Cosmic Gardener – Cultivating a Life

A keynoter at a conference I attended spoke of meeting Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Ramchandra (Ramu).  He had himself attended a speech by Ramu who invited him to join his table afterwards. As he recounted the experience, he said ‘Before my butt hit the seat Gandhi asked me,’ “What are you doing to make the world a better place?”

I actually don’t remember much else the keynoter said that day. While it was obvious that the encounter had been a profoundly moving experience for him I’m pretty sure it was not his role to motivate us. Regardless, the seeds of Gandhi’s words which had taken root in his psyche sprouted in my heart that day and they have become a perennial crop in my garden.

I ask Gandhi’s question a lot. When I’m making presentations. In a college text I authored. Sometimes of strangers. And of course I badger my friends. Consistently, most folks tend to immediately leap to big picture doing good. And often they are painfully embarrassed to admit they have not actually done anything “Gandhi-ish” to make the world a better place.

As it turns out the hardiest doing good seeds are often tiny little acts of thoughtfulness; random acts of selfless kindness meted out in the most everyday occurrences. My brother, who (quietly) does plenty to make the world a better place, is fond of saying, “Those who do, make a difference.”

The world in is our hands.