by We Are Sikhs — May 13, 2019
“The opioid crisis is one of the many problems our country is facing today – it’s going to take all of us working together to move forward and improve our communities. We have to do honest work within our local communities and help each other out.” - Sandeep “Sonny” Singh Bains
Sandeep “Sonny” Singh Bains founded Bains Rx, a healthcare consulting firm, with the goal of improving lives and reducing healthcare costs. Sonny was recently featured in the Washington Post to bring more transparency around the opioid crisis in America. Sonny’s goal is to bring higher quality care to patients and communities so they are more educated and know exactly how to improve health for a better quality of life. He believes that health care will slowly improve but it starts with education.
What from your background do you hold closest to you?
I consider my parents and the values that they instilled in me the closest to me. My parents are humble and down to earth folks that always wanted me to strive for what is right in this world.These lessons eventually became a part of my ethical beliefs and this allows my values to reflect in my work. My parents always taught and modeled for us to ‘do the right thing’ and to do ‘honest work’ – do something that is meaningful to the community. Don’t need to cheat to get ahead... basically, do honest work that will help others, and grow organically.
How does your Sikh background and Sikhi reflect on the work you do?
My Sikh values are seen through my involvement with the Sangat (community). I deeply connect with the aspect of Sangat and ‘Ek’ (oneness) by saying that “the community is One – we have to take care of each other”. I am an evolving person who is growing with the community around me, which is why I contribute to work that will benefit many different communities. I want to stay genuine and humble to the work I do which is why I also reflects upon the five evils (Kam, krodth, lobh, moh, ahankar) (translation: lust, anger, greed, attachment to material things, ego). This is something that I remember learning from my father and Gurdwara which ultimately is a lesson to remain true to yourself and others around you.
What would be your advice to other young people on having a successful career?
Although I am young and have a lot of learning to do, my advice is to use common sense, be passionate, and do meaningful work; enjoy what you are striving for in a career. I would emphasize that one should not force themselves into a career for the wrong reasons but instead, an individual should educate themselves and venture to positive opportunities. The overall lesson is to not only strive for money but to enjoy what you are doing. My father used to tell me “don’t work for a paycheck, work to learn” and I appreciate applying this to my own daily life but also to share that if one does meaningful work for others then, in the end, it is all worth it.
Long term goals for the future or aspirations for what you’d like to see happen?
To spend more meaningful time with family, raising children to be good humans with good ethics/character. As a society, we’ve fallen victim to the rat race, wanting the next best thing, creating an image for others, all while moving further from inner-bliss. My wife and I both have doctorate degrees and had high-paying jobs, but have agreed that family is more important than a career – we’ve both left our six-figure salaries to pursue more meaningful ventures, including spending more meaningful time raising our children and giving to the community.
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