Reach out to others to succeed

A combination of entertainment and information, the TV quiz show, ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ became a huge hit. However what appealed to the contestants were the three lifelines that they could fall back on. By eliciting help from the audience, the computer and from a friend, they were enabled to avoid elimination and climb higher. Sadly those who did not lost their chance of survival.

Give it a thought and you will see that lifelines are just as important in the game of Life that every one has to play. It is only by reaching out to others that we can find fulfillment in life. We spoil our chances of success by keeping to ourselves.

 Do we not enter the world alone and also die alone, ask some. The truth though is that we are dependent on others from the first breath that we take. As Maya Angelou says, ‘Nobody, but nobody can make it here alone’. 

No newborn can survive without the care of its mother. This is specially so in the case of the human. The complex brain that we have takes a lot of time to develop. We have to be nurtured, trained and guided with love. Reaching adulthood does not obviate the necessity for the help. The mature person perceives now the need to serve others. But the challenges he faces cannot be met without the assistance of others. Nearly everything in life is possible because of someone else. From the food we eat to the tools and skills we use, we owe something to others. Happy occasions are not complete without inviting others to join us. When sorrow strikes, we need a shoulder to lean on, express our grief and wash it away.

Neither the self nor the other is more important. A farmer had the habit of sharing his best seed with all the farmers. When asked why, he replied, “It is really a matter of self-interest. The wind picks up the pollen and carries it from field to field. If my neighbour grows inferior crops, cross-pollination will affect the quality of my crops. That is why they must plant the very best.” As a Hindu proverb goes, “Help thy brother’s boat across and, lo, your own has reached the shore.”