Who is Happy? The Crow and the Peacock.
A crow lived in the forest and was absolutely satisfied in life. But one day he saw a swan. “This swan is so white,” he thought, “and I am so black. This swan must be the happiest bird in the world.”
He expressed his thoughts to the swan. “Actually,” the swan replied, “I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors. I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation.” The crow then approached the parrot. The parrot explained, “I lived a very happy life until I saw a peacock. I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors.”
The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him. After the people had left, the crow approached the peacock. “Dear peacock,” the crow said, “you are so beautiful. Every day thousands of people come to see you. When people see me, they immediately shoo me away. I think you are the happiest bird on the planet.”
The peacock replied, “I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo. I have examined the zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the only bird not kept in a cage. So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam everywhere.”
That’s our problem too. We make unnecessary comparison with others and become sad. We don’t value what God has given us. This all leads to the vicious cycle of unhappiness. Learn to be happy in what you have instead of looking at what you don’t have. There will always be someone who will have more or less than you have. Person who is satisfied with what he/she has, is the happiest person in the world.
In today’s world where most people live their lives on Social Media portraying exotic vacations, eating the most scrumptious food and always looking picture perfect, how can we be satisfied with our own lives? Lives, where there is everyday struggles, where there is the good and the bad, where there is darkness at times and then light. How can we not compare our lives to other?
First, we have to be thankful everyday for our lives for so many people will not wake up today.
If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have clean running water, 884 million people in the world do not have access to safe water. This is roughly one in eight of the world’s population. (WHO/UNICEF)
If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation you are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.
If you can read this message you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.
Author:Unknown
“God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say ‘thank you?’ – William Arthur Ward
So, today start your day by saying thank you God for being alive, and when you start to compare your lives to others, think about all that you have to be grateful for. Try to spend today not complaining once about what you don’t have, or what you are unhappy abou,t or what you are angry about. Everytime a dissatisfied thought, or an angry feeling, or an unhappy picture pops into your head, say thank you to God for your many blessings. Stop comparing your lives to others, and be contented.
AUTHOR:ROSSANA S MOHAMMED.