Bringing a smile on your face !

It was post lunch session – I was feeling slow as a snail. Someone tapped on the door of my office. I looked up and it was Ajay, from our HR department. He had an envelope in his hand. The contents of the envelope seemed a little grumpy to me. I was wondering what was there in the envelope even before the conversation began. The conversation just lasted a few seconds. He just said the instructions were on the back of the envelope. I read the instructions and started acting on it. I called one person into my office, her name was Sheetal. Sheetal sat quietly, inquisitiveness obvious in her eyes. I handed over the envelope to her and asked her to open it. As she opened the envelope I could see a wave of emotions. From inquisitiveness to fear, fear to excitement and excitement to a beaming smile, smile turned into joy, joy into happiness and then a sense of gratitude.

Sheetal had just won an IPOD for being the most outstanding performer in the team!

It was an amazing experience for me. Such an array of emotions, visible from very close quarters, left me astounded. Sometimes we try very hard to bring similes on the face of our friends, family, and colleagues but fail to do so. Here I was, witnessing palpable joy on the face of a person from a small gift – an IPOD
I was wondering what was responsible for making Sheetal so happy. Was it the IPOD? Was it the sense of achievement or a feeling of recognition? Yes, you never know what makes a person feel happy. Happiness could mean different things to different people.

The thought that came to my mind was “positive surprise”. Many times people anticipate they will get rewarded for something that they have done. But, to get something positive when it is unexpected is a different feeling altogether.

Ask yourself when was the last time you got a “positive surprise”? Just try to relive the moment.

And how about giving a positive surprise to someone today.

Go hug your wife when you return home. Spend 30 minutes of quality time with your parents. Take your team out for a coffee when there is no event to celebrate. Prepare morning tea for your family. Take a half day leave from office and catch an afternoon movie with your wife.

The possibilities are endless. Just be the harbinger of positive surprises and feel the difference.