Happiness Is a Journey, Not a Destination - A Story About Happiness

I want to tell you a story.

There was a king and the king was walking with his minister one day and in the farm he saw a farmer along with his family – husband, wife and son. They were buzzing, so much life in them; their faces were radiant, they were happy, they were beaming with joy. They were singing. They had so much affection and love for each other.

And the king said, “Man, I have a massive palace and I have everything that one could dream for and these guys are happier than me. Why?”

Minister said, “Sir, because this family is not a member of the 99 club.”

So the king said, “Hey, what is 99 club?”

The Minister said, “Give me 99 gold coins, I will tell you.”

So the king gave him a bag of 99 gold coins and Minister said, “After 6 months I will tell you, not today.” So the Minister took that bag of 99 gold coins and put it right at the door step of the farmer.

In the morning when the farmer got up, he saw a bag right at his door step. He picked the bag up, went back into his house, excited as he was, he opened the bag and Gosh! Lo and behold! Glittering gold! Gold coins!

He had never come across such a stroke of good fortune. He emptied the contents on the floor and started counting. They were 99.

‘I made a mistake in counting. I am too excited. Let me count again.’ He counted again, 99.

He said, “Who is that idiot who forgot to put one more, he should have made it a round figure, why 99?”

So he called his wife, “You count,” So she counted, again 99. “You are not doing it right as well!”

So he called his son, “You count!” So he counted, again 99.

He said, “God, we can’t live like this. We have to make this 100.”

So he started working hard to get that one gold coin and it would take him months and years to get one.

And then the wife was thinking, ‘My husband is such a nut.’ We have 99 gold coins and this guy doesn’t spend anything.’

So she took 2 gold coins and went for shopping. So every day the guy would come and in the evening he would count the gold coins. So that day he came and counted the gold coins. Only 97, initially only one coin was less, now 2 have gone.

So he shouted, “Where did the two gold coins go?”

She said, “Well, I am not a nut like you, I thought I will go do some shopping. So I went and spent the two gold coins.”

“Oh God,” the farmer yelled, “I am toiling working hard, putting my blood and sweat to get that one gold coin and you nuts, you are spending these 2 gold coins away?”

Meanwhile the son spent 2 more, 95 left.

6 months passed by and the King and the minister were walking by. And the buzz had gone, the life had gone, the song had gone, the love had gone, only arguments, fights, bickering.

And the king said, “What happened? How did they change so much in just 6 months?”

The minister said, “Now they are officially members of the 99 club.”

The king said, “Man you took 99 gold coins, What is the 99 club?”

The minister said, “99 club is a club of those who have 99 gold coins, but in running after the one, they don’t use their 99 gold coins.”

In running behind the one coin, in trying to reach 100, what’s the point if we forget to utilize the 99?.

I have learnt one thing in my life, and I thoroughly believe in it – Don’t wait for the destination, start finding happiness while you are on the journey. Don’t postpone your happiness to then. Today I may have the greatest challenge, that doesn’t mean I should postpone my satisfaction. Today I may be in the middle of the greatest chaos that doesn’t mean I should postpone my satisfaction.

HAPPINESS IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION

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