Service from the Heart

THE HIMALAYAN QUEST SERIES ?

Cycling the length of the Indian Himalaya over nine months, past hundreds of villages, settlements, hutments of road construction workers, army bases, monasteries and temples of worship, we encountered each day, without fail, acts of kindness, selfless attitudes and service from the heart. An experience like that restores tremendous faith in the unimaginable depth of goodness that exists within all humans of all creed, including each one of us. It may be lying dormant in some of us, while others around us live it as a way of life without giving it a second thought. Its their nature.

The indigenous people of the Himalaya living in villages and smaller hamlets, that we met and observed, demonstrated again and again an endearing capacity to extend kindness, empathy, ?helpfulness, love and affection to the world around them. ??The indigenous are natives of the land from ancient times with their own unique language, culture, customs and beliefs. They are tribals practicing Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam amongst the tribals in Kashmir, and in some cases Animism in Arunachal and Meghalaya, and have a rich heritage of not only traditional practices but also being close to nature, the wilderness, the wild animals and plants as well as the mountains and its glaciers, streams and lakes. Their life is intertwined in the essence of nature and its rhythmic cycles. Most importantly they live a life of high co-dependency and an astute understanding that as humans on earth, we co-exist and our happiness, well being and success is tied to that of the other. This is what they received from their ancestors, learned from their parents, and imbibed these values early on in their childhood. Living amongst them, those that have come from far away lands, ?to work there to earn a living, display highly altruistic behaviour. Whether it was the boys at the local ‘dhabas’, or those working as a ‘help’ in a homestay, men and women from the northern plains, living in the Himalayas, though steeped in economic hardship, landless and suffering from penury, were the epitome of happiness and ?selfless service, always ready to lend a helping hand to us. We lived in many ?village homestays, from Kaho on the Indo-Chinese border in the far east of Arunachal to Losar in Spiti Valley, ?and we experienced incredible and genuine service most of the time, food cooked from the heart and a warmth and friendliness and hospitality that I ?don’t ?come across in airlines, star hotels, cafes and retail stores across the country.

Unlike the world outside that has made rapid progress in health, education and technology,, the indigenous tribals, though progressive in many aspects including the adoption of tech in the form of digital media and television have not snapped the cord with their traditions and culture of practicing kindness and service to others. Without the privilege of or access to higher levels of education, development workshops, hospitality management training or programs on wellness and mental wellbeing, they establish a genuine human connection that comes from the heart.

There is a deep insight here for organizations, people living in metropolises, and civil , corporate and political leadership across all parts of the country. Without a culture of service from the heart to all around us at work and in our social circles, we cannot hope to find lasting joy, happiness and success in our lives because we are all connected. We don’t need a workshop to come to our organizations and teach us how to be just more human. We need to find people, connected to the land and nature, and spend time with them. In the process, we will transform our personal lives, our relationship with our co-workers and hence collaboration and partnership, become better team players in sports, and attract better energy to ourselves and to those whom we care for.?

I am often told nowadays by my family and co-workers, ?welcome back to the real world. I differ quite strongly. The ‘real world’ consists of our evolutionary roots, our forests, wildlife, and land, our traditions, our ?seas and mountains, where we came from and where we will go some day. The city is just a long stopover, an artificial world created by mankind's industrial age to pursue commerce. And while we live and try to thrive in this ‘artificial world’ let's connect with each other with selfless service, kindness and love, regardless of our position in society or economic status.

There are many Himalayan stories of kindness, life saving selfless support, from our odyssey. I will share them in subsequent articles, but I would like to leave you with four insights to reflect on and practice. I assure you, it will lead to many positive transformations.

1.?? Acts of Kindness. Practice small ( or large hearted) acts of altruistic kindness to animals and humans each day.

2.?? Selfless Service. Offer to help a co-worker (s) ?at your workplace whom you have a difficult relationship with, on an area in which they are struggling in. Find solutions ?together. I have seen co workers look upon me with disbelief and suspicion on 'the motive' behind the kindness, but I have also seen it dissolve when done with a genuine heart.?

3.?? ?Practice Humility. Genuinely Smile at your customers and let them feel at home, and most importantly do not lose hope if they are rude. Some will be, most will be not. Our resistance often stems from the ego, let go of it and watch the magic happen.

4.?? Keep your Heart at the Center. It will always guide you when it comes to human connections and fulfilling moments with others.?

'When you are living in darkness, why don’t you look for the light?' - The Dhammapada

?#service #care #kindness #humanity #selfless #leaders #management #genuineservice #customercare #employeecare #coworkers

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?