The very foundations of success and development

We are a young democracy and despite the challenges of multiple and frequent changes in government, period of conflict, earthquakes, we have come far. We have built roads, buildings and markets. We have built schools, colleges, banks and hospitals. We have technology at our fingertips. We live differently now than we did 10 years ago. We travel, explore and learn, and we translate some of those ideas into what we do and how we live. We have more young entrepreneurs today and more people into arts, culture and sports. Yet somewhere we have failed. We still struggle with the basics – electricity, potable water supply, road and infrastructure maintenance, rising inflation, and the increased cost of doing business. We have also failed in retaining our talent and our youth. At the current pace of global innovation and productivity, the world is warring for the increasingly sparse talent… today the exceptional ones are driven beyond a good paycheck and a secure job. Why do the same Nepali youth that work with diligence and integrity on foreign shores, are unable to deliver any level of output in their homeland. Maybe we have the basics all wrong. Here we still work with a top down approach - hierarchy matters, power matters, the clothes you wear matters, the car you drive matters, the restaurant you visit matters, money matters, the louder the better … I don‘t say that any of this should not matter, it should, but it should not matter more than the person, more than his/ her values, integrity, intelligence, creativity and compassion Whether at the government level or at work or in our homes… we need to build trust in leadership and each other, take pride in what we do and do it well, enjoy the people we work and study with, and deliver results with fairness and transparency. This is a time in the country where we need to hone talent, explore new businesses, expand professional expertise, grow the old, develop better infrastructure, enable foreign investment, learn to play on a global platform – all of which we are highly capable of except that we do not work with trust and integrity and freedom… the very foundations of success and development. And of these, freedom is the most important. Freedom - I believe - is the very basis of life and progress. Yet we often misconstrue the word to mean the ability to do anything we want without thinking of the consequences on another. It is important to know that freedom comes with responsibility. And that is something any freedom lover will know understand, believe and practice. Freedom, whether in life or in work, creates innovation, productivity and satisfaction. Freedom is not perfect, it is open to interpretation, and its fragility cannot be taken for granted. The value of freedom must be understood and appreciated, and built with character and purpose. And remember the government you choose directly affects your freedom!