Wednesday, October 08, 2014

Solving the World Puzzle

How are you going to change the whole world? I mean, even if you decide to change yourself and your near and dear ones, this is still not good enough to impact the whole world. An interesting story reveals how the world will take care of itself, just if we can learn to....
A young girl, Anisha, just 5 years old, was getting bored on a Sunday morning. She was looking for someone to play with. Her mom was busy in the kitchen, so she decided to catch hold of her dad. Her dad had a very peculiar habit of reading the morning newspaper for at least 1 hour before attending to any other work. This habit was so much inculcated in his daily routine that he could not do away with this. His daughter knew of this as well. But having nothing else to excite her, she wanted to try her luck with her father.

Anisha went on, nudged her father and asked him if he could play with her. 
"I would definitely play with you sweat heart..but after 1 hour. I must read through the world news. I must know whats happening around me - in the society, this country and in the world around us. Now go on, and play of your own till that time. Go."

Anisha did not give up. She had already prepared herself to face this reluctance. She nudged him again and requested
"Can you take an exception for today, and not read the newspaper? I want to spend time with you. I am getting bored."

Father, as smart he was, just glanced on the newspaper and got a brilliant idea, which he thought would be a win-win. In the adjoining page, he saw an advertisement of a courier company wherein they had made a full page globe and also highlighted some of the key destinations across the globe where they deliver their services. Without wasting any time, he tore off the entire page, tore off the globe into at least 15-20 pieces, mixed them all up and gave it to Anisha.

"Here you go...if you can re-assemble the globe and finish it in the next 1 hour, i would consider you a genius, and would play for an hour with you everyday."

Knowing very well that this would be an almost impossible feat for her to achieve even in the next 24 hours, he convincingly sat back with the newspaper in his lap. Not more than 2 minutes had passed that Anisha started to nudge her dad again.

"Here you go..dad." 

"What do you mean, here you go...I told you to complete the puzzle." remarked Anisha's Dad trying to shun her hands while his eyes were still glued on the newspaper.

"I have finished your puzzle. Now, please keep your promise."

Shocked, embarrassed and puzzled by what he saw, he was mixed with a feeling of admiration of her daughter and the now the probable miss of the newspaper reading.

"How did you do it? How do you know all major countries and cities of the world. They dont teach you this level of geography in school at this age. Or do they?"

"Well, actually, I dont know where Europe is or Australia is or South Africa is." Anisha was honest and straight in her response.

"Then how did you complete the map?"

"It was pretty simple. There was a photograph of a person on the back side of the globe. Though I had no clue on how to fix the world, I do know how to fix a human being - I mean I know where to fit in the nose, eyes and ears..i just did that..the world globe took care of itself."

Dad got a simple and profound message that day.

If we just take care of our self, and if each one of us just does that, the world will obviously be taken care of. Before we start worrying about the world - let us worry about our own self - how honest we are, how neat we are, how caring we are, how helpful we are, and how are we bringing the change we want to see in the world, within ourselves.

Focusing back on ourselves also ensures that we do not blame someone else for the "non compliance" that we see around us. This prevents leakage of happiness, and we can live a happier and peaceful life.

Cheers

Manoj Arora

About "Happiness Unlimited"

at

No comments:

Post a Comment