 This Thanksgiving... I am thankful for a hot sunny day, the improving health of my body, a good night's sleep, strong black coffee, a challenging workout at the gym followed by a sauna, a delicious meal, discovering new music on Spotify, watering my garden in the warm of the evening, my wife's relentless love, friends who check in on me, the annoying constancy of the pings of my family group chat, learning from the wisdom of others (a good podcast), a glass of cold chardonnay, discovering new things about myself (a shout out to my psychologist - " a BIG thank you"). I am thankful for this gift that's called 'life'.
“Give thanks in all circumstances” I love these words from Brian McLaren* The words “in all circumstances” (found in 1 Thessalonians 5:18) shouldn’t be confused with “for all circumstances,” of course. But neither should they be thinned to mean “in easy circumstances.” Even in pain, we can find a place of gratitude, a place where alongside the agony of loss we still count and appreciate what remains You may lose a loved one, or facet after facet of your physical health, but you can still be grateful for what you have left. And what if you lose more, and more, and more, if bad goes to worse? Perhaps at some point, all of us are reduced to despair, but my hunch is—and I hope I never need to prove this in my own life, but I may, any of us may—having lost everything, one may still be able to hold on to one’s attitude, one’s practiced habit of gratitude, of turning to God in Job-like agony and saying, "For this breath, thanks. For this tear, thanks. For this memory of something I used to enjoy but have now lost, thanks. For this ability not simply to rage over what has been taken, but to celebrate what was once given, thanks.” * Brian D. McLaren, Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (HarperOne, 2011), 59, 60.
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 Leadership isn’t about busyness for its own sake; it’s about staying present enough to see the needs that appear in front of us each day. Even in a busy school office, the pressures of all the 'important' things in our schedule can dull our awareness of the ongoing needs within our school community. We must guard our daily calendars against eclipsing compassion, pausing to really listen, to observe, and respond, and carve out moments to check in with the people we spend our day with. People really notice when the Principal notices them.
This thought is still just as important, even though I am no longer working. I’m trying hard to shift my focus from my own pressures to helping others. When I do this, I feel grounded and recharged, and my energy, skills, and passions are directed toward something larger than myself. It’s a very satisfying feeling. One of the keys to healing and recovery from burnout (or any mental health challenge) is found in serving, giving, and being positioned for strategic and spontaneous acts kindness. It’s why I haven’t stopped my volunteer work with Project Help India. I’m grateful that my professional experiences translate to a very different place and context. Yet, at the end of the day, there’s something very much the same about kids wherever they are all over the planet. As I reflect on the work we do at Project Help India, child safeguarding is at the core of who we are. Serving alongside a gifted team across Kotdwara, Bijnor, Punjab, and beyond, I’ve seen how protection, education, and dignity are inseparable. It’s a daily commitment guiding every decision, partnership, and interaction with the children and families we serve. Last month in October, three examples illustrate our impact led by our team: 1. Strengthened child-protection collaborations: A first-of-its-kind meeting chaired by the Additional Superintendent of Police (Bijnor) brought together the Juvenile Justice Board, CWC officers, Anti-Human Trafficking Unit leaders, and police officials. Amrit Samuel, our Project In-Charge, shared field insights from Kotdwara and Bijnor to map concrete prevention and rehabilitation pathways with dignity and speed. 2. Community education in action: Our senior slum-centre students joined railway police for an anti-drug awareness street play at Kotdwar Station, delivering a powerful, community-driven message about drug harms. 3. Elevating our profile: Uttarakhand Police featured Project Help India on their official page, boosting our visibility and credibility statewide. Looking ahead, our Child Advocacy Summit initiative, launched in 2024 in Punjab and Uttarakhand, continues to gain momentum. Planning for the next Summit in March is underway, expanding cross-sector collaboration to protect at-risk children. If you share this commitment, might you consider partnering or supporting our work. Please message me if you’d like to know how. See Project Help India for more information |
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