Life Experience: The Greatest Teacher Ever!

Being an Empathetic Manager

An incident occurred on my very first project, in the first month of my entering the field of technical writing. I had just begun to grasp the nuances of the client’s particular domain and was excited to send my first draft to the client for review, thinking I had done a great job. The next day, when I received the client’s feedback, I was shattered by the negative comments the client had made. I feared what my manager would say when he summoned me to a meeting, expecting that I might be fired.

Instead, my manager spoke encouraging words, telling me not to get flustered by the negative feedback I’d received. He knew exactly how I was feeling, talked me out of my apprehensions, helped me work through each comment, and restored my confidence. His faith in me made me give up any thought of quitting. Now, having completed eleven successful years in technical writing, I thank him for his support. This incident taught me that we must be empathetic toward our colleagues. One kind act can make a difference in a person’s life.

Lesson learned: Be empathetic toward your colleagues. A kind gesture can brighten someone’s day and might even be instrumental in changing the course of someone’s life for the better.

Avoiding Negative Colleagues

Early in my career, I made friends with someone who was a constant complainer. She was always complaining about something or other—whether about her family or the office. I spent a lot of time pacifying her or trying to make her see things differently, which sapped my energy. Moreover, her endless complaints soon started rubbing off on me. I could not concentrate on my work properly because my friend’s problems ran in an endless loop at the back of my mind. Without my at first realizing it, I found that I was unhappy.

Then, after a long vacation, I felt happier and more relaxed when I returned to work. I realized that this was because I had not been listening to my friend’s grievances. From that day, I promised myself that I would not befriend negative people and, instead, would consciously keep company with people who have a positive outlook on life.

Lesson learned: Avoid negative people who sap your energy.

Facing Your Fears

Each year, my organization’s documentation department conducts a two-day seminar called Docathon. When my manager told me that I would have to deliver a presentation at Docathon, I was scared to face a global audience and my own colleagues, talking about something everyone already knew so well. I suffered from stage fright. I thought, What if I forget my lines? What if I’m not able to answer questions? What if I bore my audience to death?

But, with my manager’s gentle coaxing and encouragement, I was able to take up the challenge. I worked hard and practiced my talk over and over again until I was confident. My presentation went very well. In fact, I got a special mention at the end of the day.

That day I realized, only by overcoming our apprehensions can we experience the joys of learning new things. We must challenge ourselves, embrace new experiences, and let go of our fears, which are obstacles to our achievement and happiness.

Lesson learned: Overcome your fears and keep challenging yourself.

Conclusion

In our journey through life, we should treat both our good and bad experiences as stepping stones toward success. We are social beings and must try to maintain harmonious relationships with everyone around us. Every step we take in the right direction and every action we take with the right intention can have huge impacts on our life, as well as the lives of others. We can all make a difference for the good—however small it may be. Each generous act is instrumental in creating a harmonious future and betters our lives.