All we have to do is, Act Now...

The lion, king of the jungle, recently captured my attention during our trip to an African safari. Though it is huge and great in action, if it is hungry, its actions are incredibly fast. They gather together, strategize, and act as soon as possible. Whether they make a big kill or a small kill, they share it with their family. If they are not hungry, they show no action, lie down, find good ground, and relax for as long as they feel like. Any humans or animals passing by do not affect them. It is said that every action has a reaction. The better the right action, the better the reaction. The lion, an animal without a human brain, knows when to take the correct action. They only harm when needed, and they are creatures that need to kill other creatures for survival. That's natural and unavoidable. However, we humans have many options for our diet, such as non-veg, veg, Asian, vegan, or Jain. The lion doesn't have the knowledge to change its way of survival, but we do, especially considering global warming and many other natural issues. We know we need to act! 

Recently, in one of the books I was reading about the giant machines made by humans, I learned that all these machines do something useful, which is why humans utilize them. Some of these machines perform tasks that require enormous power. For instance, a crane lifts huge loads, multiplying human strength many times over. Humans have created nuclear power stations that split atoms. There are also turbogenerators that produce electricity by moving a magnet near a coil of wire. While humans can generate electricity this way, when the process is scaled up with monster-sized machines, a huge and useful amount of electricity is produced. Just imagine if this was done through human mindset alone—one good imagination, acted upon creatively, can yield unimaginable results. So, why not apply one good imagination of positivity and take big action?

We spoke about animals and man-made machines, and I also heard that when a plant is fed by soil and water, and supplemented by minerals to kill insects, nearby plants can sense if these actions are damaging to them. In response, they start growing differently. They understand the reaction to the actions of other plants. I was just thinking, even plants know how to act. It's nature. We humans, with our natural ability to think and use our brains, often get lost in scientific advancements and social media without truly thinking. The time has come for us to want action with magic, but is it possible? We need to go through the process to achieve meaningful results.

To change our mindset, we must act. We live in a country where myths, misconceptions, and blindly following traditions create rigidity in our thought processes, preventing change. One of my team members moved to another country for work. After a few months, we discussed the difference in working in both countries. She promptly replied, "Here, everything is on paper, there's a lot of administrative work, and it's very systematic. You can get every detail of clients in a few seconds. It means more digitalization." I said, "You have those same opportunities here, but did you make an effort to try? Action comes with your reaction. There, it's compulsory, so you have no choice. Here, you have options. Clients don't demand it, and it's not in practice, so we don't do it."

 

This issue is not only in our field; it's present in every field where systemization is not compulsory and not in demand, leading to inaction. Whether it's in education, legal battles, social media, or any other field you mention, the lack of mandatory processes results in stagnation. I remember mentoring a school for the hearing impaired. To run the school, they applied for FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) approval to secure funds. They applied in 2007, completed all the formalities, including police inquiries and verifications, but did not receive approval for a year. Later, all procedures moved online, but we were not aware of this. After some follow-up, we found out and applied again...

After a few follow-ups, everything was processed again. In April, the school closed for vacation, and they needed funds to start again. So, I decided to visit the FCRA office in Delhi. When I met the officer, he was surrounded by piles of files. He said, "I go through the files one by one, and when your file arrives, we will do the needful." I explained that all approvals were done and requested urgent help as the education of 50 kids was at stake. He replied, "Sorry, some employees are on leave. We will find a way and do it as soon as possible." Upon my request, they processed the papers, and it got done soon. This is just one incident. Many things get postponed due to a lack of systemization.

Here, we are solely responsible. We either don't act or don't demand. As Indians, we question why we should spend money to hire more employees when things can be managed with minimal staff. We express a desire to utilize technology, yet we lack trust in its capabilities. We want to control everything and are reluctant to share power; the fear of losing control guides this mindset. We wait for procedures within the system to unfold instead of consistently taking action to expedite them. Then, we blame the systems when things don't progress. We have become so accustomed to our inconsistent system that we are often uncertain whether to act or not. Consequently, we lament our lack of progress.

My positive experiences have taught me that everything begins with a positive attitude. If we decide to act, it can happen—whether it's physical fitness, achieving any mental task you desire, building relationships with others, pursuing your dreams, changing your mindset, or making a difference in your surroundings. It all starts with you, and it's never too late. Let's all decide to take action now. Lord Krishna says everything possible if you have right direction to act and positive attitude to do save Dharma. It's a vicious cycle the way you act affects your outcomes, which in turn influence your actions.