“Winners Don’t Do Different Things, They Do Things Differently” – Shiv Khera.

 

Sandeep Bachhe, Hero

Just when we think we’ve seen it all and humanity’s excesses start making us cynical, we come across a story like this and start believing again.  Humbling, though provoking, people like this show through example, that all it takes is the right attitude and dollops of character to make a difference.

I would very much recommend that you take 3 minutes of your time right now, and read the article linked above. The cliff notes version is that the author takes an auto ride and realizes that the man in the drivers seat is no ordinary mortal but someone who has truly risen above his surroundings, in the best spirit of the proverbial lotus in a mud pond as described by the Gita.

The author of this article calls him a real live Hero, some would call him a living breathing Angel.  When I read it – what I see is an example of what we can do when we listen to that inner voice that asks the very best of us.  Simply put Sandeep Bacche, the auto driver, is part of what most in India would call, to borrow shamelessly from a recent popular movie, Mango People – aam aadmi.  Yet he has managed to make the kind of impact many of his so called betters (including yours truly) have yet to even begin to contemplate.

I am inspired and ashamed in the same breath, and so should many of us be.  We pay lip service to catch phrases like Customer Satisfaction, Corporate Social Responsibility and other nice sounding words.  Yes it is possible to not only make an honest living in this very capitalistic world today, but it is very much possible to do so and still do good.  Ask ourselves, how many of us go the extra mile BECAUSE it is the right, decent thing to do?  How many of us live by the motto ‘do good‘, or if you cannot do good then ‘do no evil‘?  What this wonderful example of humanity has achieved is nothing less than made selflessness part of his everyday life.

Ask yourself every single day, what act of kindness did I perform today? For the world can be made better, not by lofty speeches, nor by inspiring quotes or catchwords or compelling essays — theydo have their place, but today is not for advocacy but action — because we can change the world for better through our action, through nothing more difficult than simple acts of random kindness, because the world can be made better one act of kindness at a time.