< Go Back Can you make Conscious Living your way of life? Posted: Jun 11, 2015 Part of cultivating an attitude of conscious living is to become aware of all the things that other people do that make our lives better. And the flip-side of this is to also recognise the things that we can do to enhance the lives of others.
There s an old story you may have heard concerning Albert Jackson, a car assembly worker in Detroit . I have no idea whether Albert really even existed but as stories go it s a great way to illustrate the concept that it s all the little things that people do, the extra care they take and the thoughts they give to the happiness of others that make all our lives better.
Albert worked on a car assembly line hanging car doors. His colleagues often complained about their repetitive jobs and difficult working condition, but Albert was always smiling and happy and joked his way through the day.
One day the General Manager visited the plant; he had heard of Albert s attitude to his work and was to present him with an award. At the presentation, in front of all his work colleagues, the General Manager asked Albert what his secret was that enabled him to approach his work so positively.
Albert replied that he felt he had an important job hanging car doors. Whoever was buying the car he was helping to assemble had worked hard to earn the money to buy it, and his part in this was to fit the car door to the best of his ability. He said that it gave him a good feeling to think that if he took the time to hang and align the door properly then every time the new owner closed the door, heard the reassuring clunk and felt the door close securely, they would feel good. If they were having a difficult or challenging day the simple act of closing their car door with a satisfying clunk might help them feel a little better. The thought that what he was doing was positively contributing to the lives of other people and could help them to feel good meant that Albert felt happy and fulfilled in his work.
So, the next time you buy a loaf of bread, or a new pair of shoes (or even a car!) think of all the people and circumstances along the way that have made that possible. And if you are feeling a little jaded and unfulfilled in your work stop for a moment and think about the many ways your job, your actions, your energy and your efforts help other people and make their lives better. The more you appreciate the abundance of the world around you, and the more you personally contribute to that abundance, the richer and fuller your life will be.
