Work and its Secret - Swami Vivekananda

Ask nothing; want nothing in return. Give what you have to give; it will come back to you but multiplied a thousand fold but the attention must not be on that. Yet have the power to give: give, and there it ends. Learn that the whole of life is giving, that nature will force you to give. So give willingly. Sooner or later you will have to give up.

You come into life to accumulate. With clenched hands you want to take. But nature puts a hand on your throat and makes your hands open. Whether you will it or not, you have to give. The moment you say, "I will not". the blow comes; you are hurt. None is there but will be compelled, in the long run, to give everything. And the more one struggles against this law, the more miserable one feels. It is because we dare not give, because we are not resigned enough to accede to this grand demand of nature, that we are miserable.

The forest is gone, but we get heat in return. The sun is taking up water from the ocean, to return it in showers. You are a machine for taking and giving: you take, in order to give. Ask, therefore, nothing in return; but the more you give, the more will come to you. The quicker it will be filled up by the external air; and if you close all the doors and every aperture, that which is within will remain, but that which is outside will never come in, and that which is within will stagnate, degenerate, and become poisoned. Be as the river that is continually emptying itself into the ocean and is continually filling up again. Bar not the exit into the ocean. The moment you do that, death seizes you.

13 Things to never share with Colleagues!!

"It's a social environment as well as a work environment. However, you must remember while you can be friendly and develop a good rapport, business is business and friendship is friendship."

Most workers don't realize that what they say has as much impact on their professional images as what they wear, Lopeke says. People who say too much, about themselves or others, can be seen as incompetent, unproductive and unworthy of professional development.

To avoid your next case of verbal diarrhea, here are 13 things to never share or discuss with your co-workers.

1. Salary information
What you earn is between you and Human Resources, Solovic says. Disclosure indicates you aren't capable of keeping a confidence.

2. Medical history
"Nobody really cares about your aches and pains, your latest operation, your infertility woes or the contents of your medicine cabinet," Lopeke says. To your employer, your constant medical issues make you seem like an expensive, high-risk employee.

3. Gossip
Whomever you're gossiping with will undoubtedly tell others what you said, Solovic says. Plus, if a co-worker is gossiping with you, most likely he or she will gossip about you.

4. Work complaints
Constant complaints about your workload, stress levels or the company will quickly make you the kind of person who never gets invited to lunch, Solovic warns. If you don't agree with company policies and procedures, address it through official channels or move on.

5. Cost of purchases
The spirit of keeping up with the Joneses is alive and well in the workplace, Lopeke says, but you don't want others speculating on the lifestyle you're living –or if you're living beyond your salary bracket.

6. Intimate details
Don't share intimate details about your personal life. Co-workers can and will use the information against you, Solovic says.

7. Politics or religion
"People have strong, passionate views on both topics," Solovic says. You may alienate a co-worker or be viewed negatively in a way that could impact your career.

8. Lifestyle changes
Breakups, divorces and baby-making plans should be shared only if there is a need to know, Lopeke says. Otherwise, others will speak for your capabilities, desires and limitations on availability, whether there is any truth to their assumptions or not.

9. Blogs or social networking profile
What you say in a social networking community or in your personal blog may be even more damaging than what you say in person, Solovic warns. "Comments online can be seen by multiple eyes. An outburst of anger when you are having a bad day … can blow up in your face."

10. Negative views of colleagues
If you don't agree with a co-worker's lifestyle, wardrobe or professional abilities, confront that person privately or keep it to yourself, Lopeke says. The workplace is not the venue for controversy.

11. Hangovers and wild weekends
It's perfectly fine to have fun during the weekend, but don't talk about your wild adventures on Monday, Solovic advises. That information can make you look unprofessional and unreliable.

12. Personal problems and relationships – in and out of the office
"Failed marriages and volatile romances spell instability to an employer," Lopeke says. Office romances lead to gossip and broken hearts, so it's best to steer clear. "The safest way to play is to follow the rule, 'Never get your honey where you get your money.'"

13. Off-color or racially charged comments
You can assume your co-worker wouldn't be offended or would think something is funny, but you might be wrong, Solovic says. Never take that risk. Furthermore, even if you know for certain your colleague wouldn't mind your comment, don't talk about it at work. Others can easily overhear.

Things Bosses Don’t Like!!

We just go to work, do our job in a routine fashion without ever knowing what our boss wants. We seem to work hard, put in our best and feel that we have been performing extremely well at work. Our performance at work will be judged by bosses to whom we report and this where most of the people falter. When we report for duties we need to be smart and sharp enough to understand the things bosses don’t like. If we refrain from those actions and try to deliberately work to minimize on those complaints, we are bound to take our career to great heights. Here are their top complaints:

1. Procrastinating instead of acting on things. Do-it-later tendencies are a major source of delays, frustration and problem of others. It is a disease which needs to be weeded out.

2. Passing the buck. Many of us are unwilling to accept responsibility, make decisions, or admit it when we make mistakes. Act responsibly, take decision boldly and improve upon your mistakes as you trudge along.

3. Claiming to know how to do something and then messing it up. Jobs are often more complicated than they seem. Many of us charge right in without bothering to check carefully. We would well to remember, “When all else fails, read the instructions.”

4. Doing the absolute minimum expected instead of doing the little extra needed to excel. The result is mediocrity for the worker, the department, and the entire firm.

5. Delivering sloppy or unfinished work. It takes extra time and effort to correct deficiencies. When work is late everyone down the line feels the pressure.

6. Regularly going over the boss’ head. We may win an occasional battle, but we almost always lose the war.

7. Trying to work beyond our abilities. We all have limitations and it helps if we know where they are.

8. Constantly engaging in personal conversation, vicious gossiping, and idle socializing. This one is a bit of a dilemma. Personal conversations and socializing are the grease that keeps the organization working smoothly. The key is balance; striving to keep these things within reasonable limits.

9. Laziness. The willingness to work hard remains one of the key ingredients for success.

In other words, Attacking the jobs immediately with responsibility, taking decisions regularly, approaching the tasks step by step without messing it up, performing and carrying out duties diligently in terms of quality & quantity, correcting the deficiencies from time to time as we forge ahead, stretching ourselves well beyond our limitations, reporting to the boss with solutions / answers, remaining professional by limiting our conversations to work, willing to work when the chips are down are the hallmarks of excellent employee.

Following the above said principles passionately at work will not only make the boss like us but will also make us indispensable. BEFORE I COMPLETE I WOULD LIKE TO QUOTE A SENTENCE WHICH ROBIN SHARMA HAS WRITTEN IN HIS BOOK CALLED ‘THE GREATNESS GUIDE’.

“Become so knowledgeable, competent and brilliant at what you do that this firm can’t run without you.”