BAS UHIN: JUST LIKE THAT Every Human Being has a Soul: Try Talking to Them
“ Half your beauty comes from the way you speak and treat people”
We remain so busy in our fast paced lives, that we rush past people around us. These may
be small or inconsequential people like a security guard, who stands guard in your building
whole day or a sanitation worker, who comes to collect your domestic garbage every day.
Generally, we are in a perpetual hurry, rushing quickly through our busy schedules, with
our minds preoccupied with the next activity at hand. Thus, we just move past these
human beings, without even acknowledging their presence. How sad is that!
For ‘you’ they may mean nothing, but, to ‘them’ you mean a lot – the ‘badaa sahib’,
who could help them, but, they hesitate to ask. Or a kind man who is approachable, but,
they cannot gather the courage to talk. If you stop for a few seconds and exchange a
few pleasantries, they smile broadly, and feel elated at their existence being
acknowledged.
Imagine, if you were standing in some office and the Prime Minister or the President of the
country stopped, smiled and asked you your name? How would you feel? Absolutely
elated and dumbfounded, right? That is, because somebody important recognised a
non entity like you.
These inconsequential people, also get overwhelmed by the very same feeling, if you stop
and smile or talk to them. Not for too long, but just a few minutes. You can literally see
their eyes brighten up, and believe you me, they ask for nothing in return.
Post retirement one of my expected and unwritten duties, is to dispose off the dry and wet
garbage from the house everyday. I am tuned to the door bell ringing around 9: 30 AM and
my wife’s stern, non nonsense looks towards me. Well, I do not disappoint, and my
involuntary motor skills instantly push me into action towards this boring chore. My wife’s
friends marvel at how she has trained me so well and crib, at their not so good luck, with
their husbands.
Every time she comes, my son amuses, “here comes Dad’s friend” and I too join the fun by
saying, I am pretty bored and looking for people to talk to.
I make it a point to consciously greet the sanitation worker and always ask her
about her well being. She happily shares that its rather hot these days, inspite of which
she has to clean the pathways outside as part of her daily chores. I offer her drinking water
which she politely refuses.One day I saw her with her small child, who turned out to be her grandson. I offered him
some sweets and her face lit up with happiness, when I asked the child, his name and
age. Nowadays, she is encouraged to every day share stories about him – “he does not
want to go to a nearby Government School, because he loves seeing children who go to a
private school in a school bus”. The bus ride is what his little heart yearns for. It sets me
thinking how simple life is and even simpler are its small joys!
The other day I asked her whether her son had made her grandson’s Birth Certificate and
sure enough, I drew a blank. The conversation generated is small and innocuous, but
the happiness generated is immense and goes on and on, nearly every day.
I could have chosen to just quickly handing over the garbage and closing the door. But,
‘Uin heen’ (Just Like That) conversations have generated much warmth in human relations
and also driven home a valuable lesson in leadership and management.
Small two minute conversations can create so much happiness, in a human being
who is so inconsequential to your ever busy and rushed schedule. More
impoprtantly, it cost me nothing – just a few kind words; as we say in Hindi “pyaar ke
do meethe shabad…jiski koi kimat nahin hai”
Every human being has a soul and yearns to be recognised. As a good personal habit
and leadership principle, I recommend that all of us follow this habit and see for ourselves
‘how easy it is to win hearts and minds’ with such small gestures.
This also indicates that you are a approachable leader; which is imperative for
successful leadership!
To top it all, it costs you nothing.
“Be the reason why people believe in beautiful souls, kind hearts and good energy.
Never stop being a good person”
Jai Hind.
Maj Gen Ranjit Singh Ghumman, SM, VSM, PhD
Motivational & Leadership Speaker | Life Coach | Nation Builder | Author | Mentor