Think as someone who can make the world a better place

Driving long distances to work in the national capital gives me umpteen opportunities to peep into the lives of people from all walks of life. Tales of misery from Chennai and narratives from Paris often make me wonder: Is it money, power or resources that place us in a position where we can help others, or is it something else? One such chilly winter morning, as I was cuddled in the warmth of woollens, enveloped in the cosmos of my car’s blower, a pair of siblings by the roadside caught my attention as I stopped at a traffic light.

The older sister, a kid herself, was trying hard to cover up her younger frail brother with a woollen piece of clothing that could at best be described as a scarf. What touched my heart was the fact that she herself was barely clad in a half-sleeved cotton frock.

How often, I realise, the people who tend to reach out to others are not the ones who are very rich. They are the ones who can see their strengths in place of their deprivation, people who can appreciate that there is some sort of power within them to alleviate the misery of others. Assuming responsibility bestows power. Looking down upon people or looking away does not.

Wiping tears is healing, cribbing and whining may not be. It is not so much of knowledge from outside but enlightenment from within that illuminates the soul. All in all, it is the ability to look at the bigger picture. Figuring out how one can improve the situation does wonders. Looking at oneself as someone who can do her bit to make this world a better place to live in — such a thought already makes you a more powerful person, and this earth, a superior abode.