It was wonderful to suddenly receive an email from one of my good old friends
after long years. We are getting in touch after 6-7 years. He lives in Sweden
and works for Volvo. I am sure you should have heard this name. Volvo is
a big name in buses and trucks. He came to know that now I am training people
and like any of my old friends stunned, surprised and shocked! You know why!
Anyway he was exited to send amazing emails to me expecting that the thoughs
will benefit more people. One of the emails which had a deepest impat on me
is what I am going to share with you all.
The world today is too fast and we forget to appreciate the great things around us.
We forget to celebrate life and we are too busy and not finding time to connect with the amazing energy which is surrounding us. The email what he has sent exactly reflects the same. Here you go:
An interesting reflection
Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of urgency. Therefore, we have come to posses a huge demand on ourself. This contrasts greatly with the high involvemnet movements of the Swedish. Here on the the other hand
enjoy doing the work. More than every thing how we finish a task makes lots of difference. This
always yields better results.
Said in another words:
1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo , a state in Brazil .
2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.
3. Stockholm , has 500,000 people.
4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies.
Volvo supplies to the NASA.
How we park our cars in Volvo:
In Sweden September is bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). Recently our company introduced an amazing moment. We park the car far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the parking lot and walk down all the way. Whoever reach early will have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don’t you think it a great courtesy to be people who drive in at the last moment? Imagine how wonderful one will feel to do this to another human being!
Slow Food:
Nowadays, there’s a movement in Europe named the Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.
Basically, the movement questions the sense of “hurry” and “craziness” generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of “having in quantity” (life status) versus “having with quality”, “life quality” or the “quality of being”. French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This attitude has brought forth the US ’s attention, pupils of the fast.
This no-rush attitude doesn’t represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the “now”, present and concrete, versus the “global”, undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans’ essential values, the simplicity of living.
It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It’s time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.
In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there’s a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, “I can’t, my boyfriend will be here any minute now”. To which Al responds, “A life is lived in an instant”. Then they dance to a tango.
Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”.
Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.
I am sure it was great to read. This email had a huge impact on me. I am posting this from Kuala Lumpur Airport on my way to Sydney. I am going to take some time to bring out my next post. Definitely with some amazing experiences what I am going to get from Tony Robbins. It is always amazing and life changing to be with Tony - my mentor!
