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The Power of Being (and Staying) Down to Earth.
Ever had a day when you
woke up feeling disgusted about yourself? A day when nothing; no
accomplishment ever achieved, could make you feel better about your very
being? Ever had such an episode in which the feeling lingered all
through the
day, making it almost irresistible to crawl back in bed until it would be
over…if ever?
If you had such a day, and especially if you had it more
often than once, you are one of the many who are blessed with an inner
detector that keeps you down to earth. These moments come and go
unexpectedly, and they may be triggered by various matters: Sometimes they
may be linked to the books you’re reading at that moment, and at other times
just to the overall
circumstances in your life. Things may not have been
going too well for you, for instance. But even if they were, you could still
experience these moments, based on impatience about the slowness of certain
developments, or based on your very character.
Whatever the reasons
are that bring you in a depressed mood, you may want to keep the following in
mind to endure them, and even be thankful for them:
* These moments
are the ones that make you think of the particulars in life: The moments that
make you realize that your prosperous business, your perfect mansion, or your
great marriage can all be history tomorrow. Therefore, these moments are
important, no matter how lousy they feel when you are in the thick of them.
But they provide you with deeper attentiveness, and gratitude once the
depression is over. And they make you
realize the shallowness of all those
boastful types you know at work or in your circle of friends, who seem to be
safeguarded from any kind of downtrodden episodes. After all, the mental
crush for these people comes when the success that they took for granted for
so long, suddenly falls away. And we all know how easy things come and go in
today’s world.
* These moments keep you humble, because they make
you realize that, with all the titles and possessions you may have gained,
you are still a passing stranger to many. For let’s face it: there will be
very few that will remember you five or ten years after you retired or passed
away. Realizing this very fact may help you in the business decisions you are
about to make..
It may make you empathize more with the ones on the other
side of the negotiation table, and go for a win-win outcome instead of
anything different.
* These moments enhance your awareness for
even the smallest link in the organizational chain you are part of. You will
refrain from walking by the guard, the janitor, or the coffee-lady without
saying hello, having a brief conversation, or even remembering their names!
These moments alert you of the fact that, in spite of the blessing that was
granted to you for becoming the manager, vice-president, CEO, professor, or
anything prestigious that you may officially be called, you are no more or
less than the ones on so-called “lower” ranks of the corporate
ladder.
* These moments make you realize that you should keep
yourself informed, and that you should not depend too much on anything or
anybody. This doesn’t mean that you should become aloof and isolated, but it
does mean that you should maintain the idea of change adaptation. These
moments also remind you that YOU are not your position, because your position
may be history someday. These moments are therefore extremely valuable for
your quest toward continuous searching for alternatives to which you can
apply your
qualities.
* These moments, finally, teach you to
value to little things in life. As soon as the depression is over, you will
find yourself refreshed and reenergized to work even harder, be even smarter,
more grateful, more connected, and value everything around you even
more.
So, why was this article not titled “The Power of Depression”?
Simple! Because there is no power in depression, but there is a tremendous
amount of strength in the awareness that depression brings about:
understanding, recognition, respect, empathy, and remaining down to
earth.
Joan Marques, Ed.D.
Burbank, May 20,
2004
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About the
Author:
Joan Marques emigrated from Suriname, South America, to California,
U.S., in 1998. She holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, a Master’s
in
Business Administration, and is currently a university instructor
in Business and Management in Burbank, California. You may visit her web
sites at http://www.joanmarques.com
and
http://www.spiritcounts.com
Joan's
manual "Feel Good About Yourself," a six part series to get you over the
bumps in life and onto success, can be purchased and downloaded at:
http://www.non-books.com/FeelGoodSeries.html
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