CELEBRATING WHOLENESS AND FLOW….

CELEBRATING WHOLENESS AND FLOW….

I spent an hour sitting with my aged parents in their front porch at “Suraj’ this morning. My 95 year-old father had just finished his morning stretching routine and my 85 year-old mother was sipping her coffee when I walked in.

There was a lovely sense of quiet. It was relatively early and the day was just starting. Soon, the lady in the picture walked in muttering to herself but smiling all the time. Upon enquiry from my mother I learnt that her role is to clean the front porch. I also learnt that she is slightly mentally challenged and that she had been working at ‘Suraj’ for over 15 years. My mother went on to describe her life in little more detail.

About 20 minutes later trooped in another lady. She too gently nodded and went about her routine. Her role was to clean certain sections of the home. I learnt that her daughter was recently hospitalized and that my mother had given her some financial assistance. A little while later, an aged gardener trooped in as well, exchanged pleasantries and went about his business.

As I watched this parade, I was struck how wonderfully integrated they all were into the social fabric of ‘Suraj.’ In a world dominated by shallow relationships, here was something that was deeper. They were not just ‘workers’ but very much part of the identity of the home.  They were seen not just as maids, cooks and drivers, but as whole individuals whose life stories were known to the management and even shared with others. The inclusiveness was organic and beautiful to behold. I don’t wish to present this entire relationship in rose tinted lenses. No doubt there is much that can be improved in the treatment of domestic help, but for this note, I am just highlighting one wonderful aspect.

As a coach and trainer of Emotional Intelligence, my focus is to get leaders and teams to understand, appreciate and practice the principles of self-awareness, authenticity, empathy and teamwork. I found myself asking why such external training was even required? Maybe, it is simply because of the transactional nature of most relationships in the work-space. I am surprised by how little leaders know their colleagues. How do you motivate or better still remove barriers that de-motivate when you don’t fully get the person?

But for now, those questions can wait….Let me return to the porch tomorrow and mindfully observe another morning unfold!