by NEIL OJHA Follow @neilojha on twitter Or, email: neilojha5@gmail.com Call, 6462554578 “All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” The other day when I sat down with Bijaya Poudel, the chief-editor of Vishwa Sandesh, he told me a story of a little girl whom he met while on a fishing trip to Malekhu. She was waiting to die due to chronic heart disease her parents unable to pay for her operation. Poudel helped her recover by raising over Rs. 3 lakhs required for her operation. She is doing well now but the event and memories shall remain in Poudel’s memories until the last breath for this divine act. Most of us are interested in ourselves almost all the hours of the day and are busy with our own stuff whether it be productive or not. Our toothache is a matter of great importance to us than famine in China or death of millions in Japan because of earthquake. The furthest we think of is about people attached to “my” whether it is my wife, my mother, my father, my sister, my son, my brother, my daughter etc. It is from such individuals that greatest form of misery and unhappiness springs. It is obvious that large number of Nepalese belong to that class. These people however educated they may be are utterly ignorant. Poudel also told me how Sonam Lama, an entrepreneur with global outlets, was among very few individuals in Nepalese community ready to assist anybody in need. I found out that majority of programs organized by Nepalese community divided into 51 different groups received donations and sponsorship from Sonam Lama’s businesses regularly. It is individuals like Lama that society needs more than the unproductive social workers and journalists who create nothing and can’t help anybody in need. If poor people could help poor people, they would. Let me tell you once for all, poverty is a curse. Those who preach the virtues of poverty are the communist bastards who could not survive in Nepal and are here in America asking for handouts from us capitalists and creators.   Another entrepreneur with similar zeal in Nepalese community, I found, is Samir Maharjan. His achievements know no bounds and although he serves customers of all groups and nationalities, his loyalty to Nepal and Nepalese always drive him to help Nepalese at a time of need. Maharjan is one of the most enthusiastic entrepreneurs I have ever met and I am sure we will see his businesses expand many times all over US and create jobs for many. He exemplifies what all Nepalese need to do “mind their own business” during the business hours and help people with open arms at the time of need whether it be financially or in any other ways. I personally have great respect for such individuals and genuinely think we need more of them in our community. I also found out how Dilli Bhatta’s ideas and efforts initiated the Miss Nepal USA pageant and how his efforts were crucial in making it a great success in 2011. Bhatta has definitely been an idea tank for many other enterprises and entrepreneurs including myself. I think we as a society must reward and recognize such individuals since the lack of creativity is the main reason behind the doomed Nepal as we see it today existing amidst the ruins created by its own people. May be we might not have resources to pay them for their contribution but we can surely appreciate and respect them. This is not to preach here that each of these individuals are perfect but only to inform that they have been substantial in developing and maintaining the Nepalese community in America to where it is today. Otherwise, we were just another group of Indians in Jackson Heights. In a society where back-biting, double-standard and egomania are part of culture, such contributions are extra-ordinary because Nepalese society is bent more on criticizing and condemning the doers than encouraging them. They are like frogs living comfortably in a well and if one of them tries to get out of the well for some greater endeavor; their legs are pulled back into the well. It must take a super-human effort for people I mentioned above to succeed by holding their ground right in the Nepalese community instead of looking for an escape. There are several other entrepreneurs and individuals who have been the backbone of Nepalese American community and are trying their best to contribute for the development of Nepal but have been thwarted by Nepalese government more than once. Since, there are no options available in Nepal for creative endeavors; they have instead chosen to hone their constructive imagination in foreign countries and are creating avalanches of abundance both for themselves and their team. I can’t speak for Nepal for I have left the country long time back now but I can definitely say that there is no shortage of opportunities for a dreamer here in America. The gates are open both during the days and nights for one who has a goal in mind and has set out to accomplish it. In this process many Nepalese-Americans have built great businesses, others have written great books, many others have achieved success in their respective professions. There’s a lot of growth and success yet to arise from this little community which seems to be increasing every day. Wrong-doers blame everybody but not themselves. After a long study of human relations, I have realized that only person I can control is me even if the heaven falls and earth disintegrates into ashes. I have stopped trying to save the world but straighten up myself as much as I can. Blaming others and fault-finding are no more part of my creed for they are just the things in my character that I see in others. I have no regrets about what I have done in the past for that’s who I was at that time. I thus pledge the entire community to come together so that we are “all for one” and “one for all” helping each other. Life is not so hard if only we can work in harmony instead of trying to make someone else look bad.   (A serial entrepreneur, Neil Ojha, is an immigration outsourcing consultant associated with several Nepali and American law firms in New York and New Jersey. He is also a part of several other successful worldwide business teams. Neil’s articles have also been published in several local and international English newspapers and magazines. For more information, reach him @6462554578)