Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Conference

We are at Austin, the busy and crowded capital city of Texas. It is a wet day, a slight drizzle is spraying the city with tiny water droplets. Just the kind of day when one feels lazy and laidback with little or no interest of stepping out into the street, leave alone travelling 20 miles to attend a conference. But here I am at The Crossings, a location far removed from the hustle and bustle of the capital city and I am glad I came here. The setting is simply awesome and something that makes me feel one with nature. As we started in the morning I was skeptical whether I would enjoy or even be interested in the conference considering the title, I was wondering what would probably keep me from being bored out here.

But yes, the venue itself is enough to make me want to come here. I am quite sure everyone of you would know America and a large majority of you would know about Texas, the largest state in the US and which was formerly a sovereign republic before merging into the US. But I am quite sure very few would know Austin, the capital city of Texas and even fewer would have heard or visited The Crossings, a hilltop property located amdist the hill country outside of Austin. It is one of the few modern but very very eco-friendly properties I have visited. The Crossings positions itself as a boutique hotel, spa and meeting/ conference venue. Sprawling across an entire forested hill, the Crossings has 35-acre of grounds dotted with aromatic trees including juniper, rosemary and jasmine trees.

The view offered by the hilltop property is simply panoramic. I would say an ideal location for non-formal education and learning activities. The property prides in being 100 percent sustainable with only the most necessary human interventions. Buidings are built surrounded by trees and only the motorable roads are of concrete the walking paths are not paved but just metalled with gravel and rock.

I am quite sure we have similar properties in India which I am unaware of. I am aware of one non-profit organisation which has a property like this. Operating under the name of Navadarshanam, it is a eco-friendly community on the outskirts of Bangalore about 45 km from the city. But then the difference between this property and that is its access, here there is wide and easy road access and have convenient walking paths and motoring paths, while at Navadarshanam there are only foot paths and mud trails. It is definitely more rustic, but think of all the big thorns which would pierce through the soles into your legs. With a metalled or gravel pathway, this problem could be more or less eliminated.

One thing I have been quite impressed with the people here. When we enter a shop the sales person wishes us with a cheerful greeting and thanks you for visiting when you leave, irrespective of the fact whether you made a purchase or not. Absolute strangers wish you good morning or evening when you meet their eyes in the park or trail or even on the road. This kind of etiquette and courtesy goes a long way in developing business relationships and a positive image.

Shell petrol bunks in Bangalore have tried to inculcate this kind of culture. But the result has not been as good. The "Namaskara" they say is far from cheerful or friendly, it is more mechanical and just uttered. Just imagine if everyone in India were to smile and wish everyone else with whom they interact, how better our living experience would be. It will be difficult and people suspect initially, most or perhaps everyone will think that you have ulterior motives and that is why you are being extra courteous, but I believe in the ripple effect. It may take time but it will happen, the warmth you generate will only multiply exponentially.

I don't want to sound like a prude. I believe that "it is more important to be nice than to be important". This I heard from Swami Sukhabodananda when I attended a transformatory LIFE programme a few years ago. I learnt a few things but I need to learn a lot more.