Time for Contentment

Jyoti Singh is a Human Resources professional with over 15 years of experience managing a wide spectrum of HR functions, projects and programs. Currently based in Bangalore, India, she is a Peace Education Program (PEP) volunteer, facilitating and coordinating PEP activities in Southern India. She also provides support to volunteers across India to start PEP in their regions.

With a hectic schedule, workplace performance pressure, work-life balance, and new projects, who has time for anything other than taking care of life’s day to day challenges? How can one find the time for oneself? These are the common refrains of people around me in my professional and personal circles.

Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India, a vibrant, multicultural city where everyone is busy. Students aspire to forge careers. Established professionals aspire to grow, achieve promotions, and strive to do more and more business. After talking to many people, I came to the conclusion that most of them spend 70% of their waking time at their jobs; 20% with friends and family, and on shopping; and 10% on the road stuck in traffic. And yet, I’ve been delighted to discover that, despite everyone’s busy life, they are finding PEP to be a worthwhile use of their time.

The innovative program is introducing Prem Rawat’s unique message of peace to students in their colleges and universities, to professionals in their workplaces, and to retired seniors in their communities. 

Since facilitating my first PEP workshop on July 22, 2014, I’ve helped train a strong team of 15 volunteers who support PEP in the area through various roles.

There has been no looking back as PEP continues to reach people from all walks of life. Doctors, nurses, engineers, government employees, scientists, teachers, professors, students, and other professionals are now participating in PEP. People who used to think spending even five minutes on anything other than their daily work routine was a waste of time are now attending a total of 10 hours in weekly PEP workshops, where they report they are developing an understanding of the preciousness of existence.

Many organziations appreciate PEP and view it as a powerful program with an impactful message on participants’ lives. We are getting recurring permission to conduct PEP for new groups within these organizations. Some businesses are even providing support for us to train employees who want to facilitate PEP workshops on their own. It’s wonderful to see participants experience so much value in the program that they then want to learn how to share it with others.

“PEP helped me not only to look at life from an entirely different perspective, but it has made me more focused and disciplined, which helps me prioritize my tasks of the day. As a result, I find more time for myself,” said a PEP participant at Bangalore’s Central Silk Board, an agency run by the Ministry of Textiles.

An attendee at Rainbow Hospital said,“I didn’t know there was a difference between satisfaction and contentment. After going through PEP, I came to realize that the two are very different from each other. It was an eye opener.”

For me, participating in and facilitating PEP continues to have a profound and joyful effect on my life. Every PEP session is unique and full of learning. I am very grateful to be part of the PEP team. I aspire to introduce the program and Prem Rawat’s message of peace to as many people, in as many places, as possible.