Friday, May 29, 2015

Contentment

As you grow, this word takes new meanings in your life. When i was a kid (which i still am for my parents), this word was all about being happy with whatever I've got. Some kids went abroad for their summer vacations, some went to Goa, some went to visit their grand parents, some went to see snow at hill stations. Contentment was all about how many amazing stories i would be able to narrate to my friends about my vacation when we would get back together in school. While my friends narrated their stories of playing in snow, my mind wandered through those hills of mountains soaked in snow as if i was there for my vacation too. Such was the dreamy utopian world i lived in as a kid. I never complained if for any reason we didn't go anywhere for vacation, because i had belief that one day i would visit all these places from where friends had gotten these amazing tales of adventure. I was satisfied spending few weeks under the sweltering sun in my home backyard; because my belief had overcome the frustration of being at home all summers.

Satisfaction was all about being happy even if i couldn't score highest marks in my favorite subject. I used to be disappointed for a day or two, but it never lingered longer than that. The belief that i would get one more opportunity to score highest helped me to keep pace with time. Sometimes i think, we were more mature in our school time than we are now. We competed with our best friends for marks throughout the year, yet they were our best friends when it came to give one extra bite of chocolate on your birthday. You treated them with love and care. As we grew up, the competition got more stiff (or perhaps that's how you see it happening and in reality, it is same as it was a decade ago). Now you hardly talk about your personal matters with your work colleagues. You've a separate set of work and family friends. You celebrate one birthday in your office where you graciously acknowledge the warm wishes of your colleagues, and you open your heart out to your close friends later in evening. Life was never so tough a decade ago. How it became so selfish, or is it just me who has become selfish with time. Perhaps others are still alike your old school friends whom you trusted more than anyone in your life. Just like you, your colleagues too have got a separate set of close friends with whom they can crib about your shortcomings.

When you leave your work colleagues for a better opportunity (in terms of money or position), you miss them dearly just like you missed your school friends while parting ways after school. You miss your colleagues who were there for you when you got stuck in your work. You relish your office times which you spent with them learning new things, and how they were always so warm and polite with you. They might not hold you in good books, despite this fact they always greeted you with smile. They were not paid to be sweet to me at work, yet they did it voluntarily so that i could have a good day at work. Yet you never acknowledged it while you were there.

Same happened at every new step i took in my life, and same would happen in future too. So why can't i acknowledge the patience of others while they're in my life. After all life is too short to hold grudges against anyone. Make sure you hold them close to your hearts who treated you so dearly at any step in your life. It may not take you to heights in your career or double your income, but it surely will bring some contentment in your life. 

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