OUR RETIREMENT PLAN

Pic.: Devki Joshi

How much of our idea about ‘Success’ is just an illusion! How ignorant, most of us can be!

Whenever I catch myself aggressively trying to achieve something with the hope that when I achieve it, I would be successful and happy, I give a hard shake to myself and remind, “Fool, if you are not feeling successful with whatever you are doing now, you won’t be with whatever you will be doing tomorrow... If you don’t find happiness here and now, you won’t find it ‘there’, when you ‘reach’...

For most of us, the time to have fun – to be happy - is when we ‘retire’ in life.... Yes, after making our many mansions and loads of money!

The Buddha is laughing!

You have, surely, heard this story in its various versions. Perhaps, in this version, too. Never mind, let me tell it you, today, once again... not just to remind you, but to me, too... And, importantly so!

One mid-morning, a famous business-tycoon saw a fisherman sorting his daily catch. Curious to know about the fisherman’s life, the tycoon asked:

“How much fish do you catch, every day?”

“Enough to run my family, sir,” the fisherman answered.

“How much time do you spend at sea?” the tycoon enquired.

“I leave early in the morning when it is still dark, and return much before it is noon,” the fisherman said.

“What do you do the rest of the day?”

“I rest for a while, eat with my family, play with my children and, at night, I take a few drinks with my friends, sing songs, dance and go to bed happily.”

“Man, now, you look at me; I am a wealthy tycoon... I work long and hard  unlike you... And, because I work so, I make loads cash... I have been able to buy many mansions and luxuries for my family and friends... Accept my advice and  take some risk in life... buy a motor boat, go deep into the sea, work there long...”

“What after that, sir?’

“After that, you expand your business... borrow more money from the bank, buy many more boats, employ many more people... make more cash...”

“Then?”

“Then, you open a big plant, export, have a posh office at the heart of the city, buy your big houses and cars... become famous, rich...”

“Then, sir, “

“Then, my friend, one fine day, you can retire... settle by the beach, look at the lovely sunset, relax... eat and play with your family, drink, sing and dance with your friends... You know, you can be happy!”

“That’s what I am doing, sir!”

Well, some stories come back to us, again and again, in their varied avatars ... just to bring that long-lost sheen on our face... just to help us loosen a bit...

No, loosen a lot!

GERALD D’CUNHA