I was in a restaurant, holding a steaming mug of hot java. With me were two friends. One I've known for 30 years. The other I'd just met 30 minutes back.

The social dance was on. We explored vital questions. Who are you and who do you know? What do you do, and why?

The conversation drifted to my writing, and my work with heart kids. I (briefly) explained how I create and sell infoproducts, using a part of the profits to sponsor life-saving heart surgery for children with congenital heart disease.

My new friend asked:

"Why do you do it? I mean, leave alone 'feeling good'. Why else? What do you get from it?"

I picked up my coffee, and sat for a while in silence. I drank slowly, thoughtfully... and wondered how to answer the question. Then I replied the way I always do:

"Because I can."

My modest needs are met from passive income sources that I worked hard to put in place. This frees me now to focus on things I want to do. And in the line of my professional work, I come across families without any alternatives to save their little kids with potentially fatal heart birth defects. I try to help them.

"Because I want to. And enjoy it."

From the look on his face, I could see he wasn't entirely convinced. And paradoxically, his doubt and uncertainty conveyed itself to me. On the drive back home, I kept returning to the question.

For a week later, I kept thinking about it.

Why do I do it?

There's possibly a selfish drive behind my apparent altruism, a sublimated craving for recognition and acclaim. Or perhaps another motive is at play. But at most, it's only an additional driver.

By itself, it may keep me going awhile.

But not for so long.

I've done this for 10 years. I'll be doing it for another twenty. Or longer.

And not against these overwhelming odds.

I've overcome some major challenges - like this one. For each, there are dozens of smaller crises, just as frustrating and depressing.

Eventually, I kept coming back to the wise and inspirational words of my friend, mentor and role model, Frank McKinney, founder of 'The Caring House' project, who is fond of reminding us that:

"Of those to whom much is given, much is expected."

I've always believed that much has been given to me. Proximity to suffering humanity in my role as a doctor, and good fortune to retain perspective on the frailty and uncertainty of our earthly existence have both combined to make me insanely grateful for thousands of little things that many take for granted, or even bemoan.

And then, I read an amazing blog by Derek Sivers. Founder of "CD Baby". Author. Speaker. Musician. Philanthropist. Incredible human being.

He sold his company for $22 million - which he donated to charity!

In a remarkably short blog post, he explained why... and gave me the insight I'd been searching for all week long. (Many others probably felt that way, judging by the 1250+ comments on it!)

"It's not that I'm altruistic. I'm sacrificing nothing. I've just learned what makes me happy. And doing it this way made me the happiest."

Bingo!

I too am sacrificing nothing. In fact, I'm pursuing my twin dreams - of practicing a technically challenging specialty (pediatric heart surgery) while helping desperately needy families beat a killer health condition (congenital heart disease).

It makes me happy. Wildly, insanely happy. It makes my heart sing. It lends deep purpose and meaning to all that I do. It gets me out of bed, eager and excited about my day.

THAT'S why I do it.

Because I WANT to.

The best part of Derek's post comes in his last line:

"But most of all, I get the constant priceless reminder that I have enough."

Wow! How powerful is that?! And true.

Unless you personally feel you have "enough", it's never easy to give to someone else.

Anxiety and stress kick in. Defences build up. Logic masks emotion.

And we put our noses back to the grindstone, trying to get "enough" for ourselves.

My work is a constant reminder TO MYSELF that I'm blessed with enough.

Yes, THAT'S why I do it.

Because I can.

Because I have enough.

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(Image credit dhammza)

You're chugging along, thinking about one thing - and a set of circumstances creates quite a different result... that's actually better than what you were doing!

Well, there I was, sending out Diwali greetings to my social networks, watching fireworks brighten up the night sky, and pondering a set of messages urging moderation in the use of crackers that harm the environment, frighten pets, and even kill birds.

And I clicked on a link on Twitter, to read a blog post about Diwali. This one.

This sentence stopped my thoughts in their tracks:

"As I see the houses lit up with diyas and lights, I wonder if we have all made an attempt to light up other people's lives as well."

I've thought about the 'festival of lights' from different perspectives. As a joyous celebration with sweets, fireworks and fun. As a symbolic abolishing of evil by brightness. As a celebratory welcome to the Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

But never before as a call to light up fellow lives and hearts.

It's a powerful realization.

My Diwali just got a little richer.

I'll see it, going forward, as a reminder to light up the hearts and lives of people I come into contact with. Another reason to try to cheer up and enliven folks I meet. A day to reaffirm a commitment to generate a little more happiness around me.

You?

Some years back, I was at a lecture by Capt. Raghuraman. The topic: "Leadership at 20,000 feet".

It was about soldiers who guard the God-forsaken no-man’s land on the Indo-Pak border, in the rarefied heights of the Siachen glacier - one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth.

Temperatures are at 50 C... BELOW zero. And that’s not counting the wind chill factor!

The brave, daring heroes who patrol this post are typically in their late teens or early twenties. It would be physically too tough for 'older' soldiers to handle that stress.

Their clothing and gear weighs over 35 kg. Snow falls 12 to 18 inches deep. Moving through the powdery whiteness is like wading through molasses.

"Patrolling is the most physically exhausting task - and it is what takes most of the time of the day. If you've had jaundice do you remember how much of an effort it was to move from one place to another? These soldiers operate in a similar physical state... for almost a year!"

All the while, they carry their heavy load as they trudge several miles every day.

Why?

To guard a ravine on the border between two nations. To serve their country and do their duty. To justify the trust their leader placed in them.

Yet how many regular citizens know about this?

Or care?

Today is a special day. It's marked in red on our calendars. Let's take a moment to care - and show them that we care.

Send a Siachen soldier a card on Independence Day.

Write a letter of support to our brave troops. This is the address to which anyone can :

To the Officers and Men of
102 Inf Bde
C/O 56 APO
INDIA

I wrote them a letter some years back. My daughter also sent them a card. To our delight, she got a reply back from the army!

Isn't that lovely?

We adore and evangelize our corporate, entertainment and political 'heroes'. We idolize them and devote meaningless and wasteful hours to debating their shenanigans and escapades.

But we ignore the real heroes who patrol and guard our borders, and make it possible for us all to observe with joy and celebration a special day - every August 15th - as Independence Day.

As a society, we've got some serious re-thinking to do on our priorities. And they are individual to each one of us.

I'm not saying you MUST place certain things on a higher scale than others. But I do hope you'll THINK about it.

After you send a Siachen soldier a card on Independence Day.

Will you?