MONEY , SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

This is a story set in India almost four hundred years ago .  There lived a trader who was going through difficult times . No matter what he did , his business never looked up . His daily routine would begin early in the morning .As he could not afford a bullock cart , everyday he would walk a good two miles before opening his shop. His customers were sympathetic and fully aware of the tough times the man was going through . Needless to say , he led a frugal life , just about managing two square meals a day .His persistence and self belief started paying dividends as business picked up . A few years later ,he became prosperous . His earnings went through the roof and before long , he had cash , gold , silver and precious gems in his possession . To insulate himself from public glare , he cultivated the persona of a struggler and played it to the hilt . The outside world knew very little of his success and his wealth . Along with the new status , he had his fair share of worries . Often he would dream of thieves breaking into his house and decamping with the booty . So he hit upon a brilliant idea and decide to sell his riches in exchange for a golden brick , which he thought would be easier to manage .

Keeping the brick at home was a risky proposition . One night , he tiptoed to the forest and buried the brick under a tree ,after carefully covering it up with mud and a few saplings . Once in a week , he would visit the tree and ensure that the brick was safe . As months passed , his visits became less frequent . A few days later , a cyclonic storm hit the village. Roofs were blown apart , trees uprooted and the entire place was submerged in water . Worse still, an earthquake leveled the town . After the storm subsided , the trader went to the tree and started digging frantically for the golden brick . Unfortunately , there was no trace of it . Sobbing inconsolably , the trader was returning home when he saw a yogi meditating under a tree . “ Please help me , ‘oh great man . I have lost everything “ and narrated his story . The yogi looked at him and said “ Son , in reality , you have not lost anything . The presence or absence of your wealth had no bearing on your life or for that matter, your spartan lifestyle . You lived a simple man when you were poor , and continued to do so soon after you became rich . The same holds good for the future . The golden brick would have made no difference even if it were to be with you today “.

The moral of the story - Money beyond a limit is superfluous . It is notional . You have to find happiness in what you are doing rather than trying to make tons and tons of money .

In today’s materialistic society ,success is measured in terms of money . The higher the salary , the more successful you are . Top executives commanding six figure salaries and flying frequently to meet business targets , chase success at the cost of happiness . It is a three way trade off between , money , success and happiness .

For a moment , Let us look at the spiritual angle .Money cannot guarantee happiness . The mad rush to make money while the going is good is not without ramifications . Heavyweight boxers have paid a price in terms of parkinsons disease . Their last days were miserable to say the least .

We all need money to lead a comfortable life , Beyond that , there is nothing extra that money can do for you . History is replete with stories of tall leaders like Martin Luther King , Mahatma Gandhi , Mother Teresa and Florence Nightingale . They found happiness in serving people rather than making millions and they were successful too .

As Dale Carnegie puts it - Success is getting what you want . Happiness is wanting what you get .

Uday