Selective Proactiveness
Proactiveness is a word that has become so popular in all organizations especially when it comes in the context of delivering results and career growth. We all want to be proactive about our careers, even before we leave a job we get ourselves good jobs elsewhere. Even before we complete our degrees we are already booked for a seat in a US university.
On Wednesday last week, I was riding down the Kotturpuram road at about 12:30 am after meeting some of my collge friends. There was a guy who wanted a lift I offered inspite of remember the warning my PM used to give saying never offer lifts after 10:00 pm.
The guy behind me was from some village near Salem. He was a poor guy but was so sincere. He had come to the High court in Chennai lost all his money there. He said that he did not have a penny on him and that he had to go to Salem. He was saying that people had told him that Chennai was a dangerous place and that he should try sleeping on the platforms here, so he wanted to go to Tambaram and sleep there. I dropped him near Ashok pillar to board some bus going out of chennai.
I was expecting him to ask some money from me, but I guess he was too dignified to ask for money, I waited for a moment when he did not make a case, I just kept moving. But then on my way conscience started to gnaw at me, was I being proactive, hell no. I was just being reactive, I wanted him to ask so that I would give. I did not try to be proactive and ask probe into his problems and help him there.
When we get a project in our company we ask a hundred questions, we become proactive rather than being reactive, but when it comes to charity and helping other we tend to be reactive rather than proactive. I cursed myslef for my selective proactiveness.
I couldn't accept my duplicity, I just couldn't drive on. Half way through I turned back to help out that guy. He wasn't where I had dropped him, I drove on and found him walking. I stopped him and he was shocked. I why he was walking he said he had no money, I gave him money to cover his immediate expenses. Before accepting it he told me that he had no idea how he would return it to me. I told him that I wasn't giving it to him, I was giving it to God.
He asked me why I was doing so much and I told him that in the Bible Christ wanted his followers to go two miles when asked to go one. Then he told me that he too believed in the Bible. He was telling me how people who were supposed to be followers of God were concieted and mean minded. I told him that he had to look at the Bible and God alone, not people. He concured, he had a New Testment with him. He appeared to be a fresh beliver who was being guided by some catholics.
After a little bit of chit chat about God, I said good bye and left happy that that Holy Ghost helped me make the right decision. It was the Holy Ghost who impelled me to turn my bike when I was dead tired and wanted to go home and sleep. May all glory be to God.
On Wednesday last week, I was riding down the Kotturpuram road at about 12:30 am after meeting some of my collge friends. There was a guy who wanted a lift I offered inspite of remember the warning my PM used to give saying never offer lifts after 10:00 pm.
The guy behind me was from some village near Salem. He was a poor guy but was so sincere. He had come to the High court in Chennai lost all his money there. He said that he did not have a penny on him and that he had to go to Salem. He was saying that people had told him that Chennai was a dangerous place and that he should try sleeping on the platforms here, so he wanted to go to Tambaram and sleep there. I dropped him near Ashok pillar to board some bus going out of chennai.
I was expecting him to ask some money from me, but I guess he was too dignified to ask for money, I waited for a moment when he did not make a case, I just kept moving. But then on my way conscience started to gnaw at me, was I being proactive, hell no. I was just being reactive, I wanted him to ask so that I would give. I did not try to be proactive and ask probe into his problems and help him there.
When we get a project in our company we ask a hundred questions, we become proactive rather than being reactive, but when it comes to charity and helping other we tend to be reactive rather than proactive. I cursed myslef for my selective proactiveness.
I couldn't accept my duplicity, I just couldn't drive on. Half way through I turned back to help out that guy. He wasn't where I had dropped him, I drove on and found him walking. I stopped him and he was shocked. I why he was walking he said he had no money, I gave him money to cover his immediate expenses. Before accepting it he told me that he had no idea how he would return it to me. I told him that I wasn't giving it to him, I was giving it to God.
He asked me why I was doing so much and I told him that in the Bible Christ wanted his followers to go two miles when asked to go one. Then he told me that he too believed in the Bible. He was telling me how people who were supposed to be followers of God were concieted and mean minded. I told him that he had to look at the Bible and God alone, not people. He concured, he had a New Testment with him. He appeared to be a fresh beliver who was being guided by some catholics.
After a little bit of chit chat about God, I said good bye and left happy that that Holy Ghost helped me make the right decision. It was the Holy Ghost who impelled me to turn my bike when I was dead tired and wanted to go home and sleep. May all glory be to God.