Contents
Step 23: «In the darkest nights you find the brightest sparkles»
The 88 rungs of happy people
In this chapter of «The 88 steps of happy people» I explain to you what is the correct attitude to be happy even every time a success is not achieved
Sometimes I say, in a joking tone, that the happiness, since I do not remember any year in which, in general, it has not been happy. A few days before writing these lines, I posted this on my Twitter account: I have been living for several years “the best year of my life.” At first I thought it was a matter of luck. Later I learned that it was a theme of attitude. ( @Angel)
But curiously, when I reread it later, I realized that I had not written it properly. clarity. It seems that I meant that I had the right attitude to achieve the success that allowed me to be happy, when what I meant was that I had the right attitude to be happy even every time I didn’t hit a hit. (Actually I have no credit for having that attitude, since I inherited it “whole” from my mother, who is the true teacher on the subject).
I count this for two reasons. The first: because unlike what many may believe, I didn’t always have the life I wanted.
The second: because, even living an “unwanted” life, one can also be happy. And I was. If my current life is my life in color, my life in black and white (the one I didn’t like so much) was my time as an interpreter (simultaneous translator).
But, I have learned that … In the darkest nights you find the brightest sparkles.
One of those highlights was being an interpreter of numerous personalities, from which I learned enormously, such as Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize, Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Prize in Physics, or Arun Gandhi, renowned international activist and lecturer and grandson of Gandhi. From all of them I learned enormously, and although the one who most influenced me was Yunus, the most shocking story was told to me by Arun Gandhi. I hope it accompanies you until the end of your life, since history is very powerful and its lesson is more so.
This is the story…
When Arun was a child, his grandfather, the Mahatma Gandhi, he was already a great personality in India and had already made merits to become a key figure of the twentieth century. All of the Mahatma’s grandchildren had deep admiration for him, taking every opportunity he offered to spend time with him, learn from him, and enjoy the places he took them to. He tried to be very fair with the allocation of his time, and the day he invited Arun to come with him to the city for a whole Saturday, he nodded without hesitation, filling his body with a huge illusion.
‘Arun,’ said the Mahatma, ‘in the morning you will be able to accompany me to all my meetings. In the afternoon you will have free time in the city and you can spend some time with your cousins, but you have to meet me at this same meeting point at five in the afternoon. It is important that you are not late.
“Thank you grandfather. I will do so. Don’t worry, ”Arun replied.
On the way to his cousins’ house, Arun passed a cinema And since he had never been to one, he decided to change the visit for the movie. The experience was fascinating to him, only there was a problem. The movie captivated him so much that he lost track of time. Of course, at 17.00:XNUMX p.m. his grandfather was at the meeting place waiting for him.
17.15… 17.30… 17.45… There was no sign of his grandson. Gandhi was desperate.
The movie didn’t end until XNUMX:XNUMX in the afternoon. When the boy was aware of the time, he felt a tremor throughout his being. He noticed that his heart could not cope with pumping all the blood his body needed, and, overwhelmed, he ran with the same eagerness as if someone were chasing him. He didn’t arrive until after six o’clock, and when he did, he saw that his grandfather’s face was a poem of disappointment.
“Grandpa, I’m sorry,” he apologized. “The guys were late with the food, they asked me to stay for dessert and … of course, I wasn’t going to say no …”.
But the Mahatma had already spoken to his uncles and he knew that what his grandson was saying was not true. Arun sensed that fact when he noticed how with each of his words his grandfather’s body languished, his eyebrows drew down and his skin took on pale tones, a sign of the sadness y pain it felt like watching his own grandson trying to fool him.
“Dear Arun,” she told him. “There are only two ways to interpret this situation. The first is to conclude that you have not behaved well and that the punishment is for you. The second is to conclude that I have educated you badly and that the punishment is for me, and, of course, I conclude the second ».
Mahatma Gandhi decided that his grandson would return to the village by car and that he would return on foot; at night, without light, with dangers and barefoot. Young Arun tried to convince him not to, but his decision was immovable.
If you had downloaded your frustration About his grandson, that lesson to Arun would have lasted a day. By unloading it on himself, he made that lesson last a lifetime.
El weak leader he succumbs to the temptation to blame his followers, and thereby drives them away. The strong he blames himself and thereby inspires them.