Helping Others: Fill & Download for Free

Helping others is its own reward. Don’t think of it as an investment, one that will be paid back some day. If it is, that is extra, but not something needed to justify helping others.In many ways, the best favor you can do for someone else is a favor that they never learn about.The tragedy in this story is not that the grandfather was abandoned (although that is certainly sad) but that his family never learned the joy of helping others. I would guess that his life contained far more joy than theirs.

In 2001, I was posted as Deputy Commissioner of Customs at Air Cargo Ahmedabad.There was an export case, where we stopped an export consignment and the party went to High Court, which ordered provisional export of goods. We allowed the export against the bank guarantee. However, the party went to HC again. The Commissioner and I were issued contempt notices from the High Court because we took bank guarantee (BG) which was not specified in the order.The Bench that was dealing with revenue matter was headed by a Judge who was known to be extremely tough to the government agencies. He would frequently cast aspersions on the government officers and even awarded punishments.My Commissioner was very much worried as he ordered for the BG while I simply followed his orders on file. Someone advised him that we should approach the Advocate General of Gujarat, who was a very senior advocate. We accordingly took appointment with him and met him at his residence.The Advocate General (AG) was an old man of around 70 years and he was the AG for a long period. We had a small chat for around half an hour during which we took tea also. When we left his office, we were feeling quite comfortable.However, on the next day morning, we got a bill of Rs 35,000. We were quite surprised since we thought it was just a casual chat and also because the government advocates used to be paid just around Rs 2000 per hearing and no fee for consultation.He later defended our case and saved us from all the trouble. His fee was very high and Commissioner had to use all resources to get the amount sanctioned from the government.Imagine, that he would have done the same thing for us and charged us nothing or a small amount.We would have felt very happy for helping us.However, the AG would have not made lakhs of rupees from us for defending the case.We want money when we provide some goods and services to others.We can’t earn money, if we start helping others by providing them these things for free.If you don’t have money, you can’t live your life comfortably.Our society also values people based on their wealth rather than how much helpful they are to others.If you give something and the other person doesn’t reciprocate, you lose in the process.Society then consider you a fool rather than a good person.Hence most people want others to help them (for free), but they don’t want to help others (for free).Therefore, helping each other does not happen most often.When we start valuing people based on how much they help others rather than how much they earn, helping each other would follow naturally.

You could teach your child that you win by helping others. Wouldn't that be nice?It may also be somewhat true. People who help others tend to get helped back. And helping others often gives a sense of satisfaction and even happiness.