(True Happiness) Sometimes, it’s not a bad idea to learn something from others too.
When a radio presenter asked Indian billionaire Ratanji Tata during a telephone interview: “Sir, what do you remember as the moment when you felt the greatest happiness in your life?”
Ratanji Tata replied: “I have gone through four stages of happiness in life, and finally, I have understood the meaning of true happiness.”
The first stage was accumulating wealth and resources. But at that stage, I did not get the happiness I wanted.
Then came the second stage of collecting valuable items and objects. But I felt that its effect was also temporary, and the shine of valuable things doesn’t last long.
Then came the third stage of acquiring a major project. That was the time when I supplied 95% of the diesel in India and Africa. I was also the owner of Asia’s largest steel factory. But even here, I did not get the happiness I had imagined.
The fourth stage was when one of my friends asked me to buy wheelchairs for some disabled children—about 200 children. At my friend’s request, I immediately bought the wheelchairs. But the friend insisted that I go with him and hand over the wheelchairs to the children myself. I got ready and went with him.
There, I handed the wheelchairs to those children with my own hands. I saw a strange glow of happiness on those children’s faces. I saw them all sitting in the wheelchairs, moving around, and having fun. It felt as if they had arrived at a picnic spot, where they were distributing winning prizes.
I felt true happiness within myself. When I decided to leave, one child grabbed my leg. I gently tried to free my leg, but the child looked at my face and held onto my legs even tighter. I bent down and asked the child: “Do you need anything else?”
The answer that child gave not only shocked me but also changed my perspective on life.
The child said: “I want to remember your face so that when I meet you in heaven, I can recognize you and thank you once again.”
