What to do?

In the current Pakistani situation most of the sensitive Pakistanis are confronted with the question, ‘What to do?’ Everything seems to go haywire. People keep hoping that the rock bottom has come and things will soon start improving. But it seems that in our case things are bottomless. There is an air of despondency and we Pakistanis are clueless on what to do?

In the recent past, there are two things that have clarified the issue for me and I am going to share the insights in this article. The first was the tremendous response given to the call of Mr. Anna Hazare by the civil society in India against corruption. And the second is my colleague Etsko Schuitema’s quote, ‘Maturity means pleasurably doing the appropriate when catastrophic failure is inevitable.’

Anna Hazare’s example has made it abundantly clear to me that one man can make the difference. We invariably fail because our efforts are conditional, we want immediate results. We want to make things rights and not to do the right thing because it is right. There is a natural lag between the results and efforts. In case of bringing change on large scale this delay can be quite long. When we keep on doing the right things, in the fullness of time things do gain momentum and change starts happening. Moreover, this lack of patience; a human fallacy, has been further aggravated by measuring and rewarding success through results only.

Etsko’s quote further clarified the issue.  As a human being all that I have is the moment that I am in. The past only exists in the grey cells of my brain and the future has not arrived yet. The real challenge is to be appropriate in the present moment. Appropriate means to rise above what is expedient and to do what is right. I am amazed when people say that what is right is relative. I have often observed that they confuse right with expedient.  There is only one right thing to do in a given situation and we are unable to see things as they are because of our baggage. Once we shed our baggage things become apparent.

Now coming back to ‘what to do?’ Find out the opportunity that is being presented to you, there are always many. It may be a small one, focus on what you should be doing rather than what others should do. Avoid confrontation at all costs. Create awareness and motivate people around you. Your sincerity and unconditionality will attract people slowly and in due course of time change will start taking place.

photo credit: lauren waye