I wanted to share some final thoughts on India…
During our trip, we stayed at very nice hotels. Hotels that once you entered the gates the world behind you slipped away. The world behind you which was chaos: cars, buses, bicycles, motorcycles and little took-tooks moving all over the road, cows, goats, and dogs roaming the streets, litter everywhere, abandoned buildings, more people living on the street or in makeshift homes then you see in the states.
It made me feel sad every night when we returned to our hotel. The colleagues I met throughout the journey agree the degree of poverty to middle class is so far reaching but just accept it is the way the world works there.
It made me angry there was nothing I could. I could not load the street dogs into the car to bring home, I could not feed the homeless. I had to watch was happening around me and stay in my bubble, following through with my mission that we call work.
It made me overly grateful, so much so that I feel bad my life is so good. How did I get the lot in life that includes frivolous shopping, dining out because I just don’t feel like cooking, vacationing throughout the year? The list goes on…
It made me feel annoyed that I can get caught up in the materialism of my world or the entitled behaviors we all have at times, while so many people are struggling just to survive.
I am not sure how I got so lucky, so blessed, but I do know I don’t want to forget what I saw in all my travels. I want to be aware of my actions each day and I want to be a person who gives more than I am getting knowing it will never be enough.
The Thanksgiving season is upon us and I want to encourage everyone to be thankful for everything around you, live with joy, compassion, smile, say hello, hold the door for someone, pick up the trash you see, don’t be judgey, pick a charity you care about and do more than write a check, get your hands a little dirty.
Live each day gracefully blessed!
