Last week was a time to rejoice as I had some of my old friends visiting me and then I was also out of town for a couple of days and that was again a great opportunity to catch up with some old friends. These friends of mine, most of them Udaipurites, have made a name for themselves in their corporate lives, in the bustling metros of Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, London and beyond, all in the echelons of top management and all super successful in life with super growth and super money.
But during our get together, more often than none, the discussions that took place all revolved around our “Good Old Days” and that too in our very own Udaipur. I gradually found out that the memories of serene lakes, the envelop of the Aravalis all around, the lush greenery especially just after the monsoons, a stroll around Fatehsagar and snacks from the stalls that dot the lake have formed such an ineradicable mark in the minds of my super successful friends that these precious memory easily outweigh the “Growth and Money” that they have amassed in these years.
A friend from Mumbai, who is now a top honcho with a leading Investment Bank put it aptly by saying that though he might have ample money and power now but what “he misses in life is life itself”; Money galore but hardly any time to spend it with his family. What is precious is not wealth but quality time with family and friends, which is such a scarce commodity! He even admitted that he envies me for being in Udaipur, away from the maddening run against time of a large mass of Humanity, probably in the same way I envy his growth.
The problem with us humans is that we hardly appreciate the things that we have with us and look and compare with others and think of ourselves as being “have-nots”. Though to keep a track of others is not bad per say, as it drives you to be better in life, but to continuously ape somebody else may lead you to bugger up your present, in search of an elusive future.
The proverbial “Rat Race” which starts as soon as a child starts his educational journey and intensifies over the years and culminates only when it becomes too late for the person to realize that he has been running all his life for a better future and in the process has compromised on his family’s and his own life and neglected on the small things in life that actually make it precious, like a simple walk in the rain or seeing kids grow, their first steps and their innocent naughtiness.
But, as the wise men have said, “You cannot have the Cake and eat it too”, you too have to have tradeoffs in life and that might involve you taking decisions that might lead you to breaking down bridges to the way of being “Super successful” and amassing unthinkable money. But at the end of the day, the wise men have also said, “Its All “bout Money, Honey!”, so that makes a tradeoff very tricky and very personal (oh, these wise men!)
Hence, the debate on ‘Is it only about money, honey?’ goes on and on……
Article By : Arunabh Mitter
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