Greater Good

In my last posting I spoke about appreciating oneself i.e. we as individuals need to like ourselves, feel comfortable in the environment or surroundings.

We, individuals also function as a part of the larger group at some point of life by way of being a part of the community, a social group or a professional group.

As soon as an individual subscribes to a group, the individual needs to convert his/her mindset from the ‘I’ factor to the ‘We’ factor.

But the ‘I’ factor continues to remain dominant because we continue to remain busy appreciating ourselves.

Taking a simple example to explain the ‘I’ factor– It can be noticed that in a group if we don’t respect the other’s right to voice his/her opinion then there is bound to be chaos. At various points we all feel that their own opinion is more important than the others.


Similarly while working in a group it is important that we understand the importance of ‘Greater Good’ – giving preference to the group’s interests before our own even if our interests suffers a temporary setback. However, in today’s world we are busy promoting our own good. We want to be better than others at all costs.

Like we need to appreciate oneself for our betterment, a simple act of appreciating others can do wonders.

I remember one of my favorite quotes here ‘We can stand tall without standing on someone else.’

Appreciate Yourself

For a long time I wanted to go on a vacation all by myself or with some friends. I just wanted to have some time to myself. I was looking forward to the annual picnic to Matheran (a nearby hill station) in the second week of July.

Yesterday on a spur of the moment we decided to have a complete day roaming around in Mumbai. We visited the Gateway of India, went for a movie and a quiet dinner. The Rain Gods were also happy yesterday. We walked around the Gateway of India and the Colaba Causeway admiring the roadside shops. We were soaked to the bone and cold yet it was the most wonderful experience.

While this morning I was just standing by the window, watching the sparrows playing and chirping around.

Yesterday I was surrounded with people, hundreds of them. While this morning I was alone admiring the nature outside my window. So being in midst of the crowd or alone I was able to find that time I wanted to myself. I guess because I was at peace with myself and appreciating myself. Hence I could appreciate the things around me.

Life has its own way of teaching us of how to appreciate life and the things we have been granted. One may not need elaborate endeavours but can be enjoyed in small measures.

Ultimately if you value yourself and you will be able to value others too, people or things.