"Focus on the Good Things in Life"
Post on: June 13, 2023
Tom and James were best of friends and were trudging through a desert. They both were employed as trekking guides. After completing their studies, their love for the outdoors landed them their dream job. They were on a mission to recce the terrain for a forthcoming expedition their adventure club was organising. Their task was to ascertain if the daytrip was safe enough to be carried out.
While walking, they argued about the route they should plan for the upcoming expedition. In a fit of anger, James slapped Tom hard on his right cheek.
It came as a shock and Tom was astounded. When he regained his composure, he took a stick and wrote these words on the sand, “My best friend slapped me on the face today.”
As they had a job to do, they continued their journey – misunderstanding took a back seat when an important task was at stake. As professionals, they lumbered towards their mission stoically.
They soon chanced upon an oasis. They decided to take a rest and freshen up at the peaceful sanctuary. While walking, Tom got stuck in a mire and was beginning to be consumed by the quicksand. He cried frantically. James who was ahead of him quickly backtracked, ran towards him and rescued him in the nick of time.
Tom was shaken by the incident and felt eternally grateful towards James. And as soon as he felt better, he took out his chisel and hammer and engraved these words on a rock, “Today my best friend saved my life.”
James was delighted, nevertheless puzzled by Tom’s behaviour. He asked, “When I slapped you, you wrote it on the sand and when I rescued you, you inscribe it on a rock. Why is that so?”
Tom replied without batting an eyelid, “When a wrong deed is meted out by someone towards us, we should write it on the sand. The winds of forgiveness will wipe the hurtful deed away.
“Likewise, when someone performs a moral deed, we should write it on a rock where no wind can ever erase it… the admirable deed should linger on.”
Like in the story, we should focus on the good things in life. We may have been wronged by friends and our past may be full of pain. However, the future will be filled with the same agony if we do not let go of the unfortunate past.
We are born to live a purposeful life. We should not deny the joy and happiness rightfully befitting us. Our life pans out by what we draw attention on. Therefore, focus on the ‘good’!
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