DID YOU PICK A WRONG PROFESSION?

 

“Go into the world and do well.

But, more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

Minor Myers

 

Last night, my wife and I had been for a dinner at one of our friends’ place. They had invited one more family, our common friends. Both these families had two young children each, who were preparing for their Board/college exams. While leaving our friends’ place late at night, I found myself wishing each of these young kids – “Best wishes… Do well.”

And, that’s how I find myself wishing almost every young kid - hundreds and hundreds of them - who go into the world… Yes, I find myself sending them off, saying – “Do well.”

Rarely, I find myself telling them – “Do good.”

Well, you may ask me this: “When a young one does well in life, won’t he/she do good, too?”

“So and so is doing very well.” Many of us, often, use this line loosely. Yes, what we are saying here is, that so and so is doing very well in his career, profession… He is doing very well financially… In that sense, he is successful. And, I think, that assessment is a fair one… Something normal for us to do in life.

But, why is it not normal for us to assess people on the basis of ‘how good’ they do in life, rather than ‘how well’?

To me, every profession in this world throws up before us an opportunity to ‘do well’ and ‘do good’ both. The ideals with which we begin to pursue our respective professions, at times, may die, along our way… and we may find ourselves blindly pursuing name, fame and money. I believe, that those of us, who keep the ‘ideals of goodness’ alive alongside our material success,  are able to make this world a better place to live in…

This morning, I came across this endearing story of a little boy in America, who was dreaming to be a Police Officer. He was prompted to ask his mother – “Mom, will I be picking a wrong profession?” Apparently, he had been lately  reading and watching how some Police Officers behaved heartlessly. His mother’s answer was simple, yet priceless: “Son, there are good Police Officers and there are bad Police Officers… You can be a good one.”

I am sharing this innocent boy’s story, just to highlight what I want to convey through this Post: As much as we desire to ‘do well’ in life, it’s also important for us to ‘do good’ in life…

You see, our ‘doing good in life’ can make our ‘doing well in life’ look beautiful… meaningful.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic's: pixabay.:

 

Video: CBS Sunday Morning