Spending a week in
Pokhara, a form of tropical paradise set at the base of the Annapurna Himalayan
range, i've had nothing to do but reflect on our past four months in Nepal.
There have been no priorities to my daily actions and it has brought about a freedom
that i thought had been lost. I see this moment as a childhood memory - playing
without a care in the world, away from pressure to conform and influences that
can be destructive to your sense of imagination. It has been this sense of
freedom, or escape if you will, that has allowed me to see clearly into my
experience in Nepal and bring to the table my most important lesson thus far:
Learning to Understand.
Take time to
understand the world and the world will show you how beautifully diverse it
really is. We have to stop living through the paradigm of our own cultures and
embrace diversity with an open mind. In order to fully experience another
culture, you have to become one with it and in order to do this, you have to
take the time to develop a relationship that matters most - friendship.
I came here with a
plan - a plan to build an orphanage. I'm leaving here with a plan - a plan to
build an orphanage. I came here thinking that in four months i could crack a
whip and manage a project schedule that would allow us to complete the project.
I failed. Why? Because I didn’t understand. I tried too hard to say, "well
this is how we do it in my country." i tried to push standards that are
not custom to Nepal and are the results of a much faster paced society in which
i was born in to. A society that focuses its priority on seeing people as
commodity; the question is always, what can I do for you, and what can you do
for me?
After a few months of
painfully slow work, i began to realize that what is most important here is the
relationship with those that you work with, not meagerly what they can offer
you. Fast pace and rapid acceleration can not be found here but what you can
find are beautiful working relationships. There’s more laughter than anger,
more spirit than grogginess and most importantly - enduring friendship. People
don't put priority on their end goal, they put priority on the process by which
you get there and the relationships that you develop on the way. None of this
can happen if there's a whip at your ass and you can't have time for yourself,
let alone others. In my year in NYC i saw a group of 50 individuals 5 days a
week for 8-10 hours a day and i barely scratched the surface with just a few of
them, trying to get to know them, and not solely the work. However, in my work
here, i've met people that within two days i've developed the same social
relationship that it took me a year to develop in NYC. It goes to show that
when priority is placed on PEOPLE and not production, we all benefit from
friendships that may last a lifetime and a happiness in the workplace that is irreplaceable.
When you take the time to understand others, you walk away from experiences
with friendship, which can be much richer than any physical object that your
trying to obtain - or in my case build.
Sometimes we get so
caught up with our jobs that we fail to make the connection that our job
occupies a majority of our time in life. We focus all of our energy monday
through friday on completing tasks and racing against the clock to meet
deadlines. We get so stuck in this process of day in and day out - just another
day we may say. But do you really want to live your life like this? Do you
really want to spend 40 hours a week dreaming about the 20 hours to come this
weekend with your friends?
Not everyone loves
their job, but what you can love is those that you work with. Before asking for
a favor from a co-worker, see how their doing first. Ask about how they're
feeling and take the time to actually know them outside of a strict working
relationship. When you focus energy on making friends, and not coworkers, your
working relationship becomes much smoother and much more fulfilling.
I always say
that there’s a bit of good in everyone, that there’s something to learn from
the uniqueness of every person that you meet. What i've learned from the
Nepalese people is one of the most powerful lessons i've had to date: when you
put priority in understanding others, you start to see the world with new eyes
- eyes that allow you to see the beauty in everyone’s heart.
I came to Nepal to
build an orphanage. I failed. However, what i did accomplish was an
understanding amongst people that we are indeed people, not commodities. We're
not just labor, we're flesh and blood, mind and spirit, heart and
happiness.
It may sound cliche,
but i can honestly say that there is a large piece of my newly found heart that
will linger in this beautiful place. Which is why next year, i'll return to
reclaim that piece of my heart, and finish this orphanage with a newly found
passion for understanding.
Cheers to
understanding, cheers to friendship and most importantly, cheers to the
Nepalese for teaching me the most valuable things in life.
