| "Every now and then, there are moments in your life when it seems as though the world has stopped spinning and your life goes into slow motion," says Mischelle Poppen, a newly-arrived Abu Dhabi-based resident. "There are moments when you become overwhelmed by life: the infinite struggles and infinite triumphs. "But where do those moments come from? Why do they happen? What meaning do they hold?" Mischelle believes that everything happens for a reason. Memories of hardship help you to appreciate the good times while inspirational or heartwarming memories are a crutch when times are rocky. And these incidents, she says, happen all the time. "How often have you been trying to cross a busy street, when suddenly a car stops and lets you pass? All you can do is say 'thank you' and smile, but that smile lights up the kind driver's face. "While shopping at the grocery store, how often have you thanked your attendant for his help? And then you notice that this display of gratitude has made him smile – because he suddenly felt valued. "I believe it is important to acknowledge a person for his help, irrespective of how small the task is," says Mischelle. About 18 months ago, Mischelle had the opportunity to work in a human resources position at Conzerv Systems Pvt Ltd, a company based in Bangalore, India. However, soon after starting this new position her outlook on life took a sharp turn. "Part of what I did involved spearheading corporate initiatives, including getting employees involved in [voluntary] community projects and worthy causes every month," she explains. "The community initiatives involved sponsoring an individual, contributing towards a meal or just spending time with someone. Some of the projects that we worked on looked after the old and destitute while others looked after orphans and mentally challenged kids. "I still remember my first project. My colleagues and I chose to spend some time with the residents of a home for the mentally challenged in Bangalore. "When we first walked in, I didn't know what to expect, nor did I know how to react or communicate with these people. As we walked along the corridors, they would just grab our hands and attempt to communicate with us using a few words and sign language. "Yet in a short space of time, these wonderful individuals had taken me in and shown me what a day in their lives was like. "In the time I spent with these special people, I was overwhelmed by numerous instances of spontaneous love, commitment and true compassion. These were people who had lived in this institution for more than 20 years, people who at first glance seemed to have nothing yet they were at peace with themselves. "We saw mentally challenged people feed the handicapped among them before taking a mouthful of food themselves. We witnessed the mentally challenged guiding the blind along pathways. On one occasion, I saw one of these people placate another who was upset, reassuring him that things were going to be OK. "Prior to this, I would often ask myself: what is true compassion? I finally learned the meaning of this word from people who had nothing." She saw this change sweep through her colleagues too. "Suddenly everything we thought we lacked – a better wage or a better car – seemed insignificant." Mischelle believes that compassion is a two-way process. "All we have to do is show a little compassion to receive this many times in return," she says. "Another time, at an institution for abandoned and mentally and physically handicapped babies, we met babies born with severe mental abnormalities who had been abandoned by their families," recalls Mischelle. "Medical science says these children will never walk or talk, yet when we visited these little angels our small acts of holding and cuddling them actually brought a faint smile to their innocent faces. "Some babies were so badly deformed it was as though they didn't have any features on their faces, yet the workers at the institution showered these innocents with love and affection. Once more, this showed us what true compassion meant. "Last year, we spent the festive seasons of Diwali and Eid with orphans from the Seva Trust in Bangalore. What was overwhelming was how in spite of the hardships they had faced, these kids were so resilient and so optimistic. "When we were about to leave, a little boy got up spontaneously and said a prayer thanking us for coming and asked God to bless the companies we worked for, the families we came from, the people whom we meet, the places we go to and the places we come from. It was yet another lesson in humility and counting our blessings. "For one-and-a-half years, every month was a month of lessons learnt."
Mischelle believes she can find goodness and wisdom in everyone and that returning the favour is the most important thing. "I believe that everyone you meet has something to teach you, something you can learn from," she says. "I believe that when we are overwhelmed at certain moments, it's so we can remember these memories and hold on to them when things go haywire in our own lives. "I believe that when you do a good deed, this comes back to you, even if it takes time. I believe a good deed, a thank you or a smile is like an endorphin that makes you high on life and gives you a chance to start all over again." | 
