Some days ago I received a forward from a friend on my WhatsApp. I would normally erase forwards after a quick browse. However, on this one, I felt a need to read it a few times over. In fact, I wrote back to the sender to thank him for his forward. The short write-up was attributed to an author – Elizabeth Gilbert, who is known for her book Eat Pray Love. A quick search on the net, and I found that the article had in fact appeared on the Oprah.com site in 2016. “Hmm… nice.” I said to myself, “Perhaps it’s time for others to read this again.”
After almost two years in a pandemic-plagued world, 2016 seems like a distant past when life was ‘normal’, with people going about the trivialities in a very privileged way. Yet the story was about an individual who chose to make a difference in the life of others even when “the world feels cold, dark and lonely.” The Buddha is attributed to have said, “If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also lighten your path.” We will never know the impact of a small gesture toward a fellow being, even if it’s just a smile. We always have a choice and it does not take much to make an impact.
In her bus ride story, Elizabeth shares the impact of a New York City bus driver on his passengers. He could have just chosen to do his job the “normal” way, picking the passengers, driving with safety, and dropping them off at their stops. He would have done his job perfectly. We don’t normally take note of a bus driver. His role is somewhat similar to that of many other ‘invisible’ background service providers. Like a tree that has been giving shade all the while, maybe we take them for granted. But the driver on Elizabeth’s ride showed empathy, kindness, and non-judgment. He went beyond the call of duty, and possibly made an impact on the lives of the passengers that day. Certainly, Elizabeth took note of what he did.
We all have that opportunity every day in our lives. It could be towards a family member, our colleagues, or subordinates. We never know how it will impact, but it’s ok to pay it forward, regardless, and make their corner of the world a little brighter. I leave you with this quote from a certain Kent M Keith:
The Paradoxical Commandments
Kent M. Keith
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.