Thought Leadership Essays

Giving Trees to Children – The Story of Neighborhood Forest

April 10, 2013

Vikas Narula

Have you ever had a near-death experience? I have not, but I have had a death-bed experience. Four years ago this month I fell terribly ill. I had contracted a viral infection that went from routine, to bad, to ugly. The first couple of antibiotics prescriptions I received didn’t work and by the 3rd round, I was toast. I was so weak I could barely move. Even though my doctors assured me that I was going to recover, at age 37, it felt like I was dying. I was stuck in bed for a month and had to take an extended leave from work.

As you can imagine, this gave me more “free” time than I had in a long time. I read, listened to music and did a lot of reflecting.

I reflected a lot about life, which all of sudden felt short. I wanted to spend more time doing the stuff I loved, doing things that gave me a greater sense of meaning and purpose. I thought a great deal about the activities I had engaged in throughout my career that brought me the greatest joy. When was I the happiest in my work?

My heart and mind kept coming back to a project that I was involved in during my college days. I was part of a program that gave free trees to school kids for Earth Day. In three years, a handful of us raised money and distributed over 30,000 trees to tens of thousands of school children across southeast Iowa.

It was the most rewarding work I had ever done. Seeing the smiling faces of all those kids, knowing that we were doing something that was going to beautify our communities – it filled my soul with feelings that no amount of money could buy.

What if I had kept working on that project? Why did I abandon it after I graduated college? Where would it be today if I continued building on it?

As I laid there, reflecting on these questions, I made up my mind to rekindle this old college flame. I decided that I was going to do what I loved doing no matter what. Even if it was just a hobby, I wanted to add meaning and purpose to my life and my work. I wanted to give trees to kids again.

And like that, Neighborhood Forest was born. I didn’t have a website, a business plan or a budget, but I started anyways. I was determined to work on it, even if for a couple of hours a month.

Fast forward to today and, like a tree, Neighborhood Forest has grown. We just launched a website and my brother, Vivek, has taken over the day-to-day operations as this hobby starts to turn into a real social venture.

Check out the nice, 2-minute video my brother made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-HEgKsUtuo

I am still 110% focused on Keyhubs, but know that underneath this tech-entrepreneur / management consultant lives a dyed-in-the-wool tree-hugger that intends on giving trees to kids every Earth Day.

This is all thanks to a horrible, “death-bed” experience. Another great example of how bad stuff can lead to really good stuff if we allow it to.

It’s cold and snowy here in Minneapolis, but Earth Day is just around the corner.  Soon, the birds will be chirping. It is time to plant some trees and light up the smiles of thousands of kids.

Join us.

Vikas Narula (@NarulaTweets) is Creator and Co-Founder of Keyhubs (@Keyhubs) – a software and services company specializing in workplace social analytics. He is also Founder of Neighborhood Forest – a social venture dedicated to giving free trees to kids every Earth Day.

Other Recent Blog Posts:

Diamonds in the Rough – See Your Organization From The Bottom-Up

Entrepreneurship and Spirituality – An Unlikely Combination?

Ode To My Wife – The Entrepreneur Behind the Man

Comments

  1. Darshan Khatavkar |
    10 Years Ago

    Vikas … your thoughtfulness and initiative continues to amaze me. Your brother is just as talented as you are.

    • Vikas Narula |
      10 Years Ago

      Thank you Darshan – very kind of you to say!

      Vikas

  2. Farhan |
    10 Years Ago

    Thanks Vikas for sharing this post, and congrats to yourself and your brother Vivek. This is a wonderful cause. Loved the video and the website.

    • Vikas Narula |
      10 Years Ago

      Thank you so much Farhan!

      -Vikas

  3. Amanda |
    10 Years Ago

    This is a wonderful endeavor Vikas. I’ve always admired the Tom’s shoe concept from afar as a good thing, a smart business idea, etc. However recently I actually purchased a pair, and much to my surprise it actually “felt good” to buy those shoes knowing that someone else who needed shoes more than I did got some too! I felt better than I’d ever felt before in making a purchase of clothing. Generosity is powerful, and I’m grateful for my new found awareness of this. Happy tree hugging!

    • Vikas Narula |
      10 Years Ago

      Amanda,

      Thank you so much! You are right – purchases feel better when you know the proceeds are being used to help others in need. The TOMS story is amazing. Very inspiring. We hope to follow in their foot steps – no pun intended!

      Thanks again for your support and interest in Keyhubs and Neighborhood Forest!

      Warmest Regards,
      Vikas

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