“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.”
When someone refuses to associate with a “type” of person, simply because they are different. They are different because we don’t know anything about them. They are different because we refuse to learn about them. They are different because they look different. Doesn’t it all sound so silly? THAT to me, is a high form of ignorance.
Growing up in India, there have been a lot of things emphasized in my life, that I now find….utterly unimportant.
Unimportant thing number 1: Class system.
“You have to act like a certain class, and associate with people who are of the same level.” Of course anyone with a heart reading this knows how unreasonable that sounds. If we spend so much time judging people, how will be have time to love them? I do understand that there is a huge gap between certain people. Financial status does not define your success. I understand, in reality, you do need some kind of financial stability to help someone less fortunate. But you CAN NOT help someone until you respect them first, treat them as an equal and allow yourself to grow WITH them.
Unimportant thing number 2: “You have to be the best.”
You DON’T have to be the best. You should be great at what you do, you should be humble in what you do and the only competition that should worry you… is your former self. Be better than yesterday, but don’t compare yourself to someone else. For if a fish was to be tested on it’s abilities to climb a tree, it would spend it’s entire life believing it’s a failure. (I forget who said that quote but its a good one)
Unimportant thing number 3: “What are other’s going to think?”
One of the biggest things i’ve learnt while “travelling” (I still have a whole lot of the world to see) is that, at the end of the day, you HAVE to do things for yourself. You can kid yourself and live up to an “image” that others believe in, but it will eventually catch up to you. There is nothing better than doing something that makes YOU happy. As positive as i’d like to be about the world, there are a LOT of people who will talk about your failures constantly but never recognize your achievements. So you have to wake up one day and decide….what matters more? Listening to your heart or listening to another’s?
One of the best “Yes’s” I said, was my yes to Peru. Yes, to emerging myself into the culture. Yes, to the love I gave and got in return. Yes, to beginning friendships. Yes, to “I’ll return.” and YES I will keep my arms open for any opportunities that come my way.
AND GUESS WHAT?
I’ve got some beautiful updates from Pacifico, sent to me from Diego. YES i’ll post the pictures and YES you’ll love them. (Pictures from Youth in Action and the day care.)
-Mansi Parasher
Developing Together 