A Tea Stall Owner from a small town was absolutely satisfied and happy in his life.
One day he got to know a bit more about his regular customer: a Car Driver of a well-known business tycoon.
The Car Driver used to stop at his stall every morning and every evening with different expensive and luxurious cars.
“This Car Driver gets to drive different, expensive cars every day. He must be the happiest person in the world,” he thought.
The Car Driver
“Well,” said the car driver, “I felt I was very fortunate to drive different and cool luxury cars every day until I met Mona, my boss’s personal secretary.”
“She is well educated, good looking and career oriented woman. She also gets to drive almost all the cars that I drive, but she is treated more respectfully and attentively than me. Maybe with more affection too ;)”
The Tea Stall Owner then approached Mona.
The Personal Secretary
Mona explained, “I lived a happy life until my boss got married to Kate, the popular film actress.”
“I only get to be with my boss for a few hours a day, I get his attention, I learn a few things from him and if he is in a good mood, I can get little cozy with him. You know what I mean. I also get to drive most of his expensive cars, but my boss’s wife, Kate, being a very popular actress and more beautiful than me, enjoys an abundance of his attention and wealth. Kate is a big name in the film industry, earns millions, and also enjoys attention and love from our country’s most handsome man, my boss! I was really happy before my boss’s marriage with Kate but not anymore. I feel jealous of Kate …”
The Film Actress
The Tea Stall Owner then approached Kate, “Hey Kate, you’re so beautiful, rich and famous. Every day thousands of people come to see and greet you. People come to me for having a tea. I do not get any attention from them. They just care about their tea. Sometimes they even don’t care about the quality of tea I make. They come to my place, talk about everything on the earth with other people and leave. I don’t get enough love, richness and wealth though essentially God has created both of us as human beings. I think you must be the happiest person in the world and I’m not …”
Kate replied, “I always thought that I was the most loved and happy person on the planet.”
“But because of my popularity, I feel trapped. I cannot live the life I want to. I have to wear the mask of the “brand” I have become. Sure, I have an abundance of money, fame, and a loving husband, but I am not free. I ‘have to’ behave specifically so I can maintain my brand image.”
“But you know what, for last several years, I have been consciously seeing you selling the tea at this corner. I am seeing that you are really enjoying your work as a tea maker. Often, you’re singing a song or you’re having fun along with those college students who come to your stall to take some tea on credit. Whenever I see you, I think perhaps you’re the happiest person on the earth because you’re free and you can do whatever you want!”
“For past few days, I have been thinking if I were a Tea Stall Owner like you, I could really do all that I want to, without wearing any masks!!!”
Conclusion
That’s our problem too.
We look for happiness everywhere else but not from within.
We make a comparison with others and create an abundance of unhappiness in our lives.
We don’t value the present moment that God has showered us with.
We plunge ourselves in the vicious cycle of unhappiness: I am unhappy than him. I am less beautiful than her. My cousin has 2 bungalows while I am staying on rent.
How our life would become if we value our present state?
How our life would become if we choose not to compare ourselves with others, for better or worse?
How our life would become if we just live the present moment?
How instead of writing that above is “easier said than done,” we start making it easy – for our own self – and others too?
Happiness has no relationship with the profession you are in. It emerges from within.
If you look forward to the next moment of your life with equal or better enthusiasm, then your present moment is well spent. If not, then … you need to make some changes.
What changes you will make will depend upon the type of expectations you have from your life, but ask yourself this: a life full of accomplishments is worth at the cost of happiness – or a life full of happiness is worth at the cost of accomplishments?
There is no right generalized answer to this question but I am sure there is an answer that is right for you. That answer will determine the course of your next life. Choose it consciously so you don’t have any deathbed regrets.
