< 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.
