Inspired by the world renowned singer, National Award winner – Shri Mahesh Kale’s words: “If you want to know how far you’ve come, look at where you began.”
Sometimes, all it takes is a quiet moment—and a powerful line like this—to make you pause, reflect, and look at life through a wider lens. Watching Mahesh Kale speak about the importance of tradition and how far we’ve come as individuals, as a society, and as a nation—it stirred something deep within me.
🌿 Looking at our roots to see our growth
We often measure progress in numbers—how much we earn, how many degrees we collect, how many milestones we check off. But real progress, the kind that quietly shapes generations, is often best seen when we look back at where it all began.
And for us, as Indians, that beginning is not just a date in history. It’s a civilization that gave the world knowledge systems, philosophies, sciences, and art forms that were well ahead of their time. We come from a land that nurtured Ayurveda and Yoga long before wellness became a global trend. A nation that taught astronomy while others were still mapping the sky. A people who revered debate, questioning, and thought—not as rebellion, but as a path to wisdom.
To look back at our parampara—our cultural and spiritual heritage—is not about nostalgia. It’s about grounding. It’s about understanding the sheer depth of where we started, so we can appreciate how far we’ve come.
👣 Society in motion
Socially, the transformation has been just as profound. Not too long ago, opportunities for women were boxed in, if not blocked out completely. And today, we speak with pride of women who have led the country, soared into space, led corporations, and shaped policy. Girls in rural classrooms, daughters in engineering colleges, women at the helm of change—they are our everyday heroes.
Are we perfect? Not yet. But we are progressing, and that matters.
🌱 The personal journey: becoming more of ourselves
On a more intimate level, I often think about the version of me that once was—unsure, reactive, caught up in things that didn’t matter. And then I look at the quiet strength that has slowly grown within. The clarity that wasn’t there a decade ago. The ability to respond instead of react. That, too, is progress.
We all have a starting point—childhood, a career low, a health crisis, or maybe just a restless heart. But we also have the power to evolve, to outgrow our own limitations, and to step into a fuller, kinder version of ourselves.
🔄 Change is not the enemy—it is the path
We live in a time where change can feel overwhelming. But change, when aligned with growth, is not chaos—it’s a chance to rewrite the narrative. However, progress does not mean abandoning our roots. It means carrying forward the best of what came before, while actively leaving behind what no longer serves us—be it outdated beliefs, regressive mindsets, or toxic patterns.
As individuals, as a society, and as a nation, our only real responsibility is this: to not go back to what pulled us down.
Let the past remind us of who we were. Let tradition anchor us. But let change propel us—forward, upward, inward.
Because progress isn’t just about how far we’ve come.
It’s about choosing, every day, not to go back.
This is the video of Mahesh Kale ji that sparked this thought marathon.
Full Abhang Medley | Sur Nava Dhyas Nava | Grand Finale | Season 6 | Mahesh Kale | अभंग । महेश काळे
