This Slogging thread by Manas Goel, Valentine Enedah, GemInRubbles, Mónica Freitas and Sara Pinto occurred in slogging's official #random channel, and has been edited for readability.
A trillion dollars plus 70 % ownership of the top fortune 500 companies🙂
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This would take a lifetime:face_in_clouds: Valentine Enedah
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An interesting story
A long time ago, there was a noble king who lived a luxurious life. He had everything at his disposal including a huge amount of wealth yet was not content with his possessions.
Once, while strolling about on the premises of his grand palace, he spotted a carpenter who was singing joyfully while working on a piece of wood. This king, who owned many riches but was sad and cranky all the time, was fascinated after finding out a carpenter who was poor but was happy.
The king decided to know the secret and asked the carpenter, “Why are you so happy?’ The carpenter looked up surprised. He greeted the king with a bow and said, ‘Your Majesty, I am a mere carpenter. My family and I don’t need much to run our lives – just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.’
The king was not satisfied with this reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted minister. After hearing the story, the advisor replied, ‘Your Majesty, I believe that the carpenter is not part of Club 99 yet.’
The king wanted to know about the club as he was unaware of it. The advisor said, “I want you to place exactly 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it at the carpenter’s doorstep. You will figure out then.’ The king ordered to leave a bag with 99 gold coins outside the carpenter’s house early the next morning before anyone woke up.
When the carpenter opened the door, he saw the bag and brought it in. He examined it and untied the knot. What he saw inside astonished him. So many gold coins!
He began to count them and saw that there were 99 gold sovereigns. He wondered, ‘What could have happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave just 99 coins. There have to be 100 coins.’
So he looked everywhere around the house but there was no trace of the hundredth coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he would work harder than ever to earn that last gold coin to complete his collection.
From that day onwards, the carpenter’s life changed. He worked round-the-clock. He began chiding his family for not helping him earn that final gold coin. Soon, he had no joy in his life. He stopped singing while working in the palace as he used to before.
The king witnessed this transformation and sought his minister’s counsel. ‘Your Majesty,’ the minister said, ‘the carpenter has now officially joined club 99. Club 99 members are those people who have enough to be happy but are never content. They are always striving for that little extra, to complete their collection, telling themselves: Let me get that one last bit, and then I will be happy for life. However, that cycle never ends.’
A long time ago, there was a noble king who lived a luxurious life. He had everything at his disposal including a huge amount of wealth yet was not content with his possessions.
Once, while strolling about on the premises of his grand palace, he spotted a carpenter who was singing joyfully while working on a piece of wood. This king, who owned many riches but was sad and cranky all the time, was fascinated after finding out a carpenter who was poor but was happy.
The king decided to know the secret and asked the carpenter, “Why are you so happy?’ The carpenter looked up surprised. He greeted the king with a bow and said, ‘Your Majesty, I am a mere carpenter. My family and I don’t need much to run our lives – just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.’
The king was not satisfied with this reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted minister. After hearing the story, the advisor replied, ‘Your Majesty, I believe that the carpenter is not part of Club 99 yet.’
The king wanted to know about the club as he was unaware of it. The advisor said, “I want you to place exactly 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it at the carpenter’s doorstep. You will figure out then.’ The king ordered to leave a bag with 99 gold coins outside the carpenter’s house early the next morning before anyone woke up.
When the carpenter opened the door, he saw the bag and brought it in. He examined it and untied the knot. What he saw inside astonished him. So many gold coins!
He began to count them and saw that there were 99 gold sovereigns. He wondered, ‘What could have happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave just 99 coins. There have to be 100 coins.’
So he looked everywhere around the house but there was no trace of the hundredth coin. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he would work harder than ever to earn that last gold coin to complete his collection.
From that day onwards, the carpenter’s life changed. He worked round-the-clock. He began chiding his family for not helping him earn that final gold coin. Soon, he had no joy in his life. He stopped singing while working in the palace as he used to before.
The king witnessed this transformation and sought his minister’s counsel. ‘Your Majesty,’ the minister said, ‘the carpenter has now officially joined club 99. Club 99 members are those people who have enough to be happy but are never content. They are always striving for that little extra, to complete their collection, telling themselves: Let me get that one last bit, and then I will be happy for life. However, that cycle never ends.’
- Who is a member of Club 99?
Anybody who has a sufficient amount of money to take care of his/her basic necessities but craves the extra coin and justifies it by saying that they will finally be happy for life after they get that last piece is a member of Club 99.
- Beware of traps
It is a myth to think that the next big materialistic gain —a bigger house or a luxurious car or a better paying job will satisfy you. This is because the moment you get it, you move on to wanting the next big thing and the vicious circle continues.
- Target the bull’s eye
Humans, often tend to forget the small yet substantial joys of life. They crave the next hit, the next trio but in the process, lose out on the greater blisses. One starts to have sleepless nights in the pursuit of owning expensive commodities compromising on their happiness and peace. Like the carpenter, you may even end up hurting the people around you in your chase towards your capitalistic desires.
Manas Goel This is a very good and educative story. We have to be content and grateful for whatever and wherever position we find ourselves.
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Manas Goel Thank you for this. I remember having this kind of conversation with a colleague last week and he asked me what amount of money do I think I need to have to be satisfied. I never gave it much thought before, I just see myself pushing and working to increase what I have presently.
Humans are truly insatiable and if we don't find a way to be content, we sometimes lose focus of what we already have in the pursuit of more
Humans are truly insatiable and if we don't find a way to be content, we sometimes lose focus of what we already have in the pursuit of more
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Indeed GemInRubbles I'm so happy that this could bring a change😊! Please do share with other folks too!
Manas Goel I'll let you know when I have it 😂
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Manas Goel, I guess the amount that allows you to live a comfortable life without having to work a single day for the rest of your life! But if we are being ambitious, maybe change "comfortable" for "luxurious" hahaha
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Indeed😂, wait till the luxurious converts to "maybe a private yacht?" 🙃 Sara Pinto