Every day as we ride to school, college, work or wherever we are going, I am sure each and every one of us has complained about how bad the traffic is and about how nobody follows traffic rules! We sigh to ourselves that the condition is never going to get better forgetting that we too are a part of the traffic and that the traffic is made up by people like us. But we choose to overlook this fact and prefer complaining about the condition rather than think of a possible solution. For after all, complaining about something is surely the simplest thing to do! Till that Sunday morning, I too was one amongst the many who complained about bad traffic but did nothing about it for the mess on the road just seemed so large to clear. But just one hour on the traffic junction with By Heart changed my perspective towards the situation and I now stand truly believing that actions do speak louder than words! 
Shyamu Kaka, an ex LIC employee has dedicated his life now to helping the masses. ‘I do not want to preach’, he says. ‘All I want to do is spread a message. A message of good that is sure to build a positive environment for people to live in.’ And this positive message was surely communicated to the maximum on the 22nd of this month when By Heart, a small group of individuals (though they do not like being called a group! It is free for all to join and come be a part of!) stood on the traffic signal in Income Tax, Ahmadabad with posters across their necks and chocolates in their hands. The aim of the day was to make sure that every commuter stopped his vehicle within the line before the zebra crossing. Everyone who stopped before being told were given a chocolate and those who moved their vehicles on being told were also given a chocolate to remember to stop their vehicles within the line the next time. The members of By heart choose a common cause that they work towards for 3 weeks. They also perform activities like teaching unprivileged children on a regular basis. The charm of the group is that all the members are regular people just like you and I who. While some are students doing their MBA, some are employed as teachers and nurses. What makes them different though is that they have gone one step ahead than the rest of us by showing that they care for the society and want to make a difference! They take out some time every Sunday so as to give back to the society through By Heart. Their dedication to the cause of spreading a positive message is shown as each of them begin every Sunday with a small prayer meeting in the Gandhi Ashram and proceed to carry out their planned activity for the day. Every activity is performed with zeal and the whole task of spreading awareness becomes a fun filled one with a lot of interaction amongst people. By Heart sure does work from the heart, the sincerity of every member radiant through his actions. Just one hour with them during one of their initiatives was an eye opener to me and has left me as a carrier of the positive message that they spread ever so beautifully!
Bapu said once, Be the change you want to see in the world! That is what Shyamu kaka is following today. If just more of us cared as much as he and the rest at By Heart does, the world is sure to be a better place for you and me to live in and for our children to grow and play.
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