What are the 2 soft skills, I am working on & why?

Listen and Appreciate!

Time is the best teacher!

And once we realize that, Life — is not a readymade recipe but an ongoing journey of experiences. Experiences about all different phases of your journey in personal, professional life and interpretation of the experiences can provide you an excellent excerpt of your journey so far…

you can always work on yourself and be a better version of ‘you’

and here I am working on — listening and appreciating.

There are natural skills which are in-built by default like — people friendliness, loyalty, being a team player, initiator and so many. but the most basic and essential skill set can be — to listen and to appreciate. This is my experience!

Listen

we are in the age of information and our focus is always divided in multiple areas of work and life. At any given moment, we are engaged in multi-tasking not only in terms of physical but mentally as well and this leaves us as being very poor listener.

Listening is a very basic but utmost case of showing our respect to the speaker and once we are attentive enough it really shows!

Just by listening, you motivate people to have conversation, share ideas, experiences and people also opens up easily to a good listener.

And I am trying to be a good one! and let me accept, it’s difficult!

A good start can be with your kids, family and friends — give them a good smile, show you are listening by putting your smartphone aside, repeat key points to engage and give the talk, idea a bit your thoughts and insight but try to not to judge it.

People can have different opinion, ideas, notions about different topics but by simply listening to them you show your respect to the individual and the relationship in between.

Appreciate!

This one is really a hard one!

let me put it first, I hardly appreciate. Don’t know why but it is really difficult for me to appreciate and it takes a lot of courage and will power to appreciate, others!

To Appreciate - is a way to show you care.

This will bring a sense of gratitude towards the life. Look out for the genuine opportunities and moments when you can appreciate. We need to avoid fake appreciation and empty words. Be genuine and authentic with your appreciation.

Don’t wait for something big to happen to appreciate, just go for it for the small and not so important ones and you will start getting it back.

Look into the eyes and say you liked it, you deserves a clap!

This simple act of appreciation can build foundation of a strong relationship.

And I am on way to build a few!

Thanks for reading, Thanks for sharing!

Astu.