From Super Achiever to Super Contributor

By Dr Madan Kataria

Are you unhappy? Don't worry, you're not alone. Most people belong to this ‘unhappy club’. In fact, I too was a member of the same club before starting the Laughter clubs in 1995. Years of experience and understanding of life taught me that happiness is not something you can go looking for; it does not come easy when you seek it. It is a state of mind and you need to feel good from within to be able to experience real and unconditional happiness. One way that you can achieve it very easily and effortlessly is when if you give happiness to others. The selfless joy of striving to make others happy leaves you with an abundance of happiness in your life; it provides you with a sense of contentment which is unparalleled.      

I would like to share a story which depicts the real purpose of life for everyone: 

I was honored with a Super Achievers award on January 4, 2007 by an educational institute in Pune, India, which awarded people for their outstanding contribution and innovation in different fields of science, art, culture and education.

It was a gratifying moment as I held the trophy in my hand. I felt humbled and was really moved by the response of the people. After the warm felicitation, I was expected to say a few words about my achievements. As I took to the dais, I looked at the trophy and felt a kind of spontaneous rush within and much to the amazement of the audience, I said, “I don’t think I’m a super achiever”. I knew they didn’t expect this, but the words came straight from my heart.

When I was young, I always wanted to be a super achiever and become rich and famous. I wanted to prove to the world that I was a high flier and a go-getter.  But, it was not easy. The struggle was very long and hard. It left me unhappy, stressed and depressed. As I approached my 40s, I felt that time was running out and I hadn’t really achieved much. I was getting restless and the drive to attain and accomplish became even more intense. At that point, I was only thinking of myself, the others were just secondary.

Suddenly, life took a U-turn and I came up with an ingenious idea of Laughter Clubs. People advised me to patent the idea as it could make me a millionaire, and I must admit that I was very tempted to go ahead and fulfill my life long ambition. But, within six months, I started receiving hundreds of letters and e-mails from people all over the world saying how laughter clubs changed their lives. This again managed to stir my innate desire to become rich and famous. Seeing the growing popularity of the clubs, I thought of charging a small membership fee, which would generate a substantial income. I had almost made up mind, until this incidence changed my entire perspective and gave me a new direction. The age old adage, ‘Man proposes God disposes’ made me do something which I never ever thought I could.

One day, in December 1995, 85 year old Babu Rao, came to my clinic with his son. As soon as he entered, he fell at my feet. Momentarily uncomfortable at seeing an elderly man touch my feet, I knew this was customary in India. It was just a way to show respect and gratitude. I had done it all my life with parents and elders in the family, so I accepted it and took it in my stride.

After a while, he started crying and kept crying for almost five minutes. He could barely talk. As he wept, he kept repeating, “Doctor, you’ve saved my life.” I picked him up, gave him a hug and tried to pacify him. As I started talking, he offered me a box of homemade sweets. He told me he had been suffering from several diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, insomnia and depression. Fed up of life, he contemplated suicide, but fortunately, he joined a laughter club, which changed his whole perception.  A month later, he felt much better and his sugar and blood pressure levels stabilized. There was a new resurgence of a will to live and he felt completely rejuvenated. I was moved to tears on hearing his account. Seeing his belief in my concept humbled me and for the first time, I realised the value of true contribution; something that can change a person’s entire life is to be cherished and shared with the world. It can never be equated with money.

After that, I decided to tour India. I came across several people who had benefited from laughter- nature’s most powerful healing force and the best medicine for physical and emotional and mental well being. Seeing the growing popularity, I realized it wasn’t me - it was a divine idea and I was merely a medium who helped to spread the good word. I dropped the idea of patenting the concept and charging a fee.

It was a gift that I was going to give to the world. That day, I felt happy and relieved.

This unique concept captivated the people and gained tremendous popularity worldwide mainly because it encompassed everyone. It was not about me. It was an idea that helped people get the feel of complete wellness, happiness and joy. As the concept spread, my dream to become world-famous was fulfilled. Money and respect started pouring in and I soon realized that I had everything that I ever wanted from life.  I understood the importance of placing others before one self.

This is what I spoke to a packed house of 600 people attending the ceremony:

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for honoring me with super achiever award.  I don’t think I am a super achiever. I would rather call myself a super contributor.  The times when I was striving, struggling and pushing too hard to accomplish something in life, I found it was very difficult. It was not easy and I was quite frustrated. Nothing was ever enough as it was all directed towards myself. But, when I started thinking about others and planned to do things that would help people, life became simple. I could easily achieve everything by making a worthwhile contribution to the world and making a difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. There is an old saying – ‘Whatever you give out to the universe, it comes back’.  This is the circle of life.

Inspired by the speech, the chairman of the Institute said that they would like to change the name of the award from ‘Super Achiever’ to ‘Super Contributor.’

Dr Kataria is the founder of Laughter Yoga International - global movement for health, joy and world peace

www.laughteryoga.org

Live Example of Positive Contribution

(‘Citizen’ experience from SBLC, Nungambakkam, Chennai - 11.12.2009)


The second day of the ‘Citizen SBI’ programme, co-facilitated by me and Shri. Ramanathan at SBLC, Nungambakkam began at 9.30 in the morning on 11 th Dec. We had three participants short and were doing the recap of the first day’s inputs waiting for them. Then one of them rushed in to tell me that it would take some more time for the three to come to the class as they were attending to an accident case in the ground floor of the SBLC.
Handing over the facilitation proceedings to my colleague, I went to the ground floor to see what was happening and why the three participants were held up. I could see another participant for the same programme, (but held in a different wing of the SBLC) was sitting in a chair with his arms, legs cheek bones, etc bleeding and was being attended to by the three participant of my class. On enquiry it was revealed that on his way to the SBLC in a two wheeler, he met with an accident and fell into a ditch. Luckily there was no fracture but the person had lots of bruises. Out of the three persons who were trying to give first aid to the injured staff there was one participant by name Dr. R Mala, our Bank’s medical officer attached to Chennai Main branch and also deputed to attend the ‘Citizen SBI’ programme. She immediately sprung into action, checked the injured staff and ruled out any fracture. On enquiry she came to know that the staff was also a diabetic and immediately ordered the canteen staff to provide him some food before administering any medicine. Not many knew that she was a physician (in the absence of normal white coat and a stethoscope round the neck) and took her to be another participant from some branch and were even telling her not to interfere and rush the person to a nearby hospital. But Dr. Mala was unperturbed and handled the situation calmly by ordering for some injection and medicines from the nearby pharmacy. By the time the medicines arrived the person had also had some food and was ready for the treatment. She gave injections and tablets to the injured staff and also assured him not to worry much as the injuries were only external. It was decided to send the participant home for taking rest and another of the three participants volunteered to accompany him to his house.
It was almost 10.15 AM when the three entered the class. Others in the class were not aware of the incident in the ground floor and were thinking that the three had arrived late due to some usual traffic related problems of Chennai city. When I shared with the class of what had happened and how Dr. Mala deftly handled the situation while treating the injured colleague, the whole class erupted into a thunderous applause in appreciation of her service as well as that of two other colleagues.
As the applause was dying down one of the participants in the class remarked “this is what is called Positive Contribution”. How true it was! The three could have played their ‘routine duty’ role of a trainee by being in the class at 09.30 AM. But they chose to be different resulting in exhibiting the ‘Positive Contribution’ traits of
· Spirit of Excellence
· Spirit of Service & Human Concern
The participants were also in praise of Dr. Mala, as later in the day she reeled out the names of all the 28 of her classmates by identifying each person correctly. When asked about how she developed this kind of memory she said “I have developed this kind of remembering names of people right from my early days. Basic thing is that I am interested in ‘people’ and I see how their faces glow when I call them by their names. Every human being wants recognition and if that is done by remembering his / her name nothing like that. Your base for ‘inter-personal’ relationships is laid strongly by this.” On hearing this ‘trade secret’ from Dr. Mala, the class once again erupted in cheers.
One thing is sure. As facilitator, if I am a keen ‘process observer’ I can draw lots of examples for the programme from our own participants and their actions. ‘Live’ examples reinforce learning much faster than any video film.


S R Raghunath - Facilitator ( Chennai Circle)

Swiss, Italian, Hungarian, Mexican, Pan Asian, Lebanese, Mongolian, Amritsari, Gujarati, South Indian, Indorean - What Outer Fruits Would You Like?

A couple of weeks back, I received an e-mail from the Chairman's Secretariat that our Chairman has got an invitation for a wedding at Indore and that I may send a bouquet on his behalf on the occasion.

Had I not undergone the Citizenship Orientation Programme, I would have asked my next Officer to procure a bouquet and go and deliver it at the wedding reception.

Having undergone the programme, I realized the difference between routine duty and positive contribution and also internalized that routine duty is not enough, we have to go a step ahead. So, this is what I did:

1. I searched for the Gentleman's name on the web as I felt the Chairman would be sending bouquet to some important personality of the town. And yes, he was there!
2. I went to the best florist in town, selected the choicest flowers and got a beautiful bouquet ready.
3. I got dressed up in my best suit and left for the wedding reception early.
4. It was a grand reception. I tried to locate the Gentleman mentioned in the mail. It was his nephew's wedding. I waited patiently to find some moments with him.
5. I proudly told him that Mr O P Bhatt, Chairman, State Bank of India has specifically asked me to convey his best wishes to him and the newly wedded couple. He was happy and narrated a few anecdotes about his meetings with our Chairman.
6. He then took me to the newly wedded couple and told them that I was representing the Chairman of SBI.
7. He also invited me to the grand dinner.Do I have to tell Citizens SBI what joy, fulfillment and inner fruits I derived?!

P.S. - By the way, I got so many outer fruits also that evening. There were Mongolian and Mexican dishes on the menu; also Italian, Swiss, Pan Asian, Hungarian, Lebanese, Amritsari, Gujarati, South Indian and last but not the least Indorean! All these to the tune of an enchanting European Music Band!!
- Citizen CoolBisht, Indore