A m
an was extremely poor. He had no job and no wealth. He became extremely frustrated with life and deiced to commit suicide. He went to a hill and decided to jump from there to end his life. When he was about to jump, a wise man stooped him from jumping. The poor man started crying and asked the wise man, "Why have you saved me. I have nothing. I don't want to live." "Who said, you have nothing.
You are a millionaire", said the wise man. The poor man looked surprised and said "You must be joking. I have nothing" The wise man gave an offer, "OK. Then I can make you a millionaire now." "How?" asked the poor man in disbelief. "I have a friend, who needs an eye. If you can give me one of your eyes, I can give you 100,000. You can still live as you have two eyes" The wise man suggested. The poor man thought for a while. Then hesitantly said that he couldn't give his eye. Then the wise man suggested to give him his Kidney, legs and other body parts for a price but the poor man refused to part with his limbs. Then the wise man calculated the price of different parts of his body and explained that if only his body parts are valued at many millions, how can he be poor. The poor man understood the value of him and decided to work hard. Gradually he became a millionaire due to his efforts.
Most of us are like the poor man as we feel that we are poor as we have very little wealth as compared to others. In the world of materialism, we have learned to value everything and every person in terms of money. A man is worth the money one has or capable to earn. So everyone try for higher salary and larger income to become valuable and important. Yet, all the money of this world can't buy the things which are really valuable to a human being. The most valuable things in life are those that still cost nothing.
Unfortunately, in the era of materialism, man has stopped valuing the things that are made available to him free. What is free? Anything that is not saleable is either not available or provided free. If anything is not saleable in the market, for a businessman, it has no value but for a man it is the most valuable thing as it is truly invaluable. The life can only be made beautiful and fulfilling from the things that are too valuable to be available for sale.
The Joy of Freedom
Freedom is one of the most valuable gift that a man has. Compared to our previous generations, we have considerable freedom. People have freedom of speech, thoughts, expression, to choose friend and chose a profession what they like. In the modern world, everyone is free as no one is owned by anyone. The parents, don't own the child and the Rulers don't own the ruled. We can choose to do whatever we wish. Imagine the people, who have all the wealth and power but no freedom. Or imagine a person who is lodged in jail and lost all his freedom. These people can pay anything to become free. Yet most fail to value the freedom as it is available to them free. Dick Cheney has rightly said
"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."
Health is Wealth
Many thousands years ago, Buddha said "Every human being is the author of his own health or disease". The same holds today. It cost nothing to be healthy. If only people are little careful about their food habits and keep themselves active, they can remain healthy. Billions of people, world over are healthy without spending a penny on medicine. Most of the people suffer illness, not due to lack of anything but due to overindulgence of things. Most people fail to value health unless they have lost it completely. People somehow, believe that if they have good money they can also buy health. A. J. Reb Materi said
"So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health."
However, a good health can be maintained free and the health bought with money harldy last. Yet few people appreciate good health as they get it free from nature.
The Magic of Love
Love is another gift that is available to all man free. People fail to value love because, it is available in plenty and spread everywhere. A person starts getting love of the parents and relatives from the very day when he is born. A child is loved by all, even strangers. Love is available free and unconditionally to most people as a rule. However, people don't value love because it is free and prefer to find love which is available at a price. So as an adult, they visit prostitutes, have extramarital affairs and pay heavy gifts to their girlfriends to get love while ignoring the love of the spouse, parents, relatives and children as it is available for free. Yet when they lose the free love give, they loose everything in life. A love that can be bought and sold in the market is just not love.
The Justice of Time
There may be wide disparity in the distribution of wealth in this world as per the laws made by the man, but God has been extremely fair in giving time to man. A multi-billionaire man does not live longer than an ordinary man. All wealth and medicines of the world, can't add years in the life of a person. We all have almost same time at our disposal in this world. However, most people don't value their time because it is free. They spent it for acquiring more wealth rather than enjoying what they have got. They don't realize that time can never come back. Once can never buy time which has gone. If people use their time properly, they can enjoy their life fully.
The Value of Friends
Charles Caleb Colton said "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." How True? Yet how many people value friendship. They have all the time for making money but no time for friends unless they can get some benefit from them. People often make friends to do business, make money or become powerful. However, a true friendship is one that is free without any motive. If friendship comes with a price tag, it is useless and of little value.
The Cost of Happiness
Happiness is available to all man free. Even animals are happy without any possession. It cost nothing to feel happy. People can be happy even living in slums and earning less than a dollar a day. However, people try to buy happiness by spending huge sums of money and time. They visit different parts of the world, go to recreation and amusement parks, and earn a lot of money and power to make themselves happy. They treat happiness as a commodity that can be purchased from the market. Yet the more wealth one gets, the more one desires and in the process one fail to get happiness. It does not make you happy, if you get what you want. But if you are happy, you get what you want. In the words of Albert Schweitzer,
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
Yet the true happiness comes free in this world. The more you distribute happiness, the more you will get happiness. So make others happy without any motive, and you will get happiness free for life. Happiness bought from money is value nothing, as it does not last.
Understand the Value of the Free Gifts
In the material era today, there is a tendency to put a price tag on everything. People believe that higher is the tag, the more valuable is the thing or person. However, good things in life are not for sale. So either you can consider it cheap as they are available for free or you can consider it invaluable as they can never be purchased. Either way, you are right. However, if you can value the free things even before losing them, you have got everything in your life and you have already become a wealthy and happy person.
an was extremely poor. He had no job and no wealth. He became extremely frustrated with life and deiced to commit suicide. He went to a hill and decided to jump from there to end his life. When he was about to jump, a wise man stooped him from jumping. The poor man started crying and asked the wise man, "Why have you saved me. I have nothing. I don't want to live." "Who said, you have nothing.
You are a millionaire", said the wise man. The poor man looked surprised and said "You must be joking. I have nothing" The wise man gave an offer, "OK. Then I can make you a millionaire now." "How?" asked the poor man in disbelief. "I have a friend, who needs an eye. If you can give me one of your eyes, I can give you 100,000. You can still live as you have two eyes" The wise man suggested. The poor man thought for a while. Then hesitantly said that he couldn't give his eye. Then the wise man suggested to give him his Kidney, legs and other body parts for a price but the poor man refused to part with his limbs. Then the wise man calculated the price of different parts of his body and explained that if only his body parts are valued at many millions, how can he be poor. The poor man understood the value of him and decided to work hard. Gradually he became a millionaire due to his efforts.
Most of us are like the poor man as we feel that we are poor as we have very little wealth as compared to others. In the world of materialism, we have learned to value everything and every person in terms of money. A man is worth the money one has or capable to earn. So everyone try for higher salary and larger income to become valuable and important. Yet, all the money of this world can't buy the things which are really valuable to a human being. The most valuable things in life are those that still cost nothing.
Unfortunately, in the era of materialism, man has stopped valuing the things that are made available to him free. What is free? Anything that is not saleable is either not available or provided free. If anything is not saleable in the market, for a businessman, it has no value but for a man it is the most valuable thing as it is truly invaluable. The life can only be made beautiful and fulfilling from the things that are too valuable to be available for sale.
The Joy of Freedom
Freedom is one of the most valuable gift that a man has. Compared to our previous generations, we have considerable freedom. People have freedom of speech, thoughts, expression, to choose friend and chose a profession what they like. In the modern world, everyone is free as no one is owned by anyone. The parents, don't own the child and the Rulers don't own the ruled. We can choose to do whatever we wish. Imagine the people, who have all the wealth and power but no freedom. Or imagine a person who is lodged in jail and lost all his freedom. These people can pay anything to become free. Yet most fail to value the freedom as it is available to them free. Dick Cheney has rightly said
"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."
Health is Wealth
Many thousands years ago, Buddha said "Every human being is the author of his own health or disease". The same holds today. It cost nothing to be healthy. If only people are little careful about their food habits and keep themselves active, they can remain healthy. Billions of people, world over are healthy without spending a penny on medicine. Most of the people suffer illness, not due to lack of anything but due to overindulgence of things. Most people fail to value health unless they have lost it completely. People somehow, believe that if they have good money they can also buy health. A. J. Reb Materi said
"So many people spend their health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health."
However, a good health can be maintained free and the health bought with money harldy last. Yet few people appreciate good health as they get it free from nature.
The Magic of Love
Love is another gift that is available to all man free. People fail to value love because, it is available in plenty and spread everywhere. A person starts getting love of the parents and relatives from the very day when he is born. A child is loved by all, even strangers. Love is available free and unconditionally to most people as a rule. However, people don't value love because it is free and prefer to find love which is available at a price. So as an adult, they visit prostitutes, have extramarital affairs and pay heavy gifts to their girlfriends to get love while ignoring the love of the spouse, parents, relatives and children as it is available for free. Yet when they lose the free love give, they loose everything in life. A love that can be bought and sold in the market is just not love.
The Justice of Time
There may be wide disparity in the distribution of wealth in this world as per the laws made by the man, but God has been extremely fair in giving time to man. A multi-billionaire man does not live longer than an ordinary man. All wealth and medicines of the world, can't add years in the life of a person. We all have almost same time at our disposal in this world. However, most people don't value their time because it is free. They spent it for acquiring more wealth rather than enjoying what they have got. They don't realize that time can never come back. Once can never buy time which has gone. If people use their time properly, they can enjoy their life fully.
The Value of Friends
Charles Caleb Colton said "True friendship is like sound health; the value of it is seldom known until it be lost." How True? Yet how many people value friendship. They have all the time for making money but no time for friends unless they can get some benefit from them. People often make friends to do business, make money or become powerful. However, a true friendship is one that is free without any motive. If friendship comes with a price tag, it is useless and of little value.
The Cost of Happiness
Happiness is available to all man free. Even animals are happy without any possession. It cost nothing to feel happy. People can be happy even living in slums and earning less than a dollar a day. However, people try to buy happiness by spending huge sums of money and time. They visit different parts of the world, go to recreation and amusement parks, and earn a lot of money and power to make themselves happy. They treat happiness as a commodity that can be purchased from the market. Yet the more wealth one gets, the more one desires and in the process one fail to get happiness. It does not make you happy, if you get what you want. But if you are happy, you get what you want. In the words of Albert Schweitzer,
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."
Yet the true happiness comes free in this world. The more you distribute happiness, the more you will get happiness. So make others happy without any motive, and you will get happiness free for life. Happiness bought from money is value nothing, as it does not last.
Understand the Value of the Free Gifts
In the material era today, there is a tendency to put a price tag on everything. People believe that higher is the tag, the more valuable is the thing or person. However, good things in life are not for sale. So either you can consider it cheap as they are available for free or you can consider it invaluable as they can never be purchased. Either way, you are right. However, if you can value the free things even before losing them, you have got everything in your life and you have already become a wealthy and happy person.