You Need Others to Achieve Success and Happiness. No Man is an Island
I remember a story I once read when I was still growing up. On being asked what he wished for him, a boy told his grandfather that he would love to be alone in this world. The grandfather asked him why and he said that if he were to be alone, he would have all the cars, all the good houses and would go whenever he wanted and that there would be no one to disturb or nag him. He said being alone would give him total uninterrupted freedom.
“Are you sure that is really what you want?” asked the old man.
“Yes grandpa.” Shot back the boy resolutely.
Then the old grandfather took him to an isolated island. The place was just spectacular with a palace painted in gold. The waves from the ocean beat the rugged cost in a rhythmic comportment. The gentle breeze that was born of this continual activity was soft on the boy’s membrane. The flamboyantly colored curtains of the palace faced the shore in a confident and dignified manner.
Ahead of the boy’s surprise of his grandfather’s wealth taking any concrete form, his grandfather said him, “this is my outward representation of hard work of my younger days. I was determined to create wealth for myself and so as result of my dogged determination, I bought this house in this exclusive isle. It belonged to an ancient king of this territory. This is where the king lived with his servants. Behind the front door is an orchard and a garden with all types of fruits. Further down is a mine of diamond beside a store of gold and silver. The king kept a huge box of precious stones he received as gifts from his beautiful daughters’ marriages because he had the fairest of daughters. My child one, I have never lived in this home since I bought it. I kept it just for you so that you may enjoy the sweat of your grandfather. Take this island as the world in which you alone will live. No doubt it has everything you need. I will go and leave you alone and just as you wished, no one will come over here. You have everything you need and there will be no one to disturb you.”
The old man left as he had said and bid the joyful boy goodbye. After three years, the old man went back to the magnificent island to see how his grandchild was doing. Sadness overwhelmed him when he found the skulls of his grandchild lying in the living room with a note on a table that read.
Grandpa, the burden of loneliness has become too heavy for me to carry; but thanks for your generosity. It is now barely one year since we parted but I am covered with sorrow that I can’t live one more day without any of my people I love. All the wealth you generously gave me has become a poison I have been drinking in an expensive vessel. Forgive my ignorance when I desired to exist for myself and alone thinking that others are source of competition and disturbance.
I am going to die wiser and I only ask you to tell this story to my brother and sisters back home. How I wish we were here together to share what I have. I know you wanted me to learn a lesson and I am thankful that I have learned it. You gave me a small island for this lesson and I think if you gave me the whole world instead of this small island I wouldn’t have lived one more day.
Tell my younger brother Klessi that he can achieve what he wants to achieve in his life but he must not forget to involve people who matter to him because he will need them when he is going up and even more when he is already up there..
Tell Sister Terry that she is a wonderful little girl and if it were possible I would have loved to see her once more before I die. Again, pass her my message to her and tell her that she should desire to grow an honorable life. It is my longing that she gives herself more and more to the world. That she may serve more than she is served. That she may love others more than she expects to be loved.
Don’t forget to tell my close brother James that many people are looking up to him. May he not disappoint their hope or dishearten them. May he understand that there are people who wish him well and would love to see him become a winner.
Tell my cousin Joe that I love him so much and I am deeply cut by regrets of not having showed him my love and it is only now that I wish I could have let him know how much I love him.
Tell dad and mom that they are such a wonderful couple and the love they showed me when I was with them was so great and so sweet even though I had no discernment to enable me see how much they love me. I now know that they meant well for me and it was their plan that I get the best out of my life. But I want to ask you to tell my parents to let their other children explore the possibilities of their dreams in order that they may not become stumbling blocks to them. Instead let them take their hands and lead their beloved children through the unclear forests of their hearts’ desires.
Finally, grandpa let everyone of them know this always: that they should be cautious on how they choose friends because some friends are good and capable of helping us surge forward but many of them are toxic to our life’s mission. Let them nurture truthfulness and candidness in friendship in the most guarded manner. They are not alone in the universe. We are all connected in the great spectrum of atomic conjoint; I am you and you are me. I am what I am because you are what you are. You achieve so that I may conquer, you became happy so that I may discover the completeness of common love. Let’s share our specks together as we seek to fulfill our dreams together. Thanks & goodbye.
0 comments:
Post a Comment