TO FIND A RAINBOW, LOOK UP

 


“You are not rich until you have a rich heart.”

Roy T. Bennett


I don’t understand how money grows, even though I keep claiming, that the book, which revolutionized my own life, was Napoleon Hill’s classic – ‘Think and Grow Rich’.

I am growing to be 63 in July 2021. Money and wealth are nowhere near me. “Maybe, I am not destined to make pots of money,” I console myself, “I am content with my rich heart.”

So, my ignorance – rather indifference – about who is ‘the richest man on this planet’ still dominates my mind. For long, I thought it was Henry Ford, even though Henry Ford I was long dead. Then, for some time, I thought it was Bill Gates… After that, I stopped checking.

Two nights ago, my 28-year-old son introduced me to this 49-year-old gentleman by the name Elon Musk. Now, is it said, that ignorance is bliss?

“What? You do not know who Elon Musk is?” My son yelled, “Are you living under a rock?”

“It’s okay,” I quietly calmed me down, “Jab jaago tab savera”… It’s morning when you wake up!

My son ended up showing me many YouTube videos, trying to educate me on Elon Reeve Musk. His ‘acentric’ – out-of-the-world - inventions… Tesla Inc, which produces electric cars… SpaceX Inc, which produces, of all the things in this world, ‘ Rockets’… His lofty dreams to start human colonies on Mars… etc., etc., etc.

I gave up…

“By the way, Dad,” my son told me with excitement and pride, “Elon Musk has been declared the ‘Richest Man on Planet’, this month. His wealth is – hold your breath – 209 Billion USD!

“Oh God,” I exclaimed, “How do they become so rich?”







I am happy, that my son is fascinated by the life  and adventures of Elon Musk. It’s a billion times better than leading a shallow life…

“We all live in the gutter,” said Oscar Wilde, “but, some of us are looking at the stars.”

I am relieved, that Oscar Wilde, ‘despite seeing stars from the gutter’, only remembered for the richness of his heart and not wealth…

Ditto about another genius, who, most of us admire – Charlie Chaplin. He said this:

“You will never find a rainbow if you are looking down.”

Every soul on this planet has not been destined to make rockets and dream of setting up human colonies on far away planets. Some, like you and me, are destined to discover planets in our own hearts…

And, yes, ‘feel’ very, very rich!

 

GERLAD D’CUNHA

 

Pic.: Getty Images

 

Videos: 1. ritm 1  2. Nerdiest

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...