Category: All

How would it make you feel if your 4-year old came to you as soon as she wakes up ( which is probably the time you would be at the breakfast table to face the day)..hugs you and says..”……You are the best dad in the whole wide wide world”….how would you put feelings at this point in words in the language you are most conversant at… pretty hard.!!!..hmm…damn hard !!!… face it… its impossible to put those emotions into words… This is
=d>APPRECIATION AT ITS BEST & IN THE MOST UN-ADULTERATED FORM=d>

Somewhere along the way.. in the urgency to grow-up , we forgot the art of baring our emotions as it feels.. no frills attached , no diplomacy ..just say what you feel. Later when we think about this.. we start feeling bad about this and try to compensate by telling nice-little things and we give it the name appreciation.

Broadly we can classify appreciation as Verbal and Non-verbal. Non-Verbal appreciations are those which are apparent in the looks, the way you turn your head when a nice chick passes by ( or for that matter a cute-guy asks for directions 😉 ..), the way you raise your eyebrows when the child at the coffee shop catches your attention, the way you suppress your laugh when you accidentally overhear the conversation between enthusiastic adolescents, the way you stop on your tracks to smell the roses in your neighbors garden.

In order to be more adept at the art verbal-appreciation… its imperative that you are familiar with the language of the object. Lets say you come across a picture in a magazine. I don’t know what it is.. but I can certainly say that it caught your attention so strong.. that you decide to add it to your scrap book. Now this is non-verbal appreciation. You liked the picture so much.. that you want to share it with your friends.. but forgot to carry with you. So you decide to tell your friend all about that one-picture before he actually sees it from you. In order to be able to do this.. you must be able to bring the entire picture into your minds eye and paint the picture in words. This is only possible … only if you had looked beyond the superficial photograph.This is verbal-appreciation

This is exactly what a painting-artist would do. He sees a bunch of roses in a flower shop ( we too pass by the same shop and glimpse at those flowers… pretty nice hmm..). Just as listening is different from hearing.. seeing is different from looking. The artist not only sees the flowers, but also looks into them.. He absorbs the view into his intellect.. and when he is in front of his canvas.,,.. for him.. the picture is already there in that canvas… he just needs to draw lines and fill colors at the right places. This is his manner of appreciating a view of scene that he witnessed.

The same principle goes for all kinds of appreciation. You happened to like your subordinate’s work.. A little appreciation would boost his spirits and might even motivate him to perform better. But what good is his potential.. if you can’t speak few encouraging words about him amongst his co-workers. Better still.. give him a written appreciation.. he will be only glad to be at work Monday morning. Incentives and increments will follow…but this gesture of appreciation will stay fresh even after his retirement

A pat on the back would suffice for the moment.. but your words have a larger effect. So you need to choose your words carefully. “Hey..fella… Very Good..!” .. will be taken with a smile and handshake.. but the recipient might harbor doubts as to whether you really understood his contribution.. Don’t get too technical.. then it might just scare him off.. as though you are emphasizing your supremacy. You need to choose a middle ground and at the same time be well aware of the nature of work you are about to appreciate.

“Hey..Good job man..!… I liked the way you did this-that .. keep up the good work” … acts like an appetizer for the recipient as an impromptu appreciation. Remember he is still waiting for the main course. Use your resources and stick to the basics if you want to excel in the art of appreciation. 🙂

I am of the opinion that all languages have their own thesaurus. (If you are not sure.. start building your own.. or look up the internet).. Assuming that the communication is in English.. lets use the Thesaurus to find nice words and substitute for common words. Make sure that each sentence conveys a specific meaning and avoid beating around the bush. Start with an encouraging note.. work around the object of appreciation.. and end it with a word of reassurance and hope. The hope you have expressed in the last part of the appreciation will reinforce his respect towards you.

After all we all have the urge to excel in our fields.:-w So extend that drive towards expressing your appreciation also. Practice this art. After some time you will notice that words will flow when you need them. You might not have to take a compulsive effort to remember them. Words are out there in the air… just stretch and reach out to pick them up.

Be unique in expressing your admiration. Use your resources well. Use Thesaurus.

Technically both mean the same… ie something onto which you cannot put a price-tag
When we hear ( not listen) these words as a reference towards us / our actions / things of our liking.. we either feel glador sad. So what actually constitutes the difference in these two words ? Is it the person who speaks about us ? Is it the tone used ? Or does this have any relation to the history of usage of these words in particular context only

A worthless-gem would be a paradox as to a Priceless-filth. But it is more socially acceptable to say “The Gem is worthless to me .. if I don’t have your love ! “….Or to say ” I am into the Recycling business.. so all these filth is priceless to me “
I happen to read somewhere ( I just cant remember exactly when and where)…A Certain VIP was giving a lecture to a bunch of upcoming professionals .Before he actually imparted any words of wisdom.. all he did was ..He took out a 50/- Note and asked who would like to have it…No prizes for guessing. ..several hands shot up in the air. He crumpled the 50/- note and raised the same question.. The hands shot up this time too.. Not satisfied.. he stashed the crumpled note into the dustbin and retrieved it and rubbed it on the floor.. making it all dirty and raised the same question.. Not to be surprised .. hands still showed in the air .. That’s a priceless piece of advice he gave to that gathering

Allow me , to brief about the above action and the forceful message that come across. He says that .. No matter what he did to the 50/- note ..crumpling ..rubbing in dirt and all… it was still worth 50/-. All these actions do not diminish the worth of the 50/- note.

We may come across situations in our personal and professional lives , when we feel let down by the people whom we thought would back us up, when we will be called as worthless by people who shall be influencing our careers , remember to equate worthless ==priceless ( and never vice-versa). All these people can only influence the activities beyond our control.. they can now way influence our attitude. One’s (positive) attitude is his greatest asset

So next time anyone tells you that you are worthless…just remember that perhaps he doesn’t know how else to convey that you are priceless

This is my view of things that i have been observing about orkut in the past few weeks There are hardly anyone reading this who is not aware of Orkut. For those who don’t know.. Orkut is popular networking site..where you sign up using your Google accout and start connecting with your Friends and their Friends and their Friends online. Its more-or-less a web within the world wide web . Of late.. lot of things are being said and written about Orkut in orkut scraps and in blogospere. Serious accusation’s are made against orkut for promoting biased political – social views. For more information regarding this which is in circulation in the Internet.. take your peek here

My personal experience with Orkut:-

I signed up for Orkut when my friend ,couldn’t stop talking about the possibilities of finding long lost friends. So just to satisfy her.. I just joined in. And for me.. that was the end of Orkut. during the initial days.. i too searched around for my classmates and long lost 3 – 4 th cousins. After a couple of weeks , the novelty wore off…and.. Orkutting did not interest me anymore.. But every now and then I used to get scraps that said ” I want to be your friend”…I hate this kind of scrap…Its like tapping an absolute stranger on a busy street and saying “Please register me as your friend “….So i just delete those scrap and don’t bother to reply them…And that’s the end of Orkut for me

Now the scrapbook just rests there…When i get some genuine scraps..I do reply and maintain contact..Not otherwise.

Is Orkutting a sin ?
Def of Orkutting (verb) :- Logging into Orkut for almost 4-5 hrs a day / 4 days a week and spend time writing scraps to your friends – friends of friends -friends of friends of friends

Well.. those who can afford to spend this kind of time in Orkut must be the ones with lot of time at their disposal and very little idea on how to use this time. So For those who believe.. wasting time is a criminal offence.. the orkutting is a Sin

To Orkut or Not

Primarily we must realize that this is a social networking site. And all are entitled to their opinions and the way in which they present their ideas. So when some one pats in your back ( in orkut) someone else might even slap you on your face ( or rather scrap book).. for the things you have said / written. After all we all must face the consequences of our words.. good and bad.

Just as a coin that has two sides, every social networking site also has the two types of users.. those who just move around for fun and stuff… and not causing any serious damage to the psyche of others and.. the other type..who have made their life’s ambition to unleash all the ill feelings they have in the most dis respectable manner on a public platform..with the sole intention of leaving displeasure in the minds of those reading it.

Now.. its up to us ( Orkut users) to decide which side of the party we want to join.Being respectable and educated citizens ( Orkutters may be uncivilized.. but don’t tell me they may not be educated).. its purely our choice on how we conduct ourselves… and how much personal information you are willing to disclose in orkut ( for all the eyes to see)

So.. What’s the issue with Orkutting

there have been reports that some Orkutters are having problems with obscene messages in their orkut and getting calls form unsolicited numbers at odd times.. Publishing biased political messages – porn links written into scrap books.. and things like that. So there is a rage among a certain sector of people ( mostly politically motivated) who are demanding that Orkut be banned completely.. thereby shutting off these kind of activities..

Love it…. Hate it .. even better Ignore it

Come On people.. get real… will such a ban really serve its purpose.. As far as I can tell.. Orkutters who are (had been) facing these kind of problems personally have resolved to solve these problems in one / some of the following manner

• Removing their Tel numbers and postal address from Profile
• Avoid giving personal detailes to “net-pals”
• Removing themselves from the community which they suspect with unacceptable behaviors
• Refusing to reply to suspicious scraps
• Get a new Orkut account and share among “personally-known-frinds” only
• Not join evey community that comes your way
• Ignoring unfamiliar friends request
• Ignore the tempation to scrap every time you login to Orkut