ questions and questions that we discuss together – ‘us’ questions.

Section 1 – The planning and preparation phase – This is similar to the initial phase of a relationship.

Let’s first look at the ‘me’ set of questions:

  • Do I know my strengths and weaknesses?
  • Do I know my partner’s strengths and weaknesses?
  • Do I trust my partner?
  • Do I know where I am headed ?
  • Am I 100% committed to do my best, no matter what?
  • Am I ready for the journey – physically, mentally and emotionally?

Then comes the ‘us’ set of questions, need to be discussed together:

  • Do we understand each other’s language?
  • Are we transparent about each other’s strengths and weaknesses?
  • Have we discussed and picked our ‘roles’ based on our strength?
  • Are we aware of each other’s expectations from the journey?
  • Are we committed to support each other on this journey, no matter what?
  • Are we ready for the journey together –physically, mentally and emotionally?

Section 2 – The journey itself

If only a journey could be so simple that it can be planned entirely. The preparation might make it smooth through the easy segments of the river but there is always some unpredictability.  This could be a rough patch or a tricky rapid or a free fall or even a boulder in the path of our kayak.

The real test of mettle is in the journey itself, especially through rough patches… that’s how life is, isn’t it?

And remember this is not the time to castigate each other…What’s done is done…Life is happening NOW!

Again, some ‘me’ questions first:

  • Am I paddling in sync with my partner?
  • Am I paying attention to my own fatigue?
  • Am I paying attention to my partner’s fatigue?
  • Am I having space to stretch?
  • Am I giving my partner space to stretch?
  • Am I supporting my partner to the best of my abilities?
  • Am I acknowledging and appreciating my partner’s support?
  • Am I encouraging my partner?
  • Am I communicating to my partner?
  • Am I listening to my partner?
  • Am I living or existing?
  • Am I happy?

And the only ‘us’ questions I could think of during the journey:

Now at the end of this post, I am thinking,  is relationship beyond ‘me’ or  even beyond ‘us’? Could there be another dimension which can take it to new heights – (me)?

Think about it…

Stay well and stay inspired!

~ Piyush

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