Does it really matter?

I finished a chips packet the other day, walking on the road and searched for a dustbin to throw the empty packet. My friend suggested – “Just throw it in the corner. Anyway so much waste is dumped there”. So much waste being dumped there already was exactly the reason for me NOT to throw the packet too!

My little cousin served extra food the other day at a function and wasted the whole thing. What was worse? His aunt telling his mother – “He’s still a kid. It’s okay!” Really? Isn’t that exactly the reason why they should teach him not to waste food?

I was sharing with my uncle few days ago that a few volunteers of IUY2C went to a government school and taught about a 500 students, basics of hygiene and my uncle says “You can do that in one or two schools. How will that make a difference? There are thousands of government schools in the country” Thousands of government schools being there is exactly the reason we have started approaching scores of them!

I left a job that paid me almost half a lakh per month and my relatives said, “So many people are unemployed! You were fortunate to get such a job and you left it?” So many people being unemployed is exactly the reason I left the job and now giving all it takes to become an entrepreneur, dreaming of providing employment to hundreds of them.

It’s interesting to know how people think that the ‘little’ negative contribution of theirs (AND the ‘little’ positive contribution of others) doesn’t really make a difference. It’s like asking a drop of water how important it is, like asking a grain of rice if it can fulfill your hunger, like challenging a speck of dust to create pollution, like wondering how one electron can generate electricity. Each drop of water, each grain of rice, every dust particle and every electron matters! So does every small action of any person on earth – negative or positive!

I know you got the point. So, next time don’t step back when you have the smallest of chances to do a good deed. It might be as small as turning of lights in your house/office when you aren’t using, pushing someone not to waste food, carrying empty food packets or chocolate wrappers in your bag till your find a dustbin to drop them, sharing positive news with friends over tea rather than talking about who got murdered or robbed and so on.

At the same time, please be watchful of not discouraging someone who’s already doing his/her bit. Even small phrases like – “Showing of eh?!”, “Big deal dude!”, “What’s wrong with you?”, “Chalta hai yaar” can discourage. It doesn’t hurt to say “Good job”, “I really appreciate what you did”, “You just inspired me” or at least pat on the back!

I just tried doing my bit today, by writing this piece of article not knowing how many people this would impact. But I sure know IT MATTERS! Now if you’re thinking whether your comment on this or sharing this link would really make a difference, you don’t need to think again :) IT MATTERS!

Estimate your hunger. If you can’t, read on…

I went to a restaurant with my friend one day. As soon as we saw the menu card, we felt like hogging all of the dishes there! Without giving it a second thought, we ordered 4 dishes we felt like drooling over. The moment the first dish went in, I was no more “extremely hungry”. The second one almost filled my tummy. I loved the third one, so finished my share in the same momentum. Then! I looked at the fourth one and felt, “What was I thinking when I ordered this? But never mind, my friend is here to finish it”. But oh, my friend was equally full! We kept pushing the dish towards each other forcing the other one to complete!  Somehow we managed to complete half of it and that’s it! It felt like my stomach is gonna burst if I take in one more spoon. The rest of it went a waste.

Happens with you? This was me, about 2 years ago. Until one day, when I heard that a staggering ‘one billion people’ in this world sleep hungry every single night! There must have been days you’ve not had food and tried sleeping. Could you sleep? Not easy, right? Imagine the plight of those unfortunate kids who might have never tasted a candy! They never know how “Oh, I’m full” feels like.

When you order an extra dish at a restaurant that you can’t finish, it’s not the 100 odd bucks that you are wasting, it’s the resource! It’s the resource someone somewhere in the world is dying for. You can afford to waste 100 bucks, but not the food that’s keeping you alive. Most of us empty our plates at home, almost all the time. Why doesn’t this happen at restaurants? We fail to estimate our hunger may be, or we are too lazy to wait for the dishes to be prepared & served, so we order all at once. Or sometimes, it just doesn’t occur to us that we are ordering more food than we need.

Let’s try and keep this in mind next time we go to a restaurant - “Take all you want, eat all you take!” To mark a beginning to this, support this brilliant initiative – “Empty Plate Campaign” by 36meals, happening this weekend - March 23^rd and 24^th. You don’t have to move out of your house, it doesn’t take hours. All it takes is a photo of your empty plate after your meal and uploading that on 36meals Facebook Page or Twitter. Here’s the FB Event Page to join.

Of course that’s not the last day we follow it, but that’s the beginning for many people. Those of you who never waste a morsel of your meal, take lead and inspire the people around you. “All empty plates look good. It’s the plate with food left over that looks ugly”. So go ahead and post your photos!

Thank you.

This is where I belong

Change is something every living being resists, but when it’s a desired change, there’s nothing more you could ask for. We all need a break from our daily routine once in a while, a change in our way of life once in a while, a change in the environment once in a while, new clothes to wear once a while, fresh air once in a while, new friends once in a while….very importantly “once in a while”.

Away from my home and office, I travelled a few miles assuming that it would be another formality I’d be completing. As the day went by, I realized everything was so peaceful around me. Bright light inside the building & lot of space comforted me like never before. Clear thoughts on mind and positive vibes all around. I was already feeling sad that I would have to leave soon. For a moment I thought, I should extend my stay and relax for a few more days. The very thought brought deep joy & a broad smile on my face.

But wait, this is not where I belong. The night’s silence sure gives peace for a few days but it wouldn’t be long before I’d start finding the place lonely. The garden outside looks great, but very soon I’d find the rats & insects troubling. The fresh air is bliss, but somehow dust is what I’m used to! I belong to the city life; buildings are what I’d like to see, more than trees. I love talking to machines & gadgets more than real people. A walk on the road alone is peaceful but I need to see the vehicles too. This is how I am. This is how I prefer living. This is where I belong. Change is welcome for sure but I cannot be taken away from where I belong.