TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY

This is an interesting story I had heard some time back.

 There was a poor fisherman. Once while he was fishing in a pond, he caught a fish. Surprisingly, the fish spoke to him and beseeched him to release it. He was hungry, but in his kindness, he put the fish back into the water. The fish became an angel and gifted him a red ruby, which granted wishes. The angel said to him, pray to the ruby everyday and your needs will be taken care of.

So next day morn, he prayed to the ruby for a hundred rupees. Immediately the money appeared before him. From that day onwards, he did not go to work. His needs were minimal, and they were satisfied by the ruby.

His neighbor became curious, when he saw the fisherman relaxing without going to fish. He peeked into his prayer room, and saw the money appear as the fisherman prayed. The same night the neighbor stole the ruby.

The fisherman was crestfallen. He went to the pond and prayed to the angel.  The angel appeared and gave him a big green emerald. The angel said, “This emerald will solve your problems.”

The fisherman prayed to the emerald for a hundred rupees. The emerald said, “What can you do with a hundred, ask for more.”

He said,” OK, give me two hundred.” The emerald said, “What can you do with two hundred, ask for more.”

He said,” OK, give me five hundred.” The emerald replied, “Only five hundred? ask for more.”

The fisherman said, “OK, I will come to collect the money later,” and left the room.

The neighbor was watching all this from a hole in the wall. As the fisherman went outside, the neighbor stealthily replaced the emerald with the ruby, and took the emerald to his home.

The neighbor was very happy. He placed the emerald in his prayer room. He prayed to the emerald for five hundred rupees. The emerald said, “What can you do with five hundred, ask for more.”

He was now very eager. He said “OK, make it  thousand. “

The emerald asked, “ Why is it you have no ambition? Dream big.”

He blurted out “Make it ten thousand.”

The emerald sighed, “ Is it all you can ask?”

His eyes widened in greed as he excitedly asked , “I will be happy with ten thousand.”

The emerald said,” Make it more.”

“One lakh?” he asked.

“More,” encouraged the emerald.

“Ten lakhs?” he wondered.

“More,” commanded the emerald

“A million,” he said with thrill.

“More,” continued the emerald.

Now he became irritated. He said, “A million is more than enough for me. Give me just that. “

The emerald laughed and said, “ You fool, do you still not realize that I am a talker and not a doer?

It was too late. He had been tricked into exchanging a useless talking emerald for a good doing ruby.

All of us are like the emerald, most times.  We talk with a lot of conviction about exercising, meditation, dieting, new year resolutions, and being happy. We just leave it at that.

I read somewhere , that the smallest deed is better than the grandest intention. I too, try to fit some daily disciplines, into my life. Succeeding for some time, only to fail later, and start all over once again. But I do not give up. The fight between ideals and reality continues. I wonder about the disciplined guys who go to the gym everyday for the six packs, or the dieter, who can say no to sweets firmly everyday, or the everyday early morning risers. How come, they are so committed, while some of us fluctuate between opposing desires? I look at the achievers with a sense of wonder, and the feeling continues.  Then I tell to myself, let us wait and see. After all, like Scarlett O'Hara said “Tomorrow is another day.”