Growing a thick skin yet being sensitive to Good.
I was in Goa couple of weeks back and was amazed that the beaches were pretty clean compared to what I remember few years back. Next morning I realized that the secret of the cleanliness is that in the morning (8:00 - 9:00 AM), you would find actually sweepers picking up the thrash the tourist had thrown the night before. However if you went to the more remote parts of beach, you find plastic packets and broken bottles.
My son however would insist of collecting few of them every time, in his pocket to throw in garbage. I did not necessary like this as I was not sure what went into these packets and if it was hygienic to pick them up in his pocket. However he is at an age were I cannot command him to do anything and honestly I was a bit proud of him.
On the morning of 12th October, I found an interesting new news item popping up on my phone which talked about the PM Modi was "Plogging" on Chennai beach. I had never heard of this word and went searching for it. More impressive was the video that was posted on Twitter.
I was very happy to see this act. In a country where there is so many issues especially around dignity of labour, here was the leader of the country setting an example for the citizens. He was not afraid of bending down and picking up thrash left behind the other. He was setting an example for the rest of the country to do our bit in keeping the nature and our surroundings clean.
Also these made me think of the attitude and education in our country where as citizens, we are extremely callous about our attitude especially of littering public spaces while we strive to keep our homes clean. I have seen shopkeepers sweep the thrash from inside their shop to right outside their shop and I have wondered if this was a form of advertisement to customers. I have seen highly educated home owners throw rubbish in the backyard or an empty plot even though they have thrash collection every day. On the other in Japan I have seen the shopkeepers sweep the public street infront of them and house owners beautifying their surrounding. What can we do and to educate our citizen ? Does the government need to introduce a 'fine' like in Singapore and how do we implement it at such large scale ? Can we ask our religious leaders to instill it in their followers ?
The second was about picking up someone else thrash. Forget picking, we do not want to even acknowledge the thrash (both literary and figuratively) we have created. How many times have each of us littered in the sly when we thought no one was watching ? Let us start by acknowledging our own litter and and picking up our thrash. This is not jus
Here is a leader who is ready to pick up someone else thrash. This is a great lesson for leadership. Once you are in charge, you have to pick up all the thrash unmindful as to who has created it. Sometimes this creates an opportunity for you to teach others by taking the example and sometimes it also teaches others the lesson on humility.
While all these positive thoughts were going in my mind, I soon found an ugly side to this. The "Netizens" were thrashing this action and "calling it staged", "Come to XX beach and clean it up", "Go to Varanasi to clean up the ghat", "PM should not do this but make policies", "PM is only fit for this", "Why is he using a plastic bag" etc. Reading these negative comments soon turned by mood into dark. I was amazed that even when someone is setting a good example, you decry the good deed by making up imaginative intention and finding silly excuse. The point is that in this polarizing environment, we criticize even if a person is doing good. We will see everything with a negative tint as our lens has a biased tint.
After watch it multiple times, I personally do not believe this was staged as I have seen beach conditions in India and not surprised. He started picking up litter first and only got a bag later. If it was staged, he would have a bag right from the beginning. The plastic bags were easily got from the speakers/lights coverings.
Finally for those who will continue to suspect the staging. I would ask them to look at the intention and the message. Is this not the right message you want to give. Are all public utility messages actually happen in actual site or staged to send to give a strong message. As citizen is this the video you want to show to your kid ? Is this the video we can showcase to other citizens of the world ? We applaud the Japanese when they clean up a stadium after a soccer match but we do not even want to teach this same habit in our country. Who better than the PM himself to be a catalyst in behavior change. I also think you cannot become a responsible "netizens' if you are not a responsible "Citizen" first.
My final learning from this incident was that one will get criticism no matter what one do. Each of us will need to develop a thick-skin to criticism and yet continue to be act and be sensitive to good.
As Sadhguru puts it "If others can decide what you feel, is this not the ultimate slavery". See the complete video below and if you are you in a hrurry listen from 5:55 to 7:10
My son however would insist of collecting few of them every time, in his pocket to throw in garbage. I did not necessary like this as I was not sure what went into these packets and if it was hygienic to pick them up in his pocket. However he is at an age were I cannot command him to do anything and honestly I was a bit proud of him.
On the morning of 12th October, I found an interesting new news item popping up on my phone which talked about the PM Modi was "Plogging" on Chennai beach. I had never heard of this word and went searching for it. More impressive was the video that was posted on Twitter.
Plogging at a beach in Mamallapuram this morning. It lasted for over 30 minutes.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 12, 2019
Also handed over my ‘collection’ to Jeyaraj, who is a part of the hotel staff.
Let us ensure our public places are clean and tidy!
Let us also ensure we remain fit and healthy. pic.twitter.com/qBHLTxtM9y
I was very happy to see this act. In a country where there is so many issues especially around dignity of labour, here was the leader of the country setting an example for the citizens. He was not afraid of bending down and picking up thrash left behind the other. He was setting an example for the rest of the country to do our bit in keeping the nature and our surroundings clean.
Also these made me think of the attitude and education in our country where as citizens, we are extremely callous about our attitude especially of littering public spaces while we strive to keep our homes clean. I have seen shopkeepers sweep the thrash from inside their shop to right outside their shop and I have wondered if this was a form of advertisement to customers. I have seen highly educated home owners throw rubbish in the backyard or an empty plot even though they have thrash collection every day. On the other in Japan I have seen the shopkeepers sweep the public street infront of them and house owners beautifying their surrounding. What can we do and to educate our citizen ? Does the government need to introduce a 'fine' like in Singapore and how do we implement it at such large scale ? Can we ask our religious leaders to instill it in their followers ?
The second was about picking up someone else thrash. Forget picking, we do not want to even acknowledge the thrash (both literary and figuratively) we have created. How many times have each of us littered in the sly when we thought no one was watching ? Let us start by acknowledging our own litter and and picking up our thrash. This is not jus
Here is a leader who is ready to pick up someone else thrash. This is a great lesson for leadership. Once you are in charge, you have to pick up all the thrash unmindful as to who has created it. Sometimes this creates an opportunity for you to teach others by taking the example and sometimes it also teaches others the lesson on humility.
While all these positive thoughts were going in my mind, I soon found an ugly side to this. The "Netizens" were thrashing this action and "calling it staged", "Come to XX beach and clean it up", "Go to Varanasi to clean up the ghat", "PM should not do this but make policies", "PM is only fit for this", "Why is he using a plastic bag" etc. Reading these negative comments soon turned by mood into dark. I was amazed that even when someone is setting a good example, you decry the good deed by making up imaginative intention and finding silly excuse. The point is that in this polarizing environment, we criticize even if a person is doing good. We will see everything with a negative tint as our lens has a biased tint.
After watch it multiple times, I personally do not believe this was staged as I have seen beach conditions in India and not surprised. He started picking up litter first and only got a bag later. If it was staged, he would have a bag right from the beginning. The plastic bags were easily got from the speakers/lights coverings.
Finally for those who will continue to suspect the staging. I would ask them to look at the intention and the message. Is this not the right message you want to give. Are all public utility messages actually happen in actual site or staged to send to give a strong message. As citizen is this the video you want to show to your kid ? Is this the video we can showcase to other citizens of the world ? We applaud the Japanese when they clean up a stadium after a soccer match but we do not even want to teach this same habit in our country. Who better than the PM himself to be a catalyst in behavior change. I also think you cannot become a responsible "netizens' if you are not a responsible "Citizen" first.
My final learning from this incident was that one will get criticism no matter what one do. Each of us will need to develop a thick-skin to criticism and yet continue to be act and be sensitive to good.
As Sadhguru puts it "If others can decide what you feel, is this not the ultimate slavery". See the complete video below and if you are you in a hrurry listen from 5:55 to 7:10
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