“Hang On, where are you going?” an old man asked me. I said, “I am going to my work…”
I was standing at the metro station waiting for the metro to come. It was 8:45 am on the clock. This old man of around 5’1 in his mid-70s (maybe!) came next to me and stood there looking at my face. I felt really awkward but I guess it’s okay & then he started talking…
“Tell me what are you going to do, If you get what you want today?” The old man asked me and then said “I waited for years to get the fruits from my Apple Tree.”
I asked what’s the relevance? He said you want Apple in 10 mins but don’t want to wait for the Tree to grow…
I was still confused and asked why would I even need a tree? He laughed and laughed again and said – “it’s not about the tree it’s about your dreams! While asking for success you are constantly looking for shortcuts! Why? Not because you want success asap. But you lack patience. Seeing others getting what you dream of sooner, makes you jealous. Knowing that you can do better but not able to, makes you frustrated.”
Am I right? He asked!
Though I didn’t agree with what he said still I nodded in agreement because I wanted to hear him out (I don’t have any idea about WHY I wanted to hear him).
He continued and said, “never settle for something which is not best. Always aim for higher. It might take you years and it will worth it. But in that run – be happy, be patient, be hopeful. Hope runs this world. You have to keep your dream alive! If you want deep relationships it will not happen overnight, If you want a super successful career it will not happen overnight but if you are failing every single day and if you decide to give up – you are going to start another dream with zero and might end up like this only!”
He continued, “Keep that hope alive. Keep that perseverance. Keep that commitment towards your higher goal and have the patience to go through all the turmoil. Because what you are seeking is not that goal but the happiness, the bliss which follows after. Happiness is the ultimate goal and also it is an inevitable end of every single thing you are doing. Happiness will last longer for the good things you are doing and it will be just momentarily for the bad things. You will feel happy that you taught a lesson to your enemy by doing something bad to him but then that happiness will not last forever. But bringing a smile on someone’s face can be your source of motivation and happiness till your last breath…”
Suddenly, His words started hitting the right nerves and started making sense too.
I asked him, “why is he saying all this to me when I didn’t even ask?”
He said, “every single day a student is committing suicide because he failed. One entrepreneur is giving up on his dreams because he didn’t get the results he expected. One relationship is broken because the couple thought they can’t work out their lives together in just 10 days of marriage. Son, things take time! Every darker night will be followed by a brighter day. Today, this generation is losing the greatest assets available to humankind for so long – patience, faith & perseverance.”
He continued, “In the world full of 1 hour delivery to 1-second downloads. Entertainment on fingertips to dopamine hits of social media – it is very difficult to cope up. But I want you to know that EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT ONE DAY. Just hang on till then! Just hang on till then“
Though he didn’t answer my question directly. But, I think I got my answer which I was looking certainly at all the wrong places. I thanked him. He smiled and left saying nothing. I was stunned by the brutal honesty of this old man and wished for the first time to God for the energy to just Hang on!
