Something that breaks relationships, especially among siblings is the grabbing of property, oftimes in a way, in which one brother or sister gets less, or is cheated out of what is rightfully theirs. Or, it could be grabbing someone else’s property.
Do you think garnering property will bring happiness into your life?
Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the rolling hills of the countryside, there lived a wealthy landowner named Marcus. Marcus was known throughout the village for his insatiable appetite for land and property. He would stop at nothing to acquire more and more, often using underhanded tactics to get what he wanted.
As Marcus's wealth and property grew, so did his anxiety and stress. He was constantly worried about losing his possessions, and he spent most of his days pacing back and forth in his grand estate, counting his wealth and fretting about potential threats.
One day, a wise old monk came to visit Marcus. The monk noticed the look of worry and discontent on Marcus's face and asked him, "What troubles you, my friend?"
Marcus replied, "I have everything I could possibly want – wealth, property, and power. But despite all this, I feel empty and unfulfilled. I'm constantly worried about losing what I have."
The monk smiled and said, "My dear Marcus, you are like a man who is trying to fill a bottomless pit with sand. No matter how much you accumulate, you will never be satisfied. True peace and happiness come not from accumulating wealth and property, but from cultivating a sense of contentment and gratitude for what you already have."
The monk continued, "I want to tell you about a man who lives in a small village where I come from. He has a tiny plot of land, but he is content with what he has. He spends his days tending to his garden, enjoying the beauty of nature, and sharing his bounty with his neighbors. He is one of the happiest men I’ve ever known, and I know he has found true peace."
Marcus listened intently to the monk's story, and for the first time in his life, he felt a sense of longing for something more meaningful than wealth and property. He realized that he had been chasing the wrong dream, and that true happiness and peace came from within.
From that day on, Marcus began to re-evaluate his priorities. He started to focus on cultivating meaningful relationships, practicing gratitude, and finding joy in the simple things. And as he did, he found that his anxiety and stress began to fade away, replaced by a sense of peace and contentment that he had never known before.
Do you have to go through the whole journey Marcus went through? Stop eyeing property that doesn’t belong to you, stop trying to attain more and more, because contentment, real peace, real joy, can be found in what you already have..!
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and author. He blogs at www.bobsbanter.com and can be reached at bobsbanter@gmail.com
