Should we take ourselves less seriously?
As Thala says: Definitely not!
Hey Friends,
Happy New Year!
A lot of you are new here, for the first time ever :)
So, this is how this newsletter goes:
Every Saturday, we have:
1 Raw and Real Conversation
2 Raw One Liners
3 Real Gratitudes/3 things I loved in works of others
Let’s go :))
Raw and Real Conversation
Let’s imagine this:
You and I are close friends. You are talking to me on something important. But I couldn’t care less.
I am scrolling randomly on my phone. I forget everything you keep saying. In other words, I pay zero heed to what you say.
Would you like it? Of course not.
Because what you are saying is important to you. And you want to be heard. To be seen.
That’s understandable too, because you and I are friends.
Now, let us extrapolate this to our work relations.
Most people make huge promises about what they will do.
They promise they will write the sales report by Wednesday.
They promise to send that important mail.
They say they will book that meeting.
However, very, very few people actually follow through.
It’s almost strange that most people want the result but do not want to go through the process of reaching there.
They want serious outputs but are not serious about inputs.
It is almost as if we want to get fit but we will never exercise nor monitor or diet :(
As a matter of fact, the more successful people I work with, the more I realise success is not about more intelligence or getting luckier. It is merely about doing what you promise you would do.
However, when I pause for a moment to see why most people aren’t able to fulfil their commitments to others, here is why:
Most people do not fulfil their commitments to themselves only—to go for that walk, to join that gym, to eat at home, etc. Breaking promises unfortunately becomes their very nature, without them being aware. It quietly comes to extrapolate from themselves to their relationships at work and outside of work.
In order to fulfil your commitments, you require discipline. Discipline requires saying no. To a lot of trivial things. To put that phone away and do the work. To set your priorities for the day. To stop spending time on “things” and actually doing what’s most important. Procrastination seems easy in the moment. Costs drastically eventually.
We don’t love ourselves enough. And unconscious is a self-operating mechanism. It makes sure others also don’t love or respect us in high regard, which makes us not do what we promise to do.
Is there a way to break that chain?
Of course there is.
And I have found just one way: Start small. Very very small.
Fulfil just one commitment for the day.
Just one. Not two. Not twenty two. Just one.
Decide at the start of the day what it would look like for you. And promise yourself that if you did just one thing today, the day would be a success.
Why do I say this?
Because we all live in the illusion that when we will get that “career success”, everything will be fine. When we have the money, the thing we want, when people behave as we want to, we believe that is when everything will truly be fine.
But you know when everything will be fine?
When you are present for your loved ones, to celebrate their successes.
When you are present for your best friend, to listen to their newest life event.
When you are present as a giver, for your colleagues.
The world doesn’t need the accomplished version of you. The world needs a present version of you.
That would only happen if you are present for yourself, in one small way each day.
Start taking small steps, very very small steps my friend, to show yourself that you follow through, that you are present, that you could be trusted.
We can’t give to others what we don’t have, right?
May we be there in what we commit. So that when people need us, we are really really there, instead of just winging around.
Your life is way more than winging around, my friend 😊
2 Raw One-Liners
Quiet is the new cool.
If you can't take action right now, do something you enjoy doing. Anything is a better trade against doomscrolling.
3 Real Gratitudes
Earlier this week, I went viral on LinkedIn. With some trolls too :) The great part is, random strangers on the internet stepping up in my support. Some even reposted with their beautiful support, and there were some lovely supportive comments and DMs. The world is such a beautiful place, if we pause for a moment to see it :)) The best part, though, was not even for half a second I felt self doubt or affected by trolls. Had never expected this from myself, so it was a pleasant surprise :))
Warm quilts to sleep in. If we get out on the road any time during this winter and see someone living on the roadside, we get to realise how fortunate we are!
The gift of good health. I know you and I want to “get that thing done”, but if you have your mind at peace and your health in place, you are the richest person in the world. May we all remember that in 2025 :))
This is it.
See you all next week.
Stay raw, stay real, and never stop reading :)
Nishtha Gehija
LinkedIn | X | Daily blog | Raw and Real
For the new ones here, here are some of the most popular editions that you might love too:
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Here are some instant access ebooks for your reading, and spend some time with yourself:
The Corporate Life Handbook: The book everyone working a corporate job needs :)
The Career Changing Guide: My bestseller so far :)
How to Deal with Heartbreak: Because, life happens :(
Every Writer Needs to Read this: I wish I had this one, when I was starting out as a writer
This is What You are Looking for (Paperback): Small Life Lessons for a Happier Life
Seriously, this article changed my perspective. I learned something new today.