DANKBARKEIT

“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Learning to make the best out of difficult or painful experiences is a learned skill. When I began my journey of self-introspection I quickly realized there was a lot I needed to work on and it was not so obvious before that. This process has further been expedited by the abundant amount of personal time I have been having lately. This pandemic has brought a lot of things to light and I'm genuinely grateful for it, for maybe some of the lessons I am learning would have been surpassed by other non-productive activities. I had highlighted in a previous blogpost titled self-introspection(https://lilylovelong.blogspot.com/2019/10/self-introspection.html),  that I am relearning the art of mindfulness which is very essential. It's illuminating some aspects of my life that I have to put more effort into. For instance, when was the last time you expressed gratitude.

 To be clear this is not the thank you for receiving a gift from your partner but rather thank you for a deed, thank you for someone's time, thank you for an opportunity, thank you for a listening ear, thank you for showing up when in need, thank you for their efforts that facilitated you to excel in a particular task. Expressing gratitude is not only limited to being expressed verbally but also through actions. When was the last time you expressed gratitude to your employer or your employer made you feel appreciated. We have become such an individualistic society full of desire for instant gratification that we forget these humanistic approaches.

Is gratitude important? Yes, gratitude is important for it plays such a vital role in one's self-worth and realization of once purpose. Within the workplace, gratitude has been shown to have a direct relationship to improved job satisfaction. Moreover, gratitude in the workplace has been identified as a cost-effective method that can be used to enhance staff productivity levels. One such study is https://doi.org/10.3390/su11143902.  This study conducted within Italy showed that "the most common type of expressed gratitude was toward colleagues, and the most common received type was from customers."

 Like many people, going to work especially recently in this healthcare industry has been a struggle. Nowadays, I feel like I am doomed if I do and doomed if I do not. For instance, did you know that most health workers are now experiencing a looming fear for pay cuts on their menial salary despite the government recommendation that health workers need to be comfortable to continue providing care? The saddest part is that this has already started in most places. In some organizations, the communication about it is coming too late. Firstly, I do acknowledge that pay cuts are better than people getting fired. However, I would wish to know is it just health workers on the ground, or is it even happening with hospital administrators in these organizations? Secondly, are the concerned parties involved in the decision making? Again whenever organizations are successful how many of them appreciate their staff for facilitating the success of their programs.

 For a successful symbiotic relationship to exist within organizations, analysis of an article presented on "The Ethics of ‘Withholding Effort’ in the workplace" states that employees should not withhold effort because

1. It is theft from their employer.
2. It causes harm to their fellow colleagues.
3. Employees owe it to their employer to always be productive.

 Follow this link and subscribe for a more in-depth analysis of this https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract20178112.  Employers are also mandated to play their part in enhancing increased staff satisfaction while experiencing shortages. Some of the recommendations from this journal article include;

1. Effective communication
2. Monetary recognition
3. Increased collaboration. 

Follow this link for more information https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20180522-10.
Despite all this not always taking place, I am choosing to be grateful for the little things. Here are my top four.

I. Veracity

 “Anyone can lead when the plan is working. The best lead when the plan falls apart.” Robin Sharma

This season is teaching me a lot about examining institutional HR policies both my current employers, previous employers, and prospective employers. By doing so it is providing a clear understanding of what really matters in different organizations and in this way it bears truths of what their core values, principles are while handling their employees.

2. The bigger picture

"All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small." Lao Tzu
This season has taught me to appreciate always looking at a situation and seeing it from a broader perspective. Do not just look at things at face value, take time to explore the situation at hand. I am learning that not everything is bad and simultaneously not every situation is perfect.

3. Patience

"Patience is not simply the ability to wait - it's how we behave while we're waiting." Joyce Meyer
I am re-learning the art of being patient with myself, patient with processes around me, and patience with my friends and colleagues.

4. Being a scholar

Covid-19 has taught me the importance of being inquisitive and keeping abreast of new information. It has reinforced the importance of being selective in what I allow into my mind. It has retaught me the skill of discerning authentic information through adequate analysis of literature and how much evidence-based practice is key in my profession.

As we continue learning and unlearning different concepts in our daily lives. "It is important to examine what we believe in and why we believe it so that when challenged about it we can stand firm for it." Joyce Meyer