Duty vs Responsibility. There’s a distinction.
You’re doing your duty when you’re satisfying what the world expects from you.
But you’re being responsible when you’re listening to your conscience and doing whatever it tells you to do. Or in other words, whenever you’re following your heart.
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Let’s say you’re a great student, always getting straight A’s in every subject.
But in the Math exam you just finished, you realize you’ve made a big mistake. And you don’t expect anything better than a B, at best.
“Oh well, that’s fine. There’s always next time.” – You tell yourself.
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And then the grades arrive. Once again straight A’s in every subject. Including…Math!
Now you’re in a fix. It’s obvious that the teacher hasn’t correctly graded your Math paper.
Should you approach her and ask her to review it again?
Or keep quiet and maintain that shiny streak of straight A’s?
Tough choice, yes? No one can blame you if you choose to keep quiet. No one expects you to get the grade revised.
It’s hard to do the right thing when fear keeps pulling you back. But every time someone transcends their fear to listen to their inner voice, we have to appreciate it.
Let’s celebrate Komal’s shining example today.
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Komal Dubey is a Yoga teacher and also a PracticeNow customer.
2 days ago, she posted this on her Insta story:
It’s not unusual for teachers to take a break once in a while. They need time to upskill, rejuvenate and contemplate.
But when she’s gone, how would Komal’s students practice?
She promised to share recordings of her live classes. And also mentioned that she would create a special group on Whatsapp to allow students to interact with her for any practice-related questions and help.
I’ve personally tried recorded classes and I can confirm that they’re actually quite effective. If you like your teacher’s coaching style in a live class, you’re most likely going to enjoy her recorded session as well.
At this point, I felt Komal had fulfilled her obligation to her students. She would be back in about a month’s time for full-time teaching. And she had provided what-i-felt was a sufficient backup during her absence.
But what came next is what inspired me.
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Komal recommended not 1, not 3, but 7 other teachers for her students to practice with.
Correction: She strongly recommended them
“If the recordings don’t work for you, please do reach out to these wonderful teachers. I’ve been following them for a long time and they’re really good”. That’s what she said.
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It must have been nerve-wracking for her to do that – considering that her now-loyal students could end up switching to one of the above teachers before she was back from her break.
So, what does she do? She recommends another 6 teachers 🙂
“Almost forgot about these 6 more great teachers”. That was how she shared the second list of teachers.
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Very few of us have the courage to follow our hearts. But whenever we do it, we make the world a better place.
- Her students are now convinced as to how much their teacher actually cares about them. And that makes them feel even better to have a teacher like her.
- Her fellow teachers feel grateful to be recognized for their work. And are inspired to care for their own students even more.
- And for me? I couldn’t help myself from writing this post and sharing her amazing example with you.
Thank you, Komal for showing us the way forward :). We love you. ❤️