Life has taught me that we are all intrinsically connected. We cannot hurt another person without hurting ourselves. Recently, I have been renovating my home. I have a team helping with the construction. I am always mindful of their needs and make sure that they are safe while working. I am mindful that they eat on time and don’t stress themselves on the job site. As a result, they have delivered impeccable work. Deliberate actions, along with fearless and honest leadership, inspire people to give their very best. Furthermore, being mindful of other people’s needs creates a win-win situation for everyone!
I grew up in India, surrounded by buas, phuphajis, taijis and taujis, mausas and mausis, and I knew all my cousins. In short, I grew up with a huge, loving extended family who, I felt, supported and loved me very much. When Aditya Kishore Bhartiya, my avant garde phuphaji, passed away, and rather too young as he was only sixty-three years old when he died, I recall how at his funeral in Delhi people did not speak about how successful he was and how much money he had made. They talked about how mindful he was while dealing with everyone, young and old.
Our legacy, in truth, is only the impact we leave on those around us. So let us be more mindful of them, and ensure that we understand their needs better.
Also, one of the people I most admire in the world is Dr Mohammad Yunus. I had the privilege of meeting him at the Times Center, New York, where he was speaking at a New York Times event. My three children were with me, and he took his time speaking to them. Cultivating the younger generation is something he believes in, just as much as I do.
I have learnt many lessons while following his journey in Bangladesh, especially through the manner in which he understands the power of every human. When he started the Grameen Foundation, which gave unsecured loans to the poorest people in Bangladesh, they used the money wisely and always repaid the loan, unlike what his critics had predicted. These were group-reinforced loans, so people within the group looked out for each other and the loans were always repaid. The businesses grew, and so did the confidence of the empowered new business owners. The upliftment of everyone is the upliftment of ourselves—as we are all connected.
It is true that when we help another person grow, we grow ourselves, even if we are not aware of it. Thus, it is supremely important to be mindful of all those around us, and recognize their needs as well as our own.
Avoid hurting others: Always make sure you are not hurting another person in your life, whether you believe he or she deserves it or not.
Be deliberate: Be aware of your choices and then be fearless, because when we are aware and fearless, we lend a lot of confidence to the people around us.
Mind your legacy: When we leave this planet, the only thing we leave behind are our good deeds. So, it’s very important that we are mindful of other people because it is the only sentiment we leave behind when we’re gone.
(Excerpts from 3 TIPS: The Essentials for Peace, Joy and Success by Meera Gandhi)
