Why you must stop trying to be someone else?

Once upon a time there was a crow who was free to roam around anywhere in the world but was not satisfied in his life. Whenever he visits any home and crows, people use to shoo him away. People do not offer any kind of food to him, and he felt unwelcomed wherever he flies. He considered himself ugly and became melancholy.

He started aspiring to be like other birds, who are loved and cared so one day he went to see an old sage to find a solution to be happy and contended. The sage on hearing his problem said, “so which bird you want to become, I will make you by my proven mantra”. The crow was delighted to hear this and thought of to be a white Swan- and said, “I wish to be like swan, people love swan, and it is the happiest bird.” The sage said, “okay, but first you go and find out whether swan is the happiest or not”.

The crow agreed and flew to a nearby swan, who was swimming in a lake. The crow said “ hey Sawn, you are so beautiful, white as milk, people love you and hope you are the happiest among us”

Hearing this Swan replied “No my friend, I am not happy. There are so many colours in the world, but I am colourless” Perhaps parrot is the happiest of all. Hearing this crow flew to the parrot and said, “Hey Parrot, as I see you are so colourful and beautiful, trust you are the happiest bird” The parrot sadly replied “No, my friend, I always live in a fear of being caged”. People use to trap me and keep me in locks, perhaps a peacock is the happiest.”

Hearing this, the crow flew towards the peacock in a zoo and asked “hey peacock, you are so beautiful, colourful and vibrant, trust you are very happy among all the birds. Hundreds of people come to see and admire you.” The peacock replied “No, my friend, I am not the happiest, see, people have locked me in this zoo cage. My beauty has become my curse. People try to pluck my feathers for their personal uses. I am not at all happy”. The Raven was surprised to hear this and asked, “then whom you think is the happiest bird”. “You”, the peacock replied. “I wish to be like you crow, as you are free to roam anywhere you want without fear. If, I were crow, I won’t be caged and can enjoy the freedom. I would have been happy”.

The crow silently listened and flew back to the sage. For the first time, the crow was happy with himself and said to sage “I do not want to be like swan or any other bird. I am happy as I am”. The crow thanked the sage for teaching this valuable lesson.

The same thing happens in people’s lives. In the quest to become someone else, people lose themselves and remain unhappy for most of the time without knowing the cause and focus only on things they don’t have, entering the vicious cycle of unhappiness.

Remember that there will always be someone who has something more or less than you. The race is never going to end. Only you can decide till what time of life, you want to run or even participate in this race.

Stay blessed!

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

-Socrates