Today, I realized that to experience the true meaning of freedom, we must reciprocate to all the efforts and sacrifices someone else has made, selflessly, to give us the fruits of freedom.
On a recent flight, after a smooth take off, as soon as we were airborne, the person ahead of me reclined his seat to its full capacity. Undoubtedly, the worst thing that can happen to you when you are on a long-distance flight, especially if you are a tall guy like me. In fact, I still remember the first time when I traveled via air and the person ahead of me reclined. I think it created more of a mental discomfort rather than physical, as I was supposed to confine myself in the remaining space. As a rule, I try never to recline my seat even if the person ahead of me has reclined. I do not want the person behind me to face the same discomfort.
Today, the person sitting ahead of me only thought of his comfort as he reclined his seat to the maximum, encroaching upon my space. The discomfort made me delve deeper into my thoughts, and I realized that sometimes the independence and freedom that we have is because of someone else absorbing all the bad things that were coming our way.
Sometimes, not having an experience of that discomfort creates a false feeling that all the opportunities that are coming our way are due to our capabilities. Sometimes, it also makes us feel that we can do anything, and even handle things when they start going south. Believe me, it is not easy. If the person ahead of you reclines, you can do nothing to stop him.
There are a lot of bad experiences that our mentors stop at their end before they reach to us. The freedom and independence that we enjoy are because of the invisible efforts of our mentors. The person behind me would never know that my discomfort made his 13-hour flight comfortable. I may not remember someone who might have done this for me.
‘Let us celebrate the culture of making sure that the people under us do not face the same discomforts that we have faced. That’s the real meaning of independence and leadership.’
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