There are the discontented who complain of the state of things – they don’t act. There are the contented who are happy with the state of things – they don’t act either. And then there are the creative, imaginative ones who see the world for what it can be, not for what it is – and they act. Because their vision is as real as anything solid. And their discontent does not let them rest till they act.

Very recently, I listened to someone in the development sector who had, about a decade ago, guided a rude, uncared for young boy from the slums of Mumbai and nurtured him into a confident lad who now leads an NGO. Her eyes shone as she described the tremendous faith that she had in the boy when every other teacher in the school considered him hopeless.

Ask her, and she will tell you that she didn’t do anything heroic. All she did was listen to the inner discontent that didn’t let her let go of hope.