By Volunteer Ankit Swami (FHI Lucknow) & Aftab Alam (FHI Kolkata)
The world, as we see it today, is a strange place. So many things are happening around us, and it’s hard to figure what’s right and what’s wrong. There are no distinct blacks and whites, it’s all grey. Amidst the greys, we gotta find our own unique shade which aptly defines who we are and fulfils our purpose in life.
In our walk of life, we come across several people. Some good, some bad, but all of them with something important to teach us. By observing and analysing our surroundings, there’s so much we can learn daily. By utilising our resources to the optimal level and garnering as many skills as we can, necessary to sustain life and make a living, we will come off as better assets to the society and better human beings in general.
I’m fortunate that I get to travel around and hence meet a lot of different people. It surprises me, pleasantly ofcourse, to perceive that the most common thing that connects my fellow travellers is them taking joy in what they do and being satisfied with life.
Once I met two brothers from France. I got to know that they started their journey from Vietnam on their bicycles and were traveling back to their homeland, cycling. For a moment, I was taken aback. But after having a nice conversation, I understood their outlook on life. They were happy doing what they were doing. The discomfort hardly bothered them.
That conversation might not have lasted long but the lesson I learnt will stay with me for life. Happiness doesn’t lie in materialistic belongings, infact it lies nowhere outside us. A big house, the latest car or any such luxury will mean nothing if we don’t feel happy from within. Hence, our ultimate goal should always be to answer that little voice inside us and let it guide us to the path where our heart really belongs… it can be music, dance, sports, literature, anything. The key is to find our soul satiating source and pursue it endlessly.
Being a part of FHI, I wish to use the opportunity I get to interact with the kids to help them navigate their mind and discover what their true interests lie in. I wish to help them know what they want to do in their lives – is it academics that they wish to continue or is there anything else that makes their soul feel alive? I eagerly look forward to organising more events and while interacting with the kids, trying to know their aspirations and guiding them in whichever way possible. In 2020, I wish to do more and better with FHI.
Long live FHI. Love to every individual associated with it.
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