The Dark Side

There is an admixture of feelings swirling through me as I get ready to board the return flight home from Siam Reap.

From the minute I landed till this moment, the one thing that has resonated with me is the amazing politeness and gentleness of the Khmer people. This has been repeatedly reinforced by the ethereal beauty of not just the Angor Wat temples, but the dozens of other temples and monuments that abound.

And then, every once in a while one comes across a notice board like this one.

A stark reminder that some of these very same gentle people had once been responsible for the killings fields, which had claimed between 1.75 to 2 MILLION lives. That is approximately 25% of their then population. 

Imagine! 

2 million people! Each one someone's son, father, brother, mother, sister or daughter. 

Was there any single person in Cambodia whose life was unscathed by this genocide? Unlikely! And oh, so sad.

As a writer, a profiler of the times we live in - in fact, of the vagaries of human nature, I have seen how easy it is for the darkness inside us to be unleashed. 

This fickleness of the human soul is as responsible for the rise and fall of nations and empires, as the indomitable and unstoppable human spirit. And each one of us has this black hole inside - a seething maelstrom of violent, beastly emotions that are carefully guarded and usually concealed by a veneer of civilisation. 

But this layer is thin. Easily penetrated. And unbelievably beastly once unleashed. 

As a combat officer and a thriller writer I have seen this happen... time after time... in people from all walks of life.

I am sure you too have seen a kind, gentle NORMAL person turn suddenly and shockingly aggressive at something as mundane as being cut off at a traffic light, or bumped into by a passerby, or someone jumping the queue, or a delayed / wrong meal order. How else would one explain road rage? Or the shooting of a Jessica because she refused to serve a drink? … or … the list is endless…

This darkness within is sparked off by the minutest of things - greed, lust, religion, politics, and quest for power ... the reasons are myriad... but the result, once the darkness is unleashed, is always misery, death and destruction. All an undying testimony to man's strange proclivity for violence.

Perhaps this too explains the recent resurgence of the Right Wing all over the world, which is characterized by an emphasis on notions such as authority, hierarchy, order, duty, tradition, reaction and nationalism. And usually intolerant and violent.

Which is why, if the human race is to flourish, not just survive, kindness is important. 

Not just towards each other, but also towards every species that co-habits this planet with us.

A good reminder ... for all of us... how are you on the Kindness Meter today?

I am so convinced this is critical that I believe all of us should download the KINDNESS APP. After all, we use apps for every darn thing, why not kindness? Just as Google maps helps you find your way from one destination to another, I am confident the KINDNESS APP will help you find your way to a more fulfilling life.

Imagine if all of us were to just log ONE ACT OF KINDNESS EVERYDAY.  It need not be anything huge or life altering. Perhaps helping an elderly, sick or pregnant person cross the road, carry a heavy bag or give up your seat for them. Or stop to help a lost stranger find their destination. Or wait that teeny-tiny extra second for the other car to enter the right lane. Any little thing that could help us exercise the kindness muscle regularly, so that it soon becomes a formidable strength.

Oh yes, talking of strengths, reminds me – kindness is strength. A remarkable one that can help us create amazing relationships and leave behind tremendous memories. 

Yes, please remember, kindness is a manifestation of strength.

Be strong today. Every day. 

Try it. Experience the difference.

Mukul Deva

I am a Singapore-based keynote speaker, executive coach, mentor, facilitator and internationally bestselling author.

My passion is empowering and inspiring people and organisations to achieve peak performance and transformational results by helping them ACTIVATE THE RIGHT A.R.C. – Attitude, Resilience and Confidence. 

To enable this I deliver keynotes, coach, mentor and facilitate sessions - so far, to over 250,000 people from 500+ of the biggest and best MNCs and government organisations across the world.

I would love to stay connected, to learn from you, and share your insights with others, so that they too may LIVE LIMITLESS.

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