I happened to establish interaction with a wise man. Taking a sip coffee, he said– “I have done a lot but I haven’t received a single appreciation and gratitude from anyone till date. May be they realize when I am gone.”
With a surprising manner, I asked — “Where are you planning to go?”
With an exhausting voice, “May be I will have another job.” or “Even though I work for them till my retirement, they will surely remember after my retirement.”
I eagerly validated his communication.
He further added — “Pradip, people are afraid to talk about death. For me, its’ normal to talk about it. Since I am a good human, People will definitely remember after I step to the purgatory.”
“It means you are expecting appreciation and appraisal of others. They aren’t doing it, so that you are being upset.”- I eagerly replied to him.
He nodded.
I said- “You can’t be happy if you eagerly seek others’ praise and validation regarding your work and duties. Because these things are beyond your circumference and out of your control.”
I further added — “It’s an illusion to think that you will be remembered after you are gone. It’s a phantasm to think that people praise you after you are retired or whatever.”
His voice dropped to a whisper — “why?”
I said, “Because you are and will be remembered only because of your existence. As you feel it’s normal to talk about death, so I am adding this statement — When a person dies , perhaps upcoming two generations remember or misses him/her and after that s/he will be hardly remembered.”
I said further — “As you are a wise man, try to do something meaningful everyday, do good and hardly expect anything from others. What matters the most is what you feel. Life is never be a straight line. For me, the most important thing in life is how to love self, how to give out love and to let it come in.”
I feel it is weird to have high expectations from others. Enjoy what you are doing. If you are distressed and your life is mismanaged due to certain things; then ask yourself — ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ There ‘s always an option to do something meaningful.
It’s pity to say that we only live once but die many times while we are alive.
Live and Thrive !!!!
Of course!! until you are Alive !!!
I genuinely do understand when clients say they’re looking for a change, but don’t know what it is yet or how to achieve it. Because I have been there, done that and thankfully was lucky enough to walk away to now be doing a job where I never have to think “Thank God it’s Friday (TGIF).”
