​When an AHA moment emboldens you to quit your job, start an animal rescue in India and blow all your savings, you know you’ve found your heart’s purpose.

In 2008, when DAR founder Deb was 40, she felt a niggle. Life was good – she was successful in her career and had fulfilling friendships and hobbies but somehow felt there was more to life; that her true purpose had not yet entered the room.

The quest for the AHA Moment

So where does one start looking for one’s life purpose? Deb knew she needed an AHA moment. At the time, Oprah Winfrey and Eckhart Tolle were giving airtime to this ‘AHA Moment’ – a spiritual awakening of sorts. It’s defined as “a moment of sudden realisation, inspiration, insight, recognition or comprehension.”

Deb doesn’t describe herself as a spiritual person, but is competitive. She wanted to challenge herself. So when a friend of a friend heard of her thirst for a BIG AHA moment, the words “If you really want to fuck with your head, go to India” came rolling out of their mouth.

And so she went.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy – Dale Carnegie

A local family who feed and care for stray dogs being interviewed by a journalist

Small questions, big changes

During her time volunteering in Dharamsala, Deb observed the many stray dogs around the area. But it was one dog in particular that she passed every day that led her to ask locals where help could be found. She was met with indifference and shrugs. What could she do?

Luckily she met someone who was coordinating volunteers to help stray dogs. And two weeks later, on her way to her volunteer placement, was greeted by the same shrugging local who was excited to tell her that Tommy was doing well, and was getting medicine, care and food. What a turnaround – Tommy suddenly had love, and a name.

When you treat stray animals as part of the community as opposed to unwanted pests, that’s when the true magic happens and the stray population can be managed by compassion and education instead of neglect and cruelty.

Deb asked herself “did my questions just save a life?” “Did I just witness a massive shift in how this man thinks of stray dogs?” and the most obvious question:

“Did India just fuck with my head?”

Tommy

Did India just fuck with my head?

The actual AHA Moment

As much as Deb was searching for an AHA moment, she shrinks from describing it as a spiritual awakening. Instead, Deb refers to it as “something external resonating deeply with something inside of you.”

After the shift she saw with locals stepping in to look after Tommy, she knew she had to facilitate more shifts like this. Her mind was set. She wanted to do everything in her power to help improve the lives of stray dogs in Dharamsala, with the help of local people.

The stage was set.

Education and compassion in action

Getting busy

“What do I know about starting an animal rescue?” Deb found herself asking on her return to the US. Some folks back home had put some doubts in her head. But Deb is a doer, and don’t forget, competitive and with a ‘newly discovered spiritual side’, nothing could stop her. 

In Deb’s TEDx talk, recorded in Dharamsala, she quotes Dale Carnegie: “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

So Deb went to India and got busy.

Local adoption

True agents of change

Looking back on a decade of running Dharamsala Animal Rescue, Deb described in her TEDx talk how she has witnessed Tommy-moments thousands more times. By having a helpline number to call, people start a connection with the stray dogs. Deb notes that “when you treat stray animals as part of the community as opposed to unwanted pests, that’s when the true magic happens and the stray population can be managed by compassion and education instead of neglect and cruelty.”

Deb really got her AHA moment. She continues to carry out the promise to herself that she would do everything in her power to help stray dogs in Dharamsala. Change is possible, and when you ask a few simple questions, other true agents of change will step in to help. Deb has a wonderful team of Indian staff who work in the community every day to make change possible. Local adoptions have increased and changing attitudes towards strays abound.

So, when you feel an itch for an AHA moment, Deb says “I encourage all of you to take a step into fear, and ‘fuck with your head’”.

“You may just find your true heart.”

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