Think the Big Picture..!
At a housing society I am familiar with, comprising over a dozen buildings, elections have just taken place, and a word of advice was given to the new office bearers by the outgoing secretary and later the incoming chairman, “Don’t let your decisions be only about your own individual buildings, think about the whole society in every decision you make!”
Think the big picture.
Today, in Mumbai I see pictures of the immense traffic jams caused after the Sea- Link was opened. Just imagine; a link across the sea, built to ease traffic woes now causes the mother of all jams!
How did this happen? Simple and sad; residents living a little farther away from the Sea- Link and on a busy commercial road blocked the construction of a flyover that would pass through their narrow road.
“It’s too close to our windows!” said a socialite.
“I’ll lose my voice! I won’t be able to sing anymore, I’ll move out of Mumbai!” cried a singer.
And today, one of India’s latest engineering marvels, the Sea- Link is chocker block full with a thousand cars stuck for lack of a way out. Sadly a little to the east of the same place where these elite citizens protested, on another very busy, crowded road a viaduct was built and has done wonders to ease the traffic on Mohamed Ali Road. Traffic gets on to the miles long flyover and before you can say ‘Jack Robinson’ or the Indian equivalent, you are in town and at the VT station.
When I drive on that particular stretch I do see the flyover quite close to some of the buildings, but I also see residents of the same buildings standing on their balcony’s looking out happily, because what they see outside isn’t chaos, confusion and crowds, but discipline and order which they unselfishly permitted.
They thought the big picture.
Something you and I need to inculcate in our everyday lives; to look beyond our own backyards, stare over our inbuilt walls and see how our thinking serves the good of others we live with.
This isn’t only about sea links and flyovers; it’s also about most decisions we make everyday. Many years ago as a member of the Rotary and also a district chairman, I loved what was called the 4-Way Test, and found it a good guide and a ready-reckoner in difficult decisions: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Without being too harsh on these same people who opposed the building of a flyover outside their homes, I would ask them to lean across their balcony today, look down at the jams below, watch husbands and fathers helplessly sitting behind steering wheels, losing precious time with their families, watch others in taxis that have no air-conditioning, coughing because of pollution and smoke and ask themselves not just the questions in the 4 way test but whether they would now like to think the big picture.
If they did, Mumbai would be grateful..!
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