Felix #Emotional Wellness

Subway Samaritan, Subway Superman, The Hero of Harlem, Subway Hero - Terms dubbed by media for 50 year old construction worker and navy veteran Wesley Autrey.

In 2007, Autrey was taking his two young daughters to school on the subway.

While waiting for the train, fellow passenger Cameron Hollopeter had a seizure. Autrey borrowed a pen and used it to keep Hollopeter's jaw open.

Hollopeter however, stumbled from the platform, falling onto the tracks between the two rails. Seeing the lights of an oncoming train, Autrey jumped on the tracks.

Realizing there wasn’t enough time to drag Hollopeter away, he threw himself over Hollopeter's body in a drainage trench between the tracks, holding him down.

The incoming train rolled over both men, passing within inches of their heads. Autrey exhorted to the onlookers to ‘tell the girls their father is okay”.

The transit authority then arrived, cut the power, and extricated the lucky pair. Autrey refused medical treatment, and calmly took his kids to school.

In Autrey’s words, “I don’t feel like I did something spectacular; I just saw someone who needed help. I did what I felt was right.”

His only regret was that his hat got greasy.

Let’s list out the learning from this Good Samaritan.

Felix Fernandes – Trainer | Facilitator | Coach

Remember Pied Piper, in multicolored clothing, luring rats away with his magic pipe?

Our story’s ‘piper’ is 12th std. failed, Ashok Rathod, from a South Mumbai slum, who saw children from his community, leave school for earning and some even getting into drugs and illegal activities.

This inspired the 18 year old to set up OSCAR Foundation.
Here he invites the children for football training and as they get hooked to the game, introduces them to academic education.

The Foundation, through football, instills the value of education and empowers underprivileged children and youth with life skills for community development.

As Ashok’s team grew in popularity, a rule was set - To be part of OSCAR, enroll and attend school else, no football.

The 9-year journey that started with 18 children, has reached out to over 12,000 across India of which, many are girls.

In regular mother’s matches, women in beautiful saris running after the ball is a sight to behold.

Recently a young girl was selected for the Homeless World Cup - One of countless OSCAR accolades.

OSCAR visualizes a world with all children and youth having equal opportunity to succeed and following life’s core values.

What can we learn from this youngster?
Felix Fernandes – Trainer | Facilitator | Coach

1st MBBS doctor in the family, a flourishing career was to begin.

But, Dr. Ravindra Kolhe, had other plans.

He chose a remote village, Bairagarh in Melghat, Maharashtra, where the tribals believed that pneumonia and diarrhoea led to certain death.

He spread goodwill and treated them at Re. 1 only.

2 yrs. later he left Bairagarh, feeling, more knowledge could’ve saved more lives.

After 2 yrs. Dr. Kolhe-MD, returned with wife, Dr. Smita and never looked back since.

Their 30-years’ record reads:

-Mortality rate down to 40 from 200 per 1000 infants

-Setup over 200 government health centres, offering free medical services

-Studied anatomy of animals & agriculture, solving cattle and plants related problems

-Started mixed farming of soya bean, potatoes, watermelon, turmeric, cotton, etc.

-Took up Public Distribution System to ensure enough food for all during rains too

-This made Melghat suicide-free for farmers and naxalism-free

-Fought to get 70% road connectivity and electricity in the region

Padma Shri, India's 4th highest civilian award has been conferred on the couple. Many cash awards have been re-spent on development.

Dr. Ravindra Kolhe admits - He gains satisfaction by contributing happiness in other’s lives.

Truly Inspirational, isn't it!
Would love to know your view.

Felix Fernandes – Trainer | Facilitator | Coach

Travelling 18 kms for work and same, back home? Normal!

Rowing 18 kms in a small borrowed fishing boat to help the needy? Sounds interesting!

That’s what Nashik, Maharashtra based anganwadi (a type of a child care centre) worker, Relu Vasave aged 27 doing – rowing to work.

Due to pandemic lockdown, the tribals couldn’t come by their only means - boat to her anganwadi for food and medical check-ups. So Relu decided to go to them.

Mother of two, Relu, a good swimmer has been rowing since childhood.

Her routine includes – Work in anganwadi from 7.30am till noon, then row and trek up the hilly terrain to the villages with baby-weighing equipment and government provided food supplements.

There, Relu monitors the health of new-borns and malnourished kids, weighing them and handing the nutritional supplements. She also caters to pregnant women.

Relu returns back late in the evening.

Rowing and trekking 5-days a week has affected her health. The thought though, of helping the kids and women, keeps her going.

She wishes to continue doing this till the lockdown continues.

Yes, the tribals are thankful for her service and the Chief Minister too has praised her effort.

Salute-worthy deeds, isn’t it? Please share your thoughts.

Felix Fernandes– Trainer | Facilitator | Coach

Imagine this:

Putting your hands in an animal’s mouth, reaching its stomach to take out plastic stuck there.

Yes! You heard it right.

In 2005, Guinness Book of World Records confirmed 7-foot-9-inch Bao Xishun, a herdsman from Inner Mongolia as the world’s tallest living man with arms measuring 41.7-inch.

Boa reached in with his long hands and saved two dolphins by pulling plastic material out of their stomachs.

The doctors had failed to remove the painful plastic shards swallowed by the dolphins from the edge of their pool at an aquarium in Liaoning province, and were slowly starving.

Attempts to use surgical instruments failed because the dolphins’ stomachs contracted in response to the instruments.

The shape of the dolphins’ stomachs made it difficult to push an instrument very far in without hurting the animals.

That’s when Bao’s help was sought. The workers pried the animals’ jaws open with towels so he wouldn’t be bitten.

With onlookers watching, Bao reached deep into the animals’ stomachs and removed as many shards as he could find.

The fragments he couldn’t reach were safely digested and the dolphins made a full recovery.

Optimum Utilization of Resources - Isn’t it friends?

Felix Fernandes – Emotional Intelligence Coach & Change Catalyst

A Roller Coaster Ride

Had to travel to another city by 4.55am train to conduct training.

· 3.15am. Woke up
· 4am. Left home to find Autos and cabs were on strike
· Travelled 5 kms. by bike which stops with the indicator pointing at EMPTY
· 4.20am. Wow! Now what?
· Pushed the bike, praying and hoping to spot a gas station soon
· 4.30am. Prayers answered
· Half-woken gas station attendant simply refuses to fill fuel at non-working hours
· Same question – Now What?

· Back to pushing and new hopes - the train should leave late
· Time running out, Fear centre activated
· What happens if I miss the train, what about the participants, the arrangements, the income and opportunity loss?.....

And now the unbelievable,
· Two youngsters stop and offer to help
· They start transferring petrol from their bike onto mine.
· 4.40am. Bike starts
· Filled with Gratitude, handed over Rs. 200

They refused the money saying, “it’s okay sir, rarely does one get a chance to serve.”

4.54am. Took the train.

Mind blank, except the words of those angels.

5 years on and those words still ring in mind.

Humanity at its best, isn't it? Please share your views.

Felix Fernandes – Facilitator & Coach – Employability Skills | Leadership | Emotional Intelligence

Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez from Pexels

“Busy as a bee”. Surely, you would have heard this many times.
Are bees really busy? Here’s the truth to it.

Having a lifespan of up to five years, honeybees sure do a lot of work in that short period.

They are social insects and live together in nests or hives in group of 35,000 to 50,000 to make a single hive.

A honeybee can fly for up to 6 miles at 15 mph. That would mean, flying around 90,000 miles - three times around the globe to make one pound of honey.

According to honey.com, honeybees tap 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey. Incredible indeed!

Bees make honey while the sun shines; they store the extra food when times are good as they know that there may be leaner times around the corner.

They work together for a collective purpose and there are no silos in a hive. Each bee has a purpose for being there and each knows what it is.

Bees never attack each other except outsiders who enter their hive and pose a threat.

You may value add with your inputs about this wonderful insect.

Felix Fernandes – Emotional Intelligence Coach & Change Catalyst

Time = Money? Oh Yes and Much More!

This weekend, I decided to get familiarized with the locals and found them to be warm and friendly.

Alberto’s just retired parents were out to serve older needy people. Few blocks away, Jenny too mentioned that her mother, a 65 year old retired teacher was out serving a lady in her 90’s who just wanted to talk to someone.

Jenny further said that her mother was rendering this free service to strangers as part of a Time Banking initiative.

Back home, surfed the net and found that the idea behind Time Banking was simple.

A healthy person, who’s good at communicating, loves meeting new people, provides a time-based service to someone who could be old, ill or needed care, doing their shopping, finishing their rooms, giving sunbath, chatting with them, child care, home repair, etc.

Time-based units accumulate in their Time Bank which issues a Time Bank card, which can be used to request time-based services when needed.

This creates a mutual, social support network, reducing isolation and improving health and wellbeing of older people.

Interestingly, this wonderful concept is already established in over 34 countries.

A concept worth emulating across the globe, isn’t it...

Felix Fernandes – Emotional Intelligence Coach & Change Catalyst

Did you know that - if you,

• Bath at least Twice a Day

• Avoid Alcohol

• Avoid Smoking To***co

• Go to Gym Everyday

• Have Sufficient Sleep

• Eat Fruits after each Meal

• Avoid Stress

• Stop using all sorts of Drugs including Caffeine found in Tea & Coffee

• Practice yoga regularly

You will still die when the time comes?

So…

Be Happy...
Keep Smiling…
Tell yourself that you are The Best!

Felix Fernandes – Emotional Intelligence Coach & Change Catalyst
Photo by Edu Carvalho from Pexels