Have you found your calling?

By Agastyaa Goradia, Age 12, India — 25 July’2020

Love, humanity, kindness, empathy and compassion, yes it’s a magical tonic, it’s a therapy that does wonders!

My mother always says “You come to this world only once, and, if you live that right, once is enough”

Most people don’t wake up one morning with lights shining from the heavens, angels singing Eulala…Eulala.. , followed by God proclaiming: “Yes, this is what you were always meant to do. Now go out and do it.”

There’s the thing you do for a living, and then there’s the thing you were born to do. — Martha Beck

In this time of when we are caught up complaining about trivial things, there are people out in the world making a difference. This week I came across 3 eye-opening, soul searching and inspiring articles.

I begin with, “Tamilarasan”, a tea seller in Alanganallur, Madurai, who spends a part of his earnings to feed the poor and homeless people during these tough times. Selling tea on a bicycle in the surrounding villages of Alankanallur, and giving free tea and meals to poor and needy who flock at the roadside and near the temple got me to think, what an amazing story of compassion and empathy. People like Tamilarasan overcome so many difficulties to serve society. Why can’t we?

In the same week, another inspiring story is of Mizga Shaikh, the principal of Zeal English School, at Ambujwadi, and her husband Faiyaz, have been providing food and ration to over 1,500 people during the lockdown period. They spent their hard-earned money on charity and deferred the purchase of their dream house. Truly Selfless !!

85 years old, Kamalathal, known as Idli Amma, selling “Idli’s” for 1Re is especially spectacular. She is selling Idli for over 30 years for which she works between 4–6 hours every day manually grinding the batter and the Chutney and making them on a Woodburning stove.

She is unstoppable. The poor, needy and the students in and around the village patronise her Idli. While inflation hits large restaurants and Hotels, Idli amma refuses to increase her Idli rates. Truly Inspiring !!!!

Tamilarasan, Mizqa Shaikh and Idli Amma have found their calling. Rather than being confined to their comfort zone, they are contributing to society without the greed of recognition or rewards.

I suspect that none of these people originally saw their choices as their “calling.” Instead, they were leading what they perceived as a life of care and concern for all humans; a life they deemed was what all of us should lead.

Certainly, all of them are making a difference. They used whatever skills, knowledge, and persuasive abilities to persist in helping others. They chose a way of living and care that provides a thread throughout a life well-lived. My heart overflows with gratitude for these HEROS.

Yes, it takes sacrifice. Yes, it often seems you will never get there. Yes, some people will think you are crazy to follow such an untraditional or circuitous path to find a calling. But no one knows your journey, and only you can decide what you want to leave the world.

Each one of us has our calling,

Have you found your calling? What are you doing with it?