The lessons of life

I was leaving early from work the other day, but I had no time to book a cab. So I requested the transport supervisor and he said "I'll see what I can do". Getting a cab in these kind of situations is a daunting task, thanks to the so called company policies. The supervisor had a chat with the driver and there I was, with an almost victorious smile on my face, boarding the cab. I realised that I was the only employee in the cab. The driver had actually lied about the other employee (the one who had booked the cab for himself) being in the cab. It was really thoughtful of him to do so. He also told me "Main bol deta toh apko cab nahin milta tha madam" (Had I spoken the truth, you would not have got this seat madam). It also made me think how common it is to see these gestures coming from absolute strangers. Strangers who are drivers, cart pullers, shop keepers, and aayas etc..Despite being burdened with the challenges of earning their daily bread and butter, they show us how they can still give so much to others.

I learnt that giving is not about how much you possess, but about having the willingness to give.

There was another relatively young driver in the cab.(Must be just 20). The experienced driver was to get down on the way and the younger one was supposed to drop me and then pick up some other employees.The experienced driver was giving him sound advice. He said,"I trust you with these pick ups. Trust is very important, you mess up once and that's it! Noone is going to remember the hundred times you did it right, but everybody is going to remember the one time you falter. So, be very careful! Cause no matter what, you just cannot win the trust back. It is very difficult." And there I was, an assistant manager learning the lessons of life from a cab driver!

Trust is the base of every relationship. Be it your family, friends, love or even your doctor or driver for that matter. We subconsciously trust all these people, for, it is impossible to survive if we don't. In a way we do not have the choice of not trusting them. But what do we do when we are put in a spot? When we know someone trusts us with everything and that our act might hurt them. Do we have the strength of character to let go of our personal gains? Or even sacrifice if required, to keep their trust in us? We hear so many stories of people deceiving, cheating on and back stabbing others .

The recent wikileaks were a breach of trust of all Indians who thought that US was a true ally and a reliable friendly nation. The incident has definitely left more than just a scar on the relationship between the two countries. We got to trust each other as friends, colleagues, nations and just as human beings at a basic level. And more importantly we need to make sure that we do not break it.

It is always good to trust each other out of willingness than doing so because you have no choice. Let's be strong in the moment of truth and give "trust" a chance. It is going to win us hearts and friends for a lifetime.

Cheers!