There comes a time in our lives when we feel shattered and astray from our path. We feel stuck and can’t go ahead in personal and professional life. In that moment, we want someone to come and motivate us, push us. However, we don’t need motivation; we need Inspiration. Inspiration to get up and start again, something to pull us from inside rather than push us. And for that we don’t need to walk miles. Just look around you and you’ll find abundance of inspiration.
Let’s learn 5 life lessons from nature for a successful and stress-free life.

1. Birds

“I won’t do this, no I can’t.
I think I’m not made for this.
I would fail even if I try.”

Do we often think this way before trying anything for the first time?
Well we may but birds don’t! They have so much faith on their fragile feathers that they never think, before taking the very first flight from their nest. They teach us such a great lesson on ‘Believing Ourselves’. If a bird can, then what’s holding us back? Well it’s our very own self which allows us to doubt our abilities, creates fear and hesitation. If we listen to our instinct, our inner voice and have faith on ourselves, nobody can stop us.

2. Fern and Bamboo

One of the major reasons of getting demotivated in the path of success is ‘Comparisons’. We often compare-
Why can’t I have what my colleague possesses?
Why can’t I achieve what my sibling does?
Well in that case, we may have a look over Fern & Bamboo. You must have heard this story, when god explains a shattered man that even after nurturing and taking care of fern & bamboo equally, the fern quickly grew while bamboo took around 5 years to show results and after that within 6 months it rose to over 100 feet. It had spent five years growing roots.

All of us have different timings and our timings are perfect. There is no benchmark to get settled or achieving success in life. If you are not getting results on your path, don’t give up on you. This is your phase of growing roots.

3. River

Have you ever seen stagnant water, how’s it? – Contaminated, not fit for drinking! While on the other hand the flowing stream of water is pure and free from dirt. To keep flowing is the very nature of the river. No matter how many twists and turns are on its way, a river never chooses to stagnate and eventually ends up flowing into the oceans. It moves on and stops for none.
Once Martin Luther King, Jr. said –
If you can’t fly then run,
If you can’t run then walk,
If you can’t walk then crawl,
But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.
Now you decide what you want to be – water without flow which is muddy and murky or fresh flowing water which is going to reach its destination at the end.

4. Ants

Well how often we have tried this in our childhood, putting finger in the path of ants. They either take a route around or over the obstacle, but they always find a way. However, the question is how often we do that while anticipating a hindrance in front of us. We may opt to sit down and dissolve into self-pity or just cry over situation.
This little creature teaches us such a big lesson – ‘Always find a way’. Whenever you feel surrounded by the circumstances, don’t just sit down looking at them like a threat. Instead blend your ways, find other solutions to get out of it as ants do.
Remember! If Plan A doesn’t work, there are still 25 alphabets left.

5. Butterfly

Here’s the onset of spring and it’s delight to watch these beautiful butterflies this season. However, have we ever wondered, so much of hardships they have to go through to reach this level? They well explain that it’s not possible to directly jump from eggs to butterfly without the grueling stages in between. Same is the case of our path to success, we can’t just reach the pinnacle of ladder without climbing it. It demands to go through the struggle and hardship.
“Diamonds cannot be polished without friction.
Gold cannot be purified without fire.”

The stages of caterpillar and pupa are our phases of trials that are going to make us better, teach us the lesson and make us ready for the days to fly with enchanting wings as that of butterfly.

If you don’t think you’re being evaluated and judged as soon as you walk into the room, then you’re certainly mistaken. First Impressions are self-fulfilling prophecies that create lasting impressions. A huge part of making a good first impression is dressing for success.

Your appearance shows your level of professionalism, your seriousness towards the job opportunity and your level of respect for the interviewer. Before you schedule your next interview, be sure to review this list of “10 common mistakes men do while getting ready for an interview.”

The Size of the Tie

Incorrect tie length is one of the top most on the list of things most often done wrong in tailored menswear. Ideally, the tip of your tie should end in the middle of your belt buckle or waistband. Classic width of 3.75 inches is always appropriate.

And in case you are wearing a suit, width of the tie should be about the same size of your jacket lapels which covers about half the distance to your shoulders

Colors & patterns

Dress Shirts are the most visible piece of cloth to the interviewer. So, try to pick pastel colors or wardrobe neutrals with classic patterns like pinstripe, windowpane, gingham or solids. Shocking hues & bold motifs can be distracting.

Belt

Polishing your shoes is just not enough, don’t forget to polish your belt as well when you are going for an interview. The color & fabric of belt as that of shoes is preferable with a classic width of 1 to 1.5 inches & moderate buckle. Avoid buckle with fancy ornaments that catches attention.

Tip : If you are an average or short-statured, you may wear belt, trousers and shoes of same color to bring the continuation, consequently increasing the visual height. In case you have dizzy height, choose the color of trousers different as that of belt & shoes.

Socks

Wearing a too short pair of socks can leave a gap of flesh when you are seated. Go for dark coloured solid hosiery with a length of at least mid-calf. The color of socks matching with trouser and/or shoes is considered to be most appropriate.

Shirt

An unfit dress shirt giving you a sloppy look may disqualify you from the list of aspirant candidates. If there is excess fabric in the chest & waist causing a billowing effect & the shoulder seams are not at shoulder bone, then it is a bad fit. Try to consider these points while buying a shirt.

To make shirt intact for the whole day, suspenders are a good option.

Collar

Choosing a shirt with a right collar for your face shape can accentuate the whole look. If you have narrow face choose a spread collar. While narrow point collar is good choice for the ones with round face shape. And if you are planning to ditch the tie, button down collar can meet your requirement.

Undershirt

Vest’s silhouette visible through your dress shirt can be an image breaker. Undershirt comes to rescue in this case. Moreover, it protects your shirt from deodorant & sweat stains and can keep ample chest hair from poking through the surface of the shirt. If you leave your collar unbutton then opt for deep V undershirt.

Suits

Most men make mistake while dressing their hand. Well Gentlemen, you can fix it very easily. All you need to remember is 1/2″ shirt cuff should be shown below the jacket cuff.

Moreover, the rules of buttoning your suit are different for different jackets. Two-button blazers are usually fasten at the top button and three-button jackets in the middle.

Another important thing to be considered while putting on a third layer is its length. Make sure the end of your suit jacket should hit just above your fingertips.

Accessories

Spiritual threads, astrological rings & visible tattoos can create a halo effect on your interviewer. Each piece of jewellery gives a message & we don’t know the values & background of the interviewer. So, it is better to play safe. Minimum accessory like a wedding ring or two & a classic watch is sufficient. Try to hide all your tattoos, remove piercing & nose rings if possible. So, the thumb rule is – less is more.

Perfume

Applying too much of perfume can be overwhelming as you never know your interviewer might be allergic to strong scent. So, it is advised to use some neutral-smell deodorant. Hiring managers should remember you, not your cologne or perfume.

As they say you never get a second chance to form a first impression, one wrong move can distract an employer from your polished resume and outstanding experience. Appearance is the first element of image that let the formation of first impression in just 3 seconds. So don’t take it for granted while going for your next interview.

**Image Courtesy – Pinterest**