Shifting our Mindset from "Accumulation" to "Contribution".

I am writing second blog from Inspiration from Shri Bannanje Govindacharya (foremost Vedic scholars in the world today); he said once “Develop a satisfaction towards what you got and dissatisfaction towards what you can contribute”.

Also inspiration from following Sanskrit Sloka: 

"Muhurtham Jwalitham Shreyo natu Dhumayitam Chiram" - It is better to flame forth for one instant than to smoke away for ages.

Friends, 

Today we witnessing, feeling (average good with hope of improving) factor for all the chaos we have about our country, our normal tendency is that we blame our system, elders, blame our politicians, blame --------. etc etc....

It's easy and norm to develop a hopeless feeling about country by looking at the current situation about system, corruption, political leadership arrogance and finally migrating to EAST/WEST aspiring well built and sophisticated, beautiful country with great roads with speeding cars, wonderful system, less or zero corruption, easy access to everything we wanted to.

I know we are still not out of control, we have a choice to make, we can curse the darkness, or we can light a candle and show up as leader.

"Change attitude from accumulation to contribution" is one small push with above thought and to inspire today’s younger generation who can bring the changes in our current situation, do best in their area of influence.  If we can contribute your energy, commitment to improvement, small funds (1% of Salary – which we can use for initial logistics) towards addressing the fixing the shortcomings will drastically change this society’s condition step by step.

Today our country needs brilliantly willful volunteers who can shape it in right directions by doing the little right thing from “Bottom to Top Approach”.

1. Educating: Especially the Visually challenged students.

Action Plan:

1. Identify the Blind school nearby your location, visit them and listen to them what kind of help they require.
2. They may need your help in converting their curriculum into the Braille’s, but it requires your time pls plan accordingly (Aim for work completion).
3. They may look for computer to learn new stuff with the help of JAWS (We may need to raise the funds for this).
4. We can build a computer Lab for them, by collecting computers from colleague who may no longer use it.
5. You may record an Audio version for their chapters and share it with them in MP3 format.
6. Focus on innovation on how Optical Braille reader can read the Braille letter and covert them to speaking words.

Measures:

1. Pls visit them regularly and ask for feedback on how the recorded Audio was helpful for them.
2. Teach computer language which help them to program using Audio guided computer SW.
3. Pls ask some questions to students in related area where you converted text to Braille.

PS: We group of friend from “Make it happen” working in my weekends for visually challenged school reside in Sheshadri Puram Bangalore.

2. Educating the Less privileged student (think about your Maid's children)

Action Plan:

1. Identify the kids who are willing to learn, but they don’t have firm support or sponsor their education.
2. One they are interested to study, approach their parents (who may be uneducated, but willing to depend on their children for future Bread winning).
3. Explain them value of education, reason behind their current state and how education can improve their children lifestyle or life condition in future.
4. Once they get convinced, visit the near local Govt School, enable them to get admission and monitor their progress.
5. Money Raising for Students Expenditure: Pls communicate to your friends, pool money with a common account, raise funds ( I am sure people will come forward to help on this cause).
6. Pls pay fees directly to school, not to handover their parents for effective delivery.

Measures:

1. Pls visit them regularly and sync up with class teach about their progress, ask for feedback on how the student doing.
2. Pls spend time with students you are sponsoring and ask them how its going and pls check with them whether they need any help on their studies.
3. During their exam, spend time with them, boost their confidence, give them your inspiration on clearing their exams.

3. Teach in Govt School for an 2 hours week.

We are already into this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWl7k4hU2Mc

Action Plan:

1. Find a Govt school (which is funded low, not given much attention), talk to teachers about how you can contribute and how it would help their English, Maths skills.
2. Make a group within the company by spreading this idea and dedicate some time for this purpose.
3. Dedicate two hours twice a month (Preferable on Friday noon) and book a CAB to reach to school and come back (Effective commuting).
4. Once you are in school, introduce to school kids, convey your vision and ask them to join hands with you.
5. Distribute the Copy writing Books, Maths Book with simple start.

Measures:

1. After Every class, assign them the home work to do and ask them to show to you when you visit next class.
2. Evaluate them and correct them with helping where they have done mistake and try to help them positively.
3. Bring interest in them about learning, form a inspiration stories and tell them how to dream and achieve this.

4.      Helping in need for critically ill patients/Emergencies.

Couple of months back, read a FB update about little Girl Supritha met with an accident, she lost her left arm and her Right side fingers got crashed and she was admitted to Apollo Hospital Bangalore.  Visited hospital and assured Supritha's father on extend my help on this. I decided to use social media to spread the news and also spread this information within organization and finally as a group of people, we turned the situation into positive and raised approximately Rs 4.5 lakhs and handed over to Supritha’s father. Recent update about Supritha is: She is recovering well. There are good number of volunteers come forward to help on this cause, that is the power of Kindness we can have in our younger generation.

5.      Helping a Poor, Economically backward - Kidney Patient from my native:

Raghavendra was shown in above picture was suffering from both the Renal failures, they wanted financial support and went to Local MLA couple of times for help with completely vein, MLA interest was not Kidney patient any more during that time (Anyway we know all politicians interest are not about people after election).

Later through some contacts they called me about help, I immediately asked them bring him to Bangalore and with Doctor Advice they admitted to Victoria hospital.

 They wanted approximately 1 Lakh. I started spreading the news through FB, office internal email and finally managed to raise Rs 54,000/- funds for him and handed over to his father. But later due to his poor health and due to other side effects of treatment his health got deteriorated and became very bad condition.. Raghavendra died...later.

Apologies:  if you feel i am bragging about my work here, i just quoted above instances as an example how we can empower ourselves doing great with what's in our control of influence.

I just captured above all the contributions as how we can change our mindset from focusing more on accumulation of money for self focused growth, we can also extend ourselves to do good to society, which makes us satisfied person by the end of the day.

Hope this inspires to all of you and I think let’s start by this way and I am sure you witness the results in baby steps, it may take long hours, days, weeks, month, years but results will definitely positive.

The way we do little things says a lot about the way we will do the big things and also it help us shape up this country bit by bit, stone by stone, Brick by Brick and one day we can see Beautiful "India" with all the empowerment (I am 100% hopeful on this and I am sure that none of us are not disappointed on this).

Also when we step out to do these things, you may face critics, but critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries, let’s ignore them. It really doesn't matter what other people think of us, as we adore the whole nation of growth and we believe that's why we are here and let’s make contributions!

Your's

Shashi