Our Everyday Problem

I can see problems everywhere, and every day, and with everybody. Zhemgang has an unsettled drinking water shortage. Thimphu is crowded with our own people. Phuntsholing, hub to highly polluted air. And Gelephu the Land of Elephants. However, the common problems of ours are – toilets, our waste, poor time management habits, and water shortage, etc…,

Everywhere, every day, and with everyone.

How can we solve this puzzle of ours? Do we need to hire some foreign brains to solve this simple matrix? How long shall we keep our volunteer service alive or go on?

Where are we actually failing –education system or policy level or poor mindset of our people?

I feel GNH country should not behave in such a rude manner. Sometimes, I pity myself as a deep Buddhist practitioner and a follower. Our time is now. We all must act now. We can. Our population is still manageable. If not now, we can never in near future?

First is our Public Toilet/Mass Toilet. "Everyone's property becomes nobody's property." Lately, I have been engaged in a pool of quite unusual Toilet Business. I jokingly told some of the students that our toilet pots have turned into a great antique now. Further, it was very sad to see most of the toilet doors in very bad conditions, completely destroyed. With such conditions, our toilet looks like Ghost. Looks like it was abandoned for a thousand years. Looks like some pigs have used it.

What a shame?

Perhaps, the water shortage was their blatant response. However, I suggested they make a habit of carrying water while making it to the toilet –be it a short or long toilet. Always Use Water! Such simple good habits can solve our toilet problem everywhere. I am happy since everybody promised to use water hereafter, everyone promised to cooperate –for whatever maybe the situation. Together we can. I concluded with –thank you very much!

Second is Our Waste. Despite special reminders and requests, we can still see all kinds of waste everywhere. Recently, I got a chance to share one small successful story of our own Greener Way. The renowned brand name in Thimphu City. However, we don’t feel as good as Karma Yonten feels for the waste. Someone's waste is someone's fortune, someone's money, someone's living, and someone's good luck. I told them –what it do to our environment? How to manage our own waste? How to make a good habit for it?

I am sure some felt for it and few unmoved for it.

Third is Poor Time Management Habits. Particularly, I found Bhutanese are very poor in managing time –be it office time or casual gatherings. Of late, I shared about good time management habits and its benefits. Simply, I want them to be punctual for work, or wherever.

I told them – "time stops for no one. Time waits for no one. And your excuses will never slow down time." It keeps going, and going, and going…!

I have been into the teaching service for seven years now, and the biggest challenge was that almost 99% of us come late for school and other activities. And no one bothers, and no one cares about it. Particularly, it is not good for educational institutions. I don't know the reason, why? However, in my case it is a little different, with my chest wide open, I told them for these many years, I have never come late for school and to other works. Further, as a student and a college student, I have never been late for any activities. Not even a minute late. How? How did I manage to do this simple task? It's very simple. I don't follow time. I do everything on or before time. Before I go to bed, I mentally prepare what to do the next day based on priority –first thing first! Next morning, I wake-up and prepare myself for the day's work.

I have my study duty on Thursday Morning which commences from 6:20am (for 1 hour). I make on time there as well. So, how? I wake-up at 5:50am and prepare myself.

Further, everyday my duty starts from 8:10am. So, how do I manage? I set priority –first thing first! I prepare for the day accordingly. Thus, there is no question of late for my work. It's all about how you take things, and manage things. Being positive to oneself is very important. Being honest to oneself is very important for a successful and happy life. For me, there is no question of this and that excuses someone coming late for their work. I must tell you, coming 10-15 minutes early for your work would ease you and your work. Your day will become beautiful and you will enjoy your work life immensely. There is no harm in coming few minutes early to your work. Remember, your work is lifeline!

Therefore, to make it better and reliable, I have narrated what had happened recently with "Japan's Olympics Minister. He was forced to apologize for being THREE minutes late to the meeting." Can you imagine, it's just 3 minutes late. Here we don't mind coming late for 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours...

In Japan, being unpunctual is a crime and it's a sign of disrespect to other people.

We need the same here. We need a law that protects people who work on time. This simple rule of life can make everyone happy. It can solve toilet problems, waste problems, time problems and even water problems. All we need is good life discipline.