“I’d always thought the story was about the astounding surgery. But it wasn’t. It was about using the talents you had, whatever they might be, to the most constructive purpose. I’d thought the story was about the fact that a pocketknife had been used to open a man’s chest. But it wasn’t. It was about using whatever tools you had on hand to do whatever needed to be done. I’d thought it was about saving lives, about the fact that the man had lived. But it wasn’t. It was about how the man had lived, who he lived as. I’d thought it was about being seen doing good works. But it wasn’t. It was about seeing what other people needed and doing it.
It was about the fundamental act of placing our attention outside of ourselves and onto other people who needed it. “ — Heart in the right place by Carolyn Jordan
This beautiful thought brings about the realisation that it was never about me…
It is about my wife… it is about unconditional love…
It is about our children… It is about watching them grow to be fine young adults… It is about enjoying their achievements… It is about sharing their joys and sorrows…
It is about the people who work with us… It is about them meeting their challenges… It is about being there for them….
It is about our friends… It is about being there for them always…
It is about the strangers that cross our path… it is about understanding human challenges…
It is about our families… It is about loving them for who they are… It is about loving them despite who they are…
And most importantly it is about our parents… It is about giving to them unconditionally…
I am just here to place my attention onto the people who have chosen to grace my life… It was never about me… It is about being the catalyst… It is about giving without expectations…
“To me the most significant thing in the world is observing the heroism of each individual’s struggle to get on with life in the face of great obstacles.” — Carolyn Jourdan
Right now the struggle is in every person’s life. These are tough times. We need our hearts to be in the right place. Compassion and love for all is needed. It will be important to share whatever is available with as many as possible.
The focus now has to be on re-building the human connection. We must not allow humanity to degenerate into some contact-less model. Isolation, loneliness and excessive me-time will lead to people suffering from severe depression. And severe, deep-set depression is a tough one to beat. Any type of video call cannot replace the feeling that touch can create. Our rapidly globalising world has to become localised, but not without the human connect. We shall consciously have to put our hearts in all our actions. I want to be out there holding the hand of humanity as I walk. The rest of my journey has to be meaningful.
All the fear that is ruling us right now must be replaced by heartfulness. When I go out of my apartment I am afraid to touch the lift buttons. I must not touch anything in the lift. As I walk out I maintain tremendous distance from any person in the building grounds. We worry about the delivery persons. We worry about the security guards. Who did they last meet? Was that person wearing a mask? Did he have gloves on? Buildings have been sealed and insulated from all visitors. All this has to be quickly put behind us. This is such an awful way to live.
We must bring trust back in our lives. We must be able to hug our fellow human beings. Touch their hearts and souls. We must be ruled by love. It will never be about you. It will always be about the humanness in humanity.
Written By Mohit Gupta
Week 43, October ‘20
