Life As We See It

One day a school teacher decided to do an experiment with the children in her class. She asked them to bring a bag of potatoes after writing the name of the persons they hate, on each potato. The next day, each child brought their bags with two, three or five potatoes.

She asked them to keep their bags closed for ten days with them at all times. As the days went by, the children started complaining about the stench of rotten potatoes. On tenth day, when they were told to throw their bags and assemble, children breathed a sigh of relief.

The teacher asked the children how they felt about taking care of those potatoes. They complained that it was very difficult for them to carry the stinking bag with them. Then the teacher said, “Hate is like potato, it pollutes your heart. So it’s wise to forgive ones you hate.”

An intelligent child countered the teacher, “Ma’am, even if we had written names of those we love, those potatoes had to rot and stink after ten days.”

A bit perplexed, teacher responded, “You’re right, my son, potatoes had to stink, nobody can alter the nature, but those names would have given a feeling of love at least at the time of writing, and you would continue to treat them with love, even if the potatoes rot and stink.”

Finding points of agreement, despite disagreeing with ideas is the key to life. Life is so simple, or complex, as we allow it to be. Some people enjoy the best in life because they find good in everything that comes their way. The quality of thoughts matters a lot. Life is not what we write and read, life is one that we live and experience.

There may be evils in life, but the life itself can never be bad. Life is like a flower that may have many thorns, but there is no lack of beauty. Not everyone is sandalwood that can make our life fragrant. There are also some neem trees, who don’t smell, but may be useful in many ways.

Life is an opportunity given by God to be the best, to do the best, and to get the best by understanding one another with no preconceived notions.

Most of the life’s problems will if we learn to talk to each other, instead of talking about each other. And for any reason whatsoever, if you don’t have the right words for an occasion, just smile. Words can be confusing or ambiguous, but a smile always works and communicates what you wish…

–Kaushal Kishore