Pile On Motivation

Join 21K other subscribers

Tag: Fulfillment

  • Relationship between “fulfillment” & sense of purpose

    The human brain is naturally oriented to respond positively when shown a “sense of purpose”.

    Agree it or not this is how our brain is known to respond right from the caveman times.

    Needless to say , fulfillment happens when our brain senses a true purpose.This is when the chemical named “oxytocin” flows and provides true fulfillment.

    Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book titled “Together is Better”

  • Does “hitting a goal” give us fulfillment?

    Human beings right from the caveman times have been social animals always craving for human bonds

    With the rise of “nuclear families” & focus on short term goals we have started becoming more self centred

    In the modern day hitting goals , short term targets are given lot of priority.This is like addiction and is like a “dopamine” shot.This can never give us true fulfillment since we cannot trick the human brain.

    True fulfillment results when we do something for others out of generosity expecting nothing in return.This is when “oxytocin” flows and makes us realize the true value of human bonds

    Adopted from Simon Sinek’s book titled “The Infinite Game”

  • Assessing the “value” of our lives

    Simon Sinek in his book titled “Together is Better” illuminates us on this.

    The value of our lives is not determined by what we do for ourselves.The value of our lives is determined by what we do others.

    A true masterclass because after all what matters is fulfillment.

  • Fulfillment in our lives

    Simon Sinek in his book titled “Together is Better” highlights the following to mention when we humans truly feel fulfilled.

    He says that most of us live our lives by accident ,doing jobs to make both ends meet while not necessarily liking the jobs that we do.

    Truly fulfillment comes when we live our lives on purpose

  • The power of “social bonds”

    Human beings right from the caveman times have been social animals.It is the inherent ability of human beings to form social bonds that makes socialization so much fulfilling.

    In the modern age of social media , virtual reality we come across virtual friends.Though good for  “short term happiness” yet in the absence of “face to face” connect the social bonding is felt missing in such kind of relationships.

    This is hardly surprising since social bonding is closely intertwined with our very existence.We feel comfortable in the midst of trustworthy groups.This is how organizations , societies , countries and civilizations have been formed over the years.The common thread being social bonds among a like minded group of people.

    This is a biological constant as well.While we form social bonds and feel comfortable among trustworthy people , the neurotransmitter named “oxytocin” flows in our veins and gives us fulfillment.This results only during “face to face”/”in person” interactions thus necessitating such kind of communication as opposed to virtual communication.

    Thus considering the fact that  social media is reaching menacing proportions , it is indeed time to take stock of the situation and realize the importance of social bonds , face to face communication in order to achieve long term fulfillment.

  • Why “face to face” conversations have more impact than “virtual” ones

    Face to Face conversations lead to more engagement since via noticing body language and because of physical presence , the “mirror neurons” in our brains are activated.

    When there is a wavelength match during the face to face conversation the  “mirror neurons” actively participate in the flow of positive emotional energy and a “toward” emotional arousal which is very good for building social bonds.

    Since human beings are driven by “social bonds” such situations result in the release of the neurotransmitter named “oxytocin” which is related to the feeling of fulfillment.

    All of this would be missing during “virtual” video/audio conversations since nothing can take the place of “face to face” conversations in creating the best impact.

  • What is Oxytocin ?? – why do we need to know??

    Oxytocin is the fulfillment related chemical that flows through our veins.

    Oxytocin flows when we get fulfillment by doing something selflessly.

    Oxytocin can help increase immunity and fights stress

    The flow of oxytocin cannot be tricked and true fulfillment needs to happen for this to flow.

  • Understanding “Selfish” and “selfless” happiness hormones in our veins

    Very recently I had the honor of reading “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek, the author of the hugely popular “Start with Why”. This book is an amazing read for the simple fact that by means of biology the author has explained how to beat stress in our fast paced lives by sticking to ethics.

    Stress as well as happiness stimulating hormones we all would be aware of but the mental mapping of these is something we rarely think of. Had we done the same our actions would have been more often than not directed towards enhancing the flow of happiness stimulating selfless chemicals to beat stress and duress in our stress filled lives.

    Stress which is part and parcel of our modern fast paced lives results in a chemical named “Cortisol” flowing through our veins. As against this when we are happy for ourselves(selfish) say for e.g. when we have had a very tiring but fulfilling day in office may be for e.g. by being able to deliver something critical by stretching late in office a selfish happiness stimulating chemical named “Endorphin” flows through our veins. When people try to beat stress by working out extra time in gyms, the same chemical flows through our veins and keeps us happy for the time being.

    Any kind of work done by us that gives us an appreciation to satisfy our self-ego(selfish) but which does not give us any sense of belonging results in “Dopamine” flowing through our veins. With the proliferation of social media penetration that “one buzz” in our phones to indicate one more like for our posts on FB or Twitter results in the flow of this selfish happiness stimulating chemical that acts as a quick fix to keep our subconscious mind happy.

    When we feel happy and feel a sense of belonging especially when a co-worker thanks us or when we feel happy by doing something for the family/near or dear ones/society and that too ethically it does us the most good by allowing the flow of selfless and happiness stimulating chemicals named “Serotonin(leadership chemical)” and “Oxytocin(fulfillment chemical)” through or veins.

    The challenge in life , to beat stress , is not to chase short term quick fix driven “Dopamine happiness” but look to do or achieve something ethically that would give us a sense of belonging and a good night’s sleep by allowing sufficient flow of “Oxytocin” through our veins.

    Thus the mathematical equation involving biological chemicals to help us lead a balanced and truly happy life with a sense of belonging is:

    (Serotonin + Oxytocin) >>>> Cortisol

    With this simple equation in mind let us all pledge to act in ways to fight stress by doing things in our day to day lives that give us a sense of belonging that have far reaching impacts beyond mere self-satisfaction. The other advantage of this would be that since this formula to beat stress is scientifically proven we can form a mental map and preempt our behavior patterns to act in ways that help us achieve selfless truly fulfilling satisfaction rather than meeting our selfish short term goals.

    Unleash the flow of selfless chemicals through your veins!!!!!

  • The DNA of “high performance teams” – The Simon Sinek Way

    The book “Together is Better” by Simon Sinek tells us that human beings by nature love to socialize and try to find like minded individuals “who believe in what they believe”. This has been true right from the caveman times.

    When like minded people form part of same teams , trust emerges , the synergistic benefits get realized , fulfillment happens and astonishing results follow.

    We see numerous such examples in our workplaces as well wherein trusting teams produce much better results and are much more motivated than teams filled with cynicism and distrust.

    The following amazing quote of Simon Sinek summarizes high performance teams , the need of every workplace.

    “A team is not a group of people who work together. A team is a group of people who trust each other.” — Simon Sinek

    Pile on motivation!!

  • Man’s search for fulfillment

    Having gone through some of the best self-help books as well as blogs & youtube videos, I have tried summarizing some of the key aspects, emphasized by these wise men, to lead a fulfilling life in the modern age of hustle and bustle.

    The following are some of the noteworthy books that I went through, where in the authors have tried zeroing in on these quintessential aspects.

    1. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
    2. Start With Why , Leaders Eat Last , Together is Better & youtube videos by Simon Sinek
    3. Fish Philosophy by Stephen Lundin , John Christensen , Harry Paul
    4. The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale
    5. The Power of Subconscious mind – Dr. Joseph Murphy

    Based on the learnings as well as the messages conveyed in the aforementioned books as well as blogs/youtube videos please find below an attempt made by me to summarize some of the key aspects that are the perfect recipe for leading a fulfilled life for leaving a legacy for others to follow.

    • Play an infinite game – Thinking of making a better version of yourself over time without comparing with others. Tune your mind and goals in such a fashion that long term gains are given precedence over self-sided short term gains. We need to realize that there will be times when we win and there will be other times when we lose , what matters is winning in the long run. Develop a child-like inquisitiveness to know by the day and hence learn and gain by the day without being too fussy about what the competition is doing. Live in the present and remove any worry habit since time is short always try to make a difference by doing something genuinely good. Being too stressed up in the wake of competition releases cortisol which reduces the flow of oxytocin the fulfillment chemical, through our veins.
    • Choose your job, company that you keep to feel safe and motivated – Try to be in the company of people who are not toxic and entertain positive thoughts. Being in the company of leaders who motivate, inspire and give us a sense of belonging makes us feel safe and encourages us to unleash our best to achieve fulfillment. Choose a job wherein you feel safe in the company of others and where you are inspired to go to office, love your job and get back home fulfilled. Human beings right from their evolution have always been social animals who crave for having social bonds. This is why we feel safe being in the midst of like-minded people who give us a sense of belonging. These are symbols we seek in workplaces and is the very reason why we make true friends.
    • Serve those who serve others and show generosity – Try to make it a day for someone else if you are feeling down to enliven your own spirits since human being is essentially a social animal who craves for human bonds. Doing well for oneself gives us happiness but doing genuinely good for someone else without expecting anything in return gives fulfillment. Generosity by definition means doing something for someone without expecting anything in return. If this is done with the best of intentions then such actions release a chemical known as “Oxytocin” which is known to increase immunity against diseases and enables leading a fulfilled life.
    • Control the flow of “dopamine” by leading a balanced life – In the age of social media and a hyper mediated world we no longer have sacrificed forming true bonds at the cost of virtual relationships. Once in a while, take stock of your life and try to lead your life the way we used to when mobile phones were not there, social media was not that prevalent. Too much of mobile phone , social media addiction releases “dopamine” which is an addictive chemical and can cause serious repercussions if the flow of the same is not regulated. Waking up with the sun, having healthy food, exercising regularly, spending quality time with family and especially kids are certain aspects we have to give paramount importance to. Practice forgiveness and try to flush out negative thoughts from your mind the moment you encounter one. Our human mind is indeed fascinating, it is a very good slave but a very bad master and hence the habit that we inculcate gets ingrained in our brain.

    Pile on motivation!!!!