Jane Dutton, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Business School, gives an intriguing insight through her research. She says: 

“Any point of contact with another person can potentially be a high-quality connection. One conversation, one e-mail exchange, one moment of connecting in a meeting can infuse both participants with a greater sense of vitality, giving them a bounce in their steps and a greater capacity to act.” 

Aditi and I have begun an accountability pact to nudge each other towards crafting a  daily fitness schedule. Over the past week, what I have been observing is in absolute resonance to Jane Dutton’s findings in her psychological study. Our accountability pact is merely working upon a simple exchange of text in the morning to remind the other of their target. That’s it. As simple as that. No big words, no high brow philosophy, no loud motivational manifestos. Just a kind nudge. I’m happy to report that so far is it working. Of course, I’d like to point out that we are being gentle in our approach and setting small, achievable targets first to establish habits and then build up from there. We are following an idea of what can be paraphrased as: 

“Small steps and a big priority.”

Why Connections Matter

Every once a while, say a week, or in a fortnight, my dear friend Rohit comes over, and we spend some time reflecting and sharing about life as it is over coffee. Just about an hour spent talking about growth, opportunities and upliftment energise me personally tremendously. Same is the case with my friend Rizwan. We have our periodic audio note exchanges to talk about the glory of God, living, gratitude and stuff like that. 

I also fondly cherish visiting a dear friend’s place and meeting his family a month back. Just a brief amount of time spent laughing, sharing joy and grief was enough to keep my spirits high for a reasonable amount of time. 

Ideally, one would derive all the joy and peace from within. However, it’s a process. Until you reach there, it is smart to invest in equations with fellow humans that uplift consciously. 

Our Responsibility

Investing in human capital means you give out what you wish to receive. This is something I swear by and has worked magically well in my life. 

You give out love, respect, joy, service, admiration, support, smiles, kindness. Do you notice something? Each of these words that I have written has a specific vibration of its own. Merely reading these words makes you feel good, doesn’t it? (Another reason why you should consider including Japa meditation— repetition of God’s holy names in your schedule. For more on that, check out this blog of mine called, A Higher Taste And A Higher Purpose.)

Make your move. Go and do your bit. It doesn’t take much. One heartfelt interaction and BOOM! We are creating a bridge of rainbow between one piece of life to another. See how it keeps you afloat even in the toughest of times. 

Thank you so much for reading this. 

Wish you joy, celebration, laughter, smiles and health! ☺️

Kushagra

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE WEEK

• Podcast: Jesus and The Fisherman: A Cure For Overthinking is an 8-minute investment of your time. It will give you tips on how to stay present. Do tune in. 
• Book: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. One of the finest books that I have read on the topic of mental health. Full of wit and charm and a strong message. It should be on your TBR list.