Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea.

By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

2006 Penguin Books

In case you haven’t read this book... 

In 1993, Greg Mortenson made an unsuccessful bid to climb the world’s second tallest mountain, K2, in the Karakoram Range of Pakistan. On the descent, he got lost. After days of walking, Mr. Mortenson was rescued and brought back to a village where the people cared for him and gave him many cups of tea.  Out a debt of gratitude, Mr. Mortenson formed the Central Asia Institute http://www.ikat.org/ to fund the building of schools and hospitals in Pakistan.

I am aware of the recent controversy surrounding Three Cups of Tea. Check out: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/media/18mortenson.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto.

However, in my mind, whether or not Greg Mortenson dipped his toe into the world of fiction, the message of the book does not change. It remains...

Reach out. Step out. Help.

A great message to be sure, but how realistic is it for the person who doesn’t climb mountains in exotic locales? Who, instead, leads a fairly regular and everyday sort of life?

Like Me?

Which makes me ask, “how about me”?

How can I help?

How can I reach beyond myself and into the lives of others?

Certainly, starting a humanitarian organization is beyond my current life stage. So what fits?

“Love your neighbour as yourself.” Treat other people as I wish to be treated. 

Basic? Yes.

Easy? No.

So, how exactly does this translate? A few ideas:

Be polite to the cashier at the grocery store, because I want to be treated politely.

Be respectful to the elderly driver out for a Sunday drive on Friday, because I want to be treated with respect.

Be kind to the very tardy pizza delivery guy, because I want to be treated kindly.

Offer my help to the mother balancing babies and grocery bags, because there are times when I need help.

Be gracious towards the nanny when she washes red shirts with the whites, because there are many occasions when I need grace myself.

Be hospitable to the new family at church, because I enjoy receiving hospitality.

Send a relative or friend a note of encouragement, because I like to be encouraged.

It comes down to this: Look beyond my own world and notice the others around me.

I am so quick to get wrapped up in the business of my life that I forget the people around me. However, I have noticed that if I take the time to give to someone else, in the end, it is me who is blessed.

And, on a note of practicality, it’s not necessarily the big things that make a difference, it’s the little and seemingly insignificant things that go the farthest.

Reading on...