Dr Shiam Chuttoo

Two questions I have carried through every job I have done

“I complained because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet.” The old saying is often traced to the Persian poet Saadi. It still stops me in the middle of a grumble.

Centuries earlier, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna froze. He had his chariot and his bow, yet fear of failure held his hands. Krishna did not promise him victory. He told him: your right is to your action, never to its results (Bhagavad Gita 2.47).

One man had no shoes. One man had no courage. Between them sit two questions:

What is mine to do?
And whom am I counting when I do it?

Where I learned the first question

For eight years I climbed electricity poles for the Central Electricity Board in Mauritius, in sun, rain and cyclone weather. Up a pole in a strong wind, you learn very quickly what belongs to you: your harness, your grip, your next step. The weather does not. Do your part well, and leave the sky to God. That was my first lesson in dharma, right duty.

Where I learned the second

In 1988 I came to England to train as a nurse at Goodmayes Hospital. My English came from books, and people misheard my accent as often as I misheard theirs. I had reasons to complain. Then, on the wards, I met people who had lost far more: their health, their memory, sometimes the people who should have been by their side. My struggle still mattered. It simply took its proper size.

Later, in the classroom and as a manager, the second question kept returning. Who is not being counted? The quiet student at the back. The nurse who knew the most and spoke the least. The patient whose family never visited. Good care, good teaching and good leadership all begin by noticing them.

Two walks, one path

From these years came two of my models. DHARMA is the inward walk: doing your own part honestly. SHOES is the outward walk: seeing and helping the person in front of you. The table follows DHARMA from top to bottom; read across each row to find its SHOES partner.

DHARMA (inward)	Its SHOES partner (outward)	In daily life
Do your part, leave the results	Offer your hands	Offer an elderly neighbour a lift to his hospital appointment, then let go of the rest.
Hear twice before you believe	Ensure fairness	Check the facts before you judge a colleague.
Avoid the thinking traps	Hold gratitude	When life feels unfair, count what still stands.
Read the other person’s reality	See the whole person	Ask a confused patient, “Tell me about your mother.”
Mind your energy	Share the journey	Ask for help before you burn out.
Act as a leader people trust	All of the above	Let the quiet expert teach the team.

SHOES, in its own order: See the whole person, Hold gratitude, Offer your hands, Ensure fairness, Share the journey.

Inner duty on its own can turn cold. Care for others on its own can burn out. Walked together, they make a steady heart and a fair community.

Try this tonight

1. What was mine to do today, and did I do it?

2. What did I worry about that was never mine to control?

3. Who did I not count, and how could I count them tomorrow?

Nek niyat se kaam karo; Ishwar saath hai, to koi jhuka nahi sakta.
Work with a good heart; with God beside you, no one can bend you.
Petit à petit, l’oiseau fait son nid. Nou tou ansam.
Little by little, the bird builds its nest. All of us, together.

Who was your “man with no feet”, and what did you do afterwards? Tell me in the comments. With your permission, I will gather your stories into a follow-up piece. Please share this post with someone who needs a steadier heart, and suggest a topic for me to research next. The full DHARMA and SHOES models are on my My Models page.

How I prepare my work. I write as a life coach, lecturer, nurse, social worker and manager, and as a Mauritian in Britain since 1988 who carries Kreol, French, English, Bhojpuri and Hindi. I use every tool available, including books, Google, Microsoft Word and AI such as Claude and ChatGPT. The ideas, models and final word are mine, and sources are credited. Sources: Bhagavad Gita 2.47; saying attributed to Saadi of Shiraz (Gulistan).

A word of caution. For education and reflection only; not medical, psychological or legal advice. Understand any technique before using it; you are responsible for your own choices. If low mood or worry stays with you, speak to your GP. © Dr Shiam Chuttoo 2026. The DHARMA and SHOES Models are his original work; use only with his permission or clear credit. Work record: Ref DSC-2026-BLOG-BAREFEET. Title: Bare Feet, Steady Heart. Author: Dr Shiam Chuttoo. Created 20 October 2026. All rights reserved.