The Outstretched hands

The outstretched hands “To find yourself,lose yourself in the service of others” Those simple words from Gandhiji should perhaps be the guiding force, to all those who want to devote their lives, to instill hope in others Good evening everybody Let me tell you an incident that happened about a year back that really triggered this thought for todays speech One evening I was tearing rushing to reach home to catch up on a very important hockey match on TV.I was reversing my car in a parking lot in a shopping mall.Just then I heard a small little tap on the rear window of my car.I looked at up at the rear view mirror I saw an old man. I said..oh god this has to happen today.I am not very confident of my reverse driving skills and I thought I must have hit either a person or an object with the car. I came out of the car and I walked upto this person.and I asked him “what happened” This man was sick ,old frail man.I asked him “Do you need any help” His outstretched hands reached out to me and said ”Dont you think everybody needs help” I picked up a 10 rupee note and gave it to him and I just walked away I pondered over what he had said” Don’t you think everybody needs help” How many times have outstretched hands reached out to me near traffic lights and trains and asked me for help and I have shooed them away.Thinking all these beggars are part of this big huge begging scam.Whenever a certificate has been thrust on me saying they are dumb and mute or their child has a medical condition.I just ignore them I think to enjoy this whole joy of giving there has to be compassion that has to come from inside. Whenever I think of compassion I remember this story from Bangalore. There was this young chef working in Taj bangalore.he was a wonderful chef.he used to cook the most exquisite dishes for the richest people in bangalore and those clients came to Taj for that dining experience and not to relish the food.He was really flying high.He had landed up wonderful job in switzerland.And he was just a week away from flying to Switzerland.One day he was just driving around in his car in his town in Madurai.While he was driving,He saw a old mental destitute lying on the road.He stopped his car and looked the person.That person was feeding himself with human waste. Something triggered in him and he just abandoned his swiss dreams and dreams of becoming a master chef.From That day onwards he started feeding these mental destitutes.He woke up at four am in the morning prepared Breakfast,Lunch and dinner.He went around feeding these mental destitutes.And Discovered the of joy of giving food to these people.And started cutting their hair cleaning them,saving female mental destitutes from sexual exploitation. Narayanan Krishnan found meaning in his life by forming the Akshay trust.To really fill your heart you don’t have to empty your wallet.It could be very simple gesture. And I found that a year back.one of my cousins Ajay is one of the most talented photographer and Painter and he is one one of the most happy go lucky persons in the world. Two Thirounams back he met with tragic accident.he lost one of his legs.And For him The biggest pain was not the pain of losing his limb but the pain of seeing his father and mothers on a daily basis faces crying for him.And he thought he had to change the way the world looked at him and to bring joy in other peoples lives. He picked up his camera again and started shooting the most candid smiles across the streets and wherever he went and posted on Intagram and he became an Instagram celebrity with his smiling faces he painted and shot with his camera.He brought smiles to many people. You don’t have to empty the wallet to bring joy into other peoples lives.Such simple gestures are enough. Rumi the mystic poet while walking past a beggar asked God “ Why God do you not do something for these people.. The God said” I did do something,I made you” Yes my dear friends..Most of us are so busy in our lives.are so busy in our careers .Take care of our kids,wife and our lives.That we cant think and ponder about the less privileged and do something for them. But as a toastmaster Perhaps we can find a person who really needs a voice,a platform to express himself.Perhaps we can find deeper meaning of our lives by giving that voice to others Let us all find ourselves by giving meaning to others