Top 5 Lessons Learned in India
I’ve been back in the states for 10 days, and have, of course, been having tons of conversation with friends and loved ones (and anyone who will listen) about my adventures. I am sometimes surprised to hear what comes out of my mouth when I try and put into words the experiences, lessons and opportunities I experienced while in India. I want to grasp them while they are here, as much of what I say seems fleeting and I am afraid I will loose it. India is already feeling like a distant dream. So here it is, the top 5 things I learned in India:
5. The human spirit is incredibly resilient. With all of the discomfort, pain, lack and poverty that I saw in India, the people remained joyous, loving, open and grateful. I would have thought that the surrounding misery would diminish the human experience, but I was wrong. I am far more adaptable than even I knew. In an environment where NOTHING was familiar I was able to adapt and adjust in ways that surprised even me. This became most clear when I saw the shock on the faces of friends and family as I describe the different situations I experienced. I adapted to changes in language, food, temperature, toilet usage, hand holding, traffic, anger, cows, beggers, bugs, smells, textures, sound, touch, travel partner and physical discomfort. I have said that 3 weeks was about all I could take, but the truth is, I can take whatever is given me. I’ll adapt.
4. We all long for connection. In India, people seem to automatically come in sets of two. Everyone seemed to have a best friend that they held hands with, walked arm in arm with, and were in some sort of physical contact with. I don’t think we were designed to walk through life alone. I think it is a deep human desire to have partnership, relationship, connection and contact.
3. Change is difficult. Regardless of which set of social norms and mores we live under, they are ingrained in such a way that we become comfortable with things just the way they are. It was uncomfortable when nothing was familiar and I was expected to do or experience things differently than my usual way. I think of times in my life when things did not go as expected, when others had their own idea about how things should go, or things turned out differently than I had planned. I think of times of loss or grief and how I can confuse that with change. Sometimes I think I would do anything to make it go back to my way. But, in reference to number 5 my resilience allowed me to adapt to all sorts of unexpected situations, and some of it was very difficult.
2. I have the responsibility of both gratitude and action. I have been of the belief that we create our own reality, everything is a choice, and I am responsible for much of my life situation. I continue to believe this is true, within reason. While it is possible that I have chosen where to be born and who my parents are, that is a philosophical discussion for a later time. I am talking about the day to day choices I make that create and mold my reality. Where I spend my time, how I choose my friends and work, where I live and what is important to me are all things within my control. I have now experienced a world where this is not the case. With the cast system strongly in place, and the prevalence of poverty, the people in India live in the station to which they were born, and this is not a changeable factor for the vast majority. They do not have the same freedoms or opportunities that I have. Many do not have the opportunity for higher education or choices in their work or even the ability to marry for love. There is a system and social order that I cannot fully comprehend, but I do know that it is very different from what I know. It is my obligation and responsibility to appreciate and enjoy the freedoms and opportunities and abundance of my life. I have no time for whining. I want to reach out and help those who do not have the same opportunities-here in Ashland OR in India-wherever I see a need. I know I have been gifted with the ability to advocate for those who have less of a voice, less of an opportunity and less of an option. I cannot “waste” all that I have been gifted with, and I feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to use these gifts wisely and freely. I now know it is why I chose to be born at this time, in this country, with these opportunities – and that is to appreciate and share them.
1. There is a piece of my being that remains unscathed. For years I have believed that there is a core in each of us that goes untouched and undamaged in even the most difficult of circumstances. It is the core that connects us to Source, to God, to Universe, to the One. In the hardest moments, facing the largest challenges, when I was in the greatest fear or discomfort, I found that I could always reconnect and feel the beauty, safety and perfection in each moment. Because I was pushed harder than I am accustomed, because I was out of my element or comfort zone, the return to source felt far more profound and real than it had in the past. I have now experienced that source as real and tangible and solid. I now know that I cannot be far away from source, for I am that source.
5. The human spirit is incredibly resilient. With all of the discomfort, pain, lack and poverty that I saw in India, the people remained joyous, loving, open and grateful. I would have thought that the surrounding misery would diminish the human experience, but I was wrong. I am far more adaptable than even I knew. In an environment where NOTHING was familiar I was able to adapt and adjust in ways that surprised even me. This became most clear when I saw the shock on the faces of friends and family as I describe the different situations I experienced. I adapted to changes in language, food, temperature, toilet usage, hand holding, traffic, anger, cows, beggers, bugs, smells, textures, sound, touch, travel partner and physical discomfort. I have said that 3 weeks was about all I could take, but the truth is, I can take whatever is given me. I’ll adapt.
4. We all long for connection. In India, people seem to automatically come in sets of two. Everyone seemed to have a best friend that they held hands with, walked arm in arm with, and were in some sort of physical contact with. I don’t think we were designed to walk through life alone. I think it is a deep human desire to have partnership, relationship, connection and contact.
3. Change is difficult. Regardless of which set of social norms and mores we live under, they are ingrained in such a way that we become comfortable with things just the way they are. It was uncomfortable when nothing was familiar and I was expected to do or experience things differently than my usual way. I think of times in my life when things did not go as expected, when others had their own idea about how things should go, or things turned out differently than I had planned. I think of times of loss or grief and how I can confuse that with change. Sometimes I think I would do anything to make it go back to my way. But, in reference to number 5 my resilience allowed me to adapt to all sorts of unexpected situations, and some of it was very difficult.
2. I have the responsibility of both gratitude and action. I have been of the belief that we create our own reality, everything is a choice, and I am responsible for much of my life situation. I continue to believe this is true, within reason. While it is possible that I have chosen where to be born and who my parents are, that is a philosophical discussion for a later time. I am talking about the day to day choices I make that create and mold my reality. Where I spend my time, how I choose my friends and work, where I live and what is important to me are all things within my control. I have now experienced a world where this is not the case. With the cast system strongly in place, and the prevalence of poverty, the people in India live in the station to which they were born, and this is not a changeable factor for the vast majority. They do not have the same freedoms or opportunities that I have. Many do not have the opportunity for higher education or choices in their work or even the ability to marry for love. There is a system and social order that I cannot fully comprehend, but I do know that it is very different from what I know. It is my obligation and responsibility to appreciate and enjoy the freedoms and opportunities and abundance of my life. I have no time for whining. I want to reach out and help those who do not have the same opportunities-here in Ashland OR in India-wherever I see a need. I know I have been gifted with the ability to advocate for those who have less of a voice, less of an opportunity and less of an option. I cannot “waste” all that I have been gifted with, and I feel a sense of responsibility and obligation to use these gifts wisely and freely. I now know it is why I chose to be born at this time, in this country, with these opportunities – and that is to appreciate and share them.
1. There is a piece of my being that remains unscathed. For years I have believed that there is a core in each of us that goes untouched and undamaged in even the most difficult of circumstances. It is the core that connects us to Source, to God, to Universe, to the One. In the hardest moments, facing the largest challenges, when I was in the greatest fear or discomfort, I found that I could always reconnect and feel the beauty, safety and perfection in each moment. Because I was pushed harder than I am accustomed, because I was out of my element or comfort zone, the return to source felt far more profound and real than it had in the past. I have now experienced that source as real and tangible and solid. I now know that I cannot be far away from source, for I am that source.
posted by Kim at Sunday, October 29, 2006
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