Everlasting Ubuntu as a way of life
Hello Kind People,
The joy of spending time in the lap of nature is immense. I had the opportunity to do that in the sea-side town of Torquay, sharing some pictures for you to enjoy the view. Being the only person behind The Gentle Project, my hands are completely full with researching, writing and podcasting. I have decided that till we have some more hands on the deck, the frequency of the newsletter will be bimonthly.
Our Kind Find of The Week :
Today our find takes us to Africa. “Ubuntu”, have you heard of it ? It means "I am because we are," or "humanity towards others,". In Xhosa, it is "umntu ngumntu ngabantu", but is often used in a more philosophical sense to mean "the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity." Does this picture ring a bell?
The story goes back to an anthropologist who was studying the customs of the tribes. At the end of the study, he had got goodies for the children who were a part of the study. He placed them under a tree and asked the children to race towards the goodies. The one who reached first would win it all. He found that all the children ran with hands held together. They shared the goodies with each other. He asked one of the girls why did they do that. Her reply was “How can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”
That is Ubuntu for them. Archbishop Desmond Tutu writes :
“Africans have a thing called ubuntu. It is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go the extra mile for the sake of another. We believe that a person is a person through other persons, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with yours. When I dehumanize you, I inexorably dehumanize myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms. Therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging.”
This has been on my mind since the time I had read about the whole philosophy. Can we as adults imbibe ubuntu ever?
Food For Thought :
Remote working has been hailed as the saviour during this entire crisis. It has indeed helped offices and people continue with their jobs despite all the disruption. There are many voices that support this shift to remote working in the current scenario. There are also leaders who believe that we are not ready for a shift into permanent remote work. My personal view is that one needs flexible working which is combination of remote and office. By design, we humans have a strong need to belong. Will the isolation help us be compassionate and collaborative ? What is your thought on this ?
As for me, I feel like the cow in this ad. (Don’t miss the ad, it’s classic and will put a smile on your face for sure :) )
Reflection for The Week :
First and foremost, we need to be the adults we want our children to be. We should watch our own gossiping and anger. We should model the kindness we want to see.
Brene Brown
Postcards from Torquay :
This is the view at Berry Head after a trek up the hill. I almost fainted after the long hike.
I fell in love with these flowers. These were looked like someone painted these flowers with silver paint. Nature and it’s bounties. These are a variant of Everlasting Helichrysum.
The locks were sealed with love and compassion at the Pier. Always a beautiful feeling when one walks by these locks, there are stories in each of them.
Do you have a story of kindness that you want to share? Do write to us. The 3rd episode of our podcast is also live, do tune in and listen :)
Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. I will be back with more stories and some photos to share from my travel adventure this week. Please share your thoughts with us and do visit our website. I will be back in two weeks with more stories and views.
Stay Safe, Stay Kind.