Kenrick Vaz

Rise

We are all wired to be empathetic, loving, compassionate and kind. However there is this strange belief in our world that in order to get ahead we need to step on the person below us and use him or her as a step toward getting where we want? We see it all the time.

But what if instead of pushing others down to get ahead, we reached down and pulled our fellow humans up? What if instead of stepping on their necks, we acknowledge we are standing on their shoulders and we, in turn, did the same for others? What if by lifting others, we are rising ourselves?

I changed jobs in the beginning of June and I was overwhelmed by the wishes and encouragement from so many friends and connections. At the same time, there were a few who were silent. And I wondered to myself why would you not be happy for someone who is moving onto a new challenge, a new opportunity.

The last few years has taught me the importance of surrounding myself with people who support my dreams, encourage and cheer for me and more importantly who believe in me. And I am grateful for these people in my life. And along with that, ensuring that I do the same for them.

Another key area is with knowledge sharing. I came across this on Quora

One of my friends told me that “I don’t want to share my knowledge with someone else, because I earned it myself, and I worked so hard for it. So, why should I share with someone else for his/her development? If I teach someone, then he/she will apply the knowledge to his/her business, and our value will decrease, or our business will lose its competitive edge.” I don’t think it works that way. My perception is if I teach someone, then I can learn it better than before. I think sharing knowledge is great. But is it profitable, too?

Again, there are a lot of benefits to sharing what you know. I love this quote that I came across

What might you do to lift another person up this week, and in doing so, rise yourself? Who can you encourage? Who can you offer a word of comfort or make a practical offer to do something?

New Beginnings

When I look back at my life so far, every ending that I have experienced led to something better. I am where I am now because of change. Something that ended in my past, allowed me to have new opportunities and challenges in my life, and the outcomes I got were always positive, whether it was a job or a relationship. And I am sure you would have similar experiences as well.

There are far far better things ahead than any we leave behind
C.S. Lewis

Endings are most of the time very difficult to accept, even if we were looking for that ending, because it is always hard to start again. Some endings are easier to digest and other endings are so painful that tears our heart apart. Those kind of endings paralyzes our world, and nothing in our lives seems to make sense. But there is always a reason why things happen in the way they happened. Every ending, no matter how hard it is, it is always a new opportunity in disguise.

By living in the present, the here and now, we would be able to see the ending as a new beginning. The past is history, the future is a mystery. We cannot change what happened, but we can change how we experience what is going on in our present moment.

Here is a lovely poem I came across by Donna

The past is the past for a reason.
That is where it is supposed to stay,
But some cannot let it go.
In their heads it eats away

Until all their focus becomes
The person they used to be,
The mistakes they made in their life.
Oh, if only they could see

That you cannot change what happened,
No matter how hard you try,
No matter how much you think about it,
No matter how much you cry.

What happens in your lifetime
Happens for reasons unknown,
So you have to let the cards unfold.
Let your story be shown.

Don’t get wrapped up in the negative.
Be happy with what you have been given.
Live for today not tomorrow.
Get up, get out, and start living,

Because the past is the past for a reason.
It’s been, and now it is gone,
So stop trying to think of ways to fix it.
It’s done, it’s unchangeable; move on.

Fr. Stan Swamy S.J.

During my 8 years with the Jesuits, I’ve attended many funerals of Jesuits, some of who I knew very well. Today was different, very different. As I sat at home attending Fr. Stan Swamy’s funeral online, I was moved deeply listening to all who spoke eloquently about Fr. Stan. I was touched by his deep faith, his simplicity, his courage to fight for the downtrodden.

There are many who have written and spoken on this gentle giant. But the following speaks volumes of Fr. Stan

In the words of Gautam Benegal, the gifted film director and son of accomplished and acclaimed film director Shyam Benegal

Stan: He wouldn’t have survived long. It was inevitable. It was murder and nothing else.
But the prolonged torture Stan Swamy faced, at his age and in his condition even in the face of all the protests, was deliberately imposed by the State, and done so defiantly, blatantly, and openly to make a point and an example. It was premiditated. And it was bloodyminded malice baring its fangs from the highest level.

But Stan Swamy’s defiance was of an epic level. He stuck to his convictions to the very last. All the might and power of the State could not break an 84 year old man with so many ailments, infected by Covid.
He won in the end. And like Graham Staine’s widow, I am sure that like the Christian he was, true to his faith, he forgave his oppressors.

They win twice over, these Christians.
Oppression is the furnace where the faith of Christians is forged to unbreakable steel. What did the State achieve by murdering Fr. Swamy? Millions more rising up even stronger in their faith.

And unbelievers like me even more resolute in standing next to them through whatever I can muster up in my own small way.

In nōmine Patris et Fīliī et Spīritūs Sānctī.
Father Stan, you are with your God and forever in our hearts.

Gautam Benegal

And here’s a lovely poem I came across on Twitter

May we be inspired to continue the fight against injustice and May the soul of Fr. Stan rest in peace 🙏

Here’s a small note I had written on Fr. Stan a few weeks ago. Link

And here’s the Funeral service for Fr. Stan Link

Chrysalis ~ Why the caterpillar must die

If you ask anyone to give you a symbol of transformation and you will most probably get a mention of the caterpillar. It is and remains a beautiful image: the insignificant and often ugly caterpillar who will wrap himself in his silk bud or cocoon and emerge like a glorious winged creature.

A chrysalis is the form a caterpillar takes before it emerges from its cocoon as a fully formed moth or butterfly. And if you were to open the chyrsalis halfway through its transformation, what would emerge isn’t a hybrid creature, half caterpillar and half butterfly, but just a puddle of liquid.

In order to be able to become a butterfly, the caterpillar has to fall apart completely, decompose down to its very essence, devoid of any shape or consciousness. It literally dies. There is nothing left of it. And from this liquid essence, the butterfly starts to put itself together, from scratch. Amazing right?

We sometimes say we want life to change, but we don’t, really.

For in order for life to change, we need to change ourselves. But to live through a metamorphosis such as we claim we crave, we have to surrender everything. It’s scary! That’s why the image of the butterfly is so pertinent as a symbol of change. It has nothing to do with a cosy nap inside a soft time capsule, followed by the fluttering of delicate wings.

The Story Of The Butterfly Struggle

There was a little boy who loved caterpillars. One day he found one, took him home and made a home for him. He watched this caterpillar everyday making sure he had plenty of food & water.

One day the caterpillar started creating a cocoon…here he would go through a metamorphosis and become a butterfly. This was so exciting, the little boy couldn’t wait to see the butterfly!

One day it happened, a small hole appeared in the cocoon and the butterfly started to struggle to come out. The little boy was so excited! But then he noticed the butterfly was struggling so hard to get out and it looked like the butterfly wasn’t going to be able to break free!

The little boy was so worried for the butterfly that he decided he had to help. He quickly got a pair of scissors and snipped the cocoon to make the hole bigger and the butterfly quickly emerged!

But the butterfly had a swollen body and small shriveled wings. The little boy sat and watched the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would dry out, get bigger and expand to support the swollen body.

But it never happened!

The butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings.

It never was able to fly…

He then learned that the butterfly was supposed to struggle. In fact, the butterfly’s struggle to push its way through the tiny opening of the cocoon pushes the fluid out of its body and into its wings. Without the struggle, the butterfly would never, ever fly. The boy’s good intentions actually hurt the butterfly.

Struggling is actually an important part of any growth experience. In fact, it is the struggle that creates YOU and gives you the ability to become the best version of YOU!

Silver Linings

It’s been a long time since we’ve been working from home. All of us have had a lot of challenges during this pandemic, struggled to adjust with this massive change. Being cooped up at home has definitely been driving most of us insane. We’ve tried to keep our spirits up and deal with this crazy situation in our own way. It’s but natural for us to be grumpy and negative.

And I was in one of those moods, scrolling through LinkedIn when this post popped up on my feed. And it touched me. Even though I may be working from home, I should be grateful that I have my job and more importantly a roof over my head.

Here are a few numbers that made me feel grateful for where I am today:

Over 10 million or 1 crore people lost their jobs because of the second wave of coronavirus alone
97% of household’s incomes have declined since the beginning of the pandemic last year
Informal workers in India suffered a 22.6% fall in wages, formal sector employees had their salaries cut by 3.6%

If you are reading this today, then join me in counting your blessings, looking for the silver linings and staying positive! :)

Here’s a lovely rendition of Count Your Blessings to kickstart your day! :)

Where are you headed?

I’ve always admired and been inspired by founders of startups who work towards bringing their ideas to life despite all the challenges that come their way. This quote reminded me of them.

Like them we all have dreams and desires. Simply intending or desiring a certain outcome is never enough. Most of us land up not moving forward purposefully on a path that would lead to our desired destination.

A simple example is running a marathon. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. However, just by continuing on my same routine, I’ll never ever get to the point of completing even a short 10km run! Desire is the starting point, but it is never enough to get us to any important destination in our life.

I love this quote from Alice in Wonderland:

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” said Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

Does this describe the direction in your life right now?

Two common mistaken notions that many of us fall prey to:

I have plenty of time and someday, when I am not as busy with other important issues, I will get serious about succession planning.
The journey required to develop and implement a thoughtful succession plan is simply too long, too hard or too complex.

The paralysis caused by these false beliefs can be overcome with these five words: Take the first step, today. That’s all that matters. Figure out a plan, start small, take that first step in the right direction.

Don’t dream of being a writer… spend 15 minutes each day writing. Don’t dream of being a great boss… buy a new book each week and mentor people. Don’t dream of running a marathon..start adding one more lap to your existing routine!

Your direction, not your intention, will determine your destination.

Wonder, Bread

Seeing beauty in things we consider beautiful is easy. Enjoying a sunset, relishing the mountain-top view, soaking in the calm ocean, finding peace in a still river, dancing in the rain…the list goes on! The problem is that there aren’t enough of these moments as we get too occupied with our jobs, daily chores. Seeking to find the beauty at every moment and every circumstance in life is one of the many keys to true happiness.

Often we fail to get amazed at the beauty of our existence, how we arrived at this moment in time. Whether it was a God (or gods) that brought us here, or an inestimable accumulation of evolutionary accidents, both are equally humbling and wondrous if we think about them. Both make ordinary situations just as beautiful as epic ones.

Came across this lovely poem by the economist Russ Roberts called “Wonder, Bread”. Below are a few lines…

If you look down upon a city with the widest bird’s eye view
You might wonder how it functions, who takes care of me and you?

Who makes sure there’s food for vegans, and for carnivores as well
It seems like there’s a wizard who has cast a magic spell

Just think of one small part—who makes sure there’s so much bread?
You want rye, she wants ciabatta, or make it sourdough instead

A baguette or a croissant, it doesn’t matter, don’t you see?
You get yours and she get hers, and I get mine, how can that be?

One’s buying a dozen bagels to grace an impromptu brunch
One’s using food stamps for a simple loaf to make her children lunch

No matter the amount we require, no matter the choices we make
An army of workers has mobilized to fashion the bread we partake

The farmer who grows the wheat, the miller that grinds the flour
The baker and all of the others who work hour after hour

They’re all on their own, each one making independent decisions
But somehow their plans fit together with the highest degree of precision

So there must be a czar of wheat and flour, of trucks and of bread and yeast
To allocate and oversee and plan at the very least

For the unexpected change, what if today’s not like yesterday
It never is, though, is it? So who keeps chaos away?

Because there’s order all around us. Things look as if they’re planned
Like the supply of bread in a city–enough to match up with demand

And though flour is used for more than just bread, we never have to fight
Over where it goes and who gets what. So why do we sleep so well at night

Knowing nobody’s in charge, it looks like all is left to chance
Yet in New York, or London as well as Paris France

No one’s worried the shelves will be empty, we take supply for granted
But it’s a marvel, it’s a miracle, the world’s somehow enchanted

You can check out the whole poem here

Less Talk, More Action

We all know that it is easier to talk about something rather than it is to actually get something done. And why is that? Probably because making a point is easier for many reasons

We can do it from the comfort of our couch
Social media has made it so easy to air our views
You don’t have to get your hands dirty

Here are some key differences between making a point and making a difference:

Making a Point can take minutes. Making a Difference can take months, if not years.
Making a Point brings you all the attention. Making a Difference demands all of your attention
Making a Point changes views sometimes. Making a Difference changes lives ALWAYS

When all is said and done, making a point doesn’t take much and doesn’t cost much. The common phrase holds true: talk is cheap. This doesn’t mean that there is no space or value in communicating what one believes. What it does mean is that simply making a point should never be the end game. Making a difference should always be it.

We need to run away from being keyboard warriors, armchair critics, and sidewalk saints who love the ideas of change but never want to act to effect the change. Next time you’re scrolling through your social media and you see something that triggers that instinct, respond with a rebuttal pause and ask yourself,

“What can I do besides just making a point that will ultimately make a difference?”

The Sinking Ship

A couple went for a cruise tour to enjoy their private honeymoon while leaving their children at home. Unfortunately, the cruise ship was sinking due to catastrophic weather condition.

The couple finally made their way to the lifeboat area but there was only space for one person left. The man jumped onto the lifeboat, leaving his wife on the sinking ship…

The wife stood on the sinking ship and shouted to her husband saying…

The teacher paused the above story and asked her students in the classroom, “Let us guess. What do you think she shouted to her husband?”

Most students answered altogether: “I hate you! I was blinded by love!”

The teacher noticed that there was a student who sat quietly and asked him. The student answered, “Teacher, I believe she would have shouted – Take care of our children!”

The teacher was shocked and asked: “Have you heard this story before?”

The student shook his head and said, “Nope, but before my mother passed away to disease, she told my father the exact same words!”

The teacher was amazed and praised: “Your answer is excellent!”

The cruise sunk and the man returned home and brought up their children single-handedly.

Many years later after the death of the man, their daughter who had been accusing her father found her father’s diary while tidying his belongings, and she found out the truth.

It turns out that when her parent went onto the cruise ship, the mother was already diagnosed with an incurable disease. During the crucial moment on the sinking ship, her father rushed to the only space left on the lifeboat.

He wrote in his diary, “I wanted to sink with you together on the sinking cruise. But for our children, I could only let you sink alone into the deep cold ocean bed.”

The daughter burst into tears after reading this diary.

The teacher finished the story and the whole class went silent.

The teacher knew that her students had understood the moral of the story that she wanted to pass on to them. In this world there are good and evil. Sometimes the situation could be very complicated and indistinguishable of good and bad.

So, we must not jump to conclusion easily and look at the surface only. We must not make hasty decision or assumption without any attempt of investigation or using our critical thinking. We must not judge others without understanding them first. We shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

Lead by Example

When I think of leading by example, the first person that comes to mind is Pope Francis. I still vividly remember the tv coverage for the first few days after his election. On the day he was elected Pope, he broke several hitherto practised protocols: he preferred his ordinary black shoes to the papal red ones; instead of taking the Pope’s limousine waiting for him, he jumped into the bus to go to his residence. After he was elected Pope he chose to live in Santa Marta, a hostel, rather than the Apostolic Palace and chose to wear a simple mitre and vestments.

The Church, its clergy and laity, have lofty ideals and opinions on poverty, simplicity and love for the less fortunate. Most of us fall into the “do as I say, but not as I do” style of living. But here was a man who walked the talk. Right from the moment when he was made Cardinal in 2001 he asked his friends and well-wishers from Buenos Aires not to come to Rome but to give that money for the welfare of the poor. As a Cardinal he left his official residence and lived in an apartment; he cooked his own dinner. He travelled by ordinary public transport rather than the official conveyance.

There is a fascinating story about Gandhi that can really teach us something about leadership. The story is about a woman whose son was addicted to sugar. No matter what she did she could not fix this addiction in her son. Doctors, friends and relatives all told the young boy to stop eating sugar because it is not good for him, but he wouldn’t listen. Finally the mother decided to take her son to see Gandhi to see if the son would listen to this well respected, wise and pious man.

The waited in line to meet Gandhi for a very long time and when they finally got to him the mother explained that her son was addicted to sugar. She told Gandhi her son would not listen to anyone telling him not to eat sugar, but surely he will listen to you. Gandhi told the woman to come back in two weeks and he would help them. The woman was confused, but did what he said.

Two weeks later the mother and son returned to Gandhi. The mother explained to Gandhi that they had been there two weeks before and that her son is still addicted to sugar. Gandhi looked at the boy and said, “Son, you should stop eating sugar”. The mother was again confused and asked Gandhi why they had to wait two weeks when that was all he was going to say. Gandhi replied, “Two weeks ago I myself was addicted to sugar. How can I tell somebody else to stop doing something, when I am doing that same thing?”

The third person that inspires me is Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart. He strove to ensure that Walmart was the low cost retailer. He understood the virtue of keeping costs down in order to achieve this. So when he went on business trips he flew economy (coach) and shared a hotel room. Even when he was a billionaire he shared a low cost ($50.00) hotel room with a colleague. Saving? $25.00! In a billion dollar empire.
What was the point?

Sam wanted to create a culture of cost awareness within Walmart that would drive growth through a low cost advantage. What better way than to lead by example!