Hi, it’s been a little long. I was confused in the last 2 weeks.
Today’s Hastākshar’s 100th issue, and I was putting too much pressure on myself to make it super awesome.
Somewhere along the line, I forgot that the objective of this series is self-growth.
And there should be pressure or expectation of ‘big moments’ in self-growth. Consistently doing the right things matters much more.
Anyways, I want to take you to 2005, when Miss Kamat taught us English in the 5th standard.
There was a chapter in our rapid reading section.
A simple story about a young, school-going boy and his father.
The boy (let’s call him Devdutt) was around 10 years old. But like all other children his age, he wanted to grow up fast and do grown-up things.
He didn’t get enough pocket money to buy more chocolates.
He had to go to bed at a certain time.
He had to do what others asked him to.
He was jealous of his father, who had the money and freedom.
His father (let’s call him – you guessed it right – Arjun) was jealous of him, too.
Devdutt didn’t have responsibilities.
He was young, healthy, and carefree.
He was free from the pressures of life.
They both wished to be like the other.
And one night, it so happened. By magic, their souls interchanged bodies.
Devdutt woke up as his father. Arjun woke up young again.
They were both overjoyed.
The young Arjun was overjoyed. He ran to the courtyard and started climbing the mango tree. It wasn’t 5 minutes before his wife Kaveri (now mother) came, and shouted at him to get down, bathe and immediately go to school.
In school, his bullies were mocking him.
The teachers humiliated and punished him for not doing homework.
After coming home, he couldn’t even rest. Kaveri force-fed him snacks and sent him off to tuitions.
Devdutt didn’t have it any better, either.
He slept in and later walked to the local store for some chocolates.
As soon as he put candy in his mouth, his tooth started paining. A lot.
Once he reached the office, one of his employees called him crying about financial troubles, asking for a raise.
He was also getting constant calls and messages from his creditors, demanding loan repayments.
When he came home tired, Kaveri wouldn’t let him sleep. She wanted his help in planning a family event.
So much for wanting freedom!
Before they both went to bed, Arjun and Devudutt understood the fundamental problem with jealousy.
We want the good parts of someone else’s life. But that’s it. We want the good parts only.
If given a chance to exchange places with them, we’re never up for accepting the bad bits.
Somehow, just as the good in others’ lives seems better, the bad in our lives is smaller than theirs.
Let this be a lesson for us, too.
The next time we’re jealous of someone and want their physique, fame, money, or even spouse – ask yourself, “Am I willing to buy the complete package? Am I ready to trade places and accept every problem of their life?”
Trust me: even if you’re looking at Shah Rukh Khan, Mukesh Ambani or Narendra Modi, the answer will not be “Hell yes!”
And if you’re not ready, then why waste time thinking about their life when you can enjoy yours?
