I will tell you a story about three people. These three people lived in different cities, and they were all known to me. The stories of these three individuals were interconnected.
Overcoming Envy and Embracing Gratitude: Insights from the Lives of Tom, Duck, and Henry
The first person was Tom. Tom was very handsome with red and white complexion, tall height, silky hair, and a unique tattoo on his forehead. Tom had a melodious voice that could mesmerize anyone who heard it. Whenever he spoke, the walls would vibrate. There was no other beautiful young man like Tom in the entire city. When he passed through a neighborhood, girls would run to the rooftops just to catch a glimpse of him. They would keep staring at him until he disappeared from their sight. Tom believed that beauty has thousands of virtues, but it also has one flaw—a lot of enemies. Every person in the neighborhood became his adversary. Tom had thousands of opponents. Whenever he started a job, the owner would fire him from the workplace within a few days. When he joined school, the teachers intentionally lowered his grades. His cousin would ruin his suits, and the washerman would burn his clothes. Not only did Tom's neighborhood envy him, but his own family was also jealous of him. His father, brothers, and cousins were all envious of him. Tom was tired of this situation. He often complained to God, saying, "Oh God, why did you make me so beautiful? You turned me into an ordinary person. If you had made me ugly, I would have been leading a peaceful life like my other siblings." Sometimes, Tom would become so frustrated with people's behavior that he would cry out to God, "Oh God, save me from these jealous people. Protect me from their harm. They are hurting me from the inside. Oh God, heal the wounds caused by these jealous people." He kept grumbling and praying. One day, God listened to his prayer, and all the envious eyes on Tom vanished. People stopped conspiring against him, and he started living a normal life like everyone else. But he couldn't bear the life of an ordinary person for long. One day, he lay down on the train tracks and crossed the boundaries of life. This is how Tom reached his ultimate fate. Now, let's turn our attention to Duck's story before discussing this sad ending. Duck was a fortunate person from birth.
Duck's father arrived at the shop from the village. As soon as he was born, the shop started filling up with customers. Whenever he took a step forward, the shop transformed into ten shops. When he went to school, his father became a factory owner. It seemed like Duck kept growing while his parents moved ahead. He was fortunate in practical life as well. The class he entered, he would always be at the top in the whole school. The teacher he studied from would win the "Best Teacher" award. Whenever he bought a lottery ticket, he would win a prize. The shop he entered for shopping would be filled with customers, and the person he befriended would have their lucky days. When Duck entered practical life, God turned his hand into gold. Whenever he touched clay, it turned into gold. When he sat in a factory, it turned into a company, and that company established a record on the stock exchange. He could make millions even when he closed his eyes and made a deal. The land he bought would become expensive overnight. Duck was enjoying this good fortune, but then he also started facing difficulties like Tom.
People became jealous of him too. The whole city was suffering from envy. People would look at him with hatred. They would betray him by becoming his friends and then stabbing him in the back. His stepbrothers had filed lawsuits against him. The people he trusted would deceive him. People would snatch his money and forcefully take his land and property. Duck, like Tom, became sad because of his good fortune. He also complained to God, saying, "Oh God, why did you make me fortunate? You should have made me like them so that I wouldn't be alone in this world. I could have spent my life with them." He would often complain like this.
One day, God listened to Duck's prayer as well. He took back his good fortune. Duck became an ordinary person—a regular person who wakes up at 9 and goes to bed at 5. People stopped being jealous of him. The whole city no longer had any envious person. People started meeting him with love, but even Duck couldn't tolerate this love for too long. He entered the bedroom one day, took sleeping pills, lay on the bed, and never got up. He also became an unknown character in the stories. Duck, like Tom, reached that end.
Now, let's turn our attention to Henry's story before discussing this sad ending. God had blessed Henry with fame. He was naturally famous. He reached the hospital and became outstanding among all the children there. All the doctors and nurses loved him. He became famous throughout the neighborhood. He also became famous in school. He excelled in the whole city, and his job made him the most prominent person in the office. He was an ordinary person with a unique birthmark. But destiny had bestowed upon him the "Radium" of fame. Whenever this radium shone, he became prominent among people. People recognized him more than the explanations themselves.
He was assigned impossible tasks in the office, and with a snap of his fingers, he would complete them. Every person coming to the office would directly approach him and praise him. This fame became a curse for him. People became jealous of him too. The office, the neighborhood, the family, and the community became envious of him. They didn't miss any opportunity to harm him. They would spread stories tarnishing his reputation. Henry also became tired of enduring this suffering and started complaining to God.
He would repeatedly address God and say, "Oh God, why did you make me so prominent? If I were an ordinary person like everyone else, I would also live a comfortable life, and people would be comfortable with me. Oh God, why did you make me so unique and different?" He would complain like this every day. God listened to his complaints one day. He signaled, and the radium of Henry's personality dried up. In just one day, he became a special person turned ordinary.
People turned away from him, and in the absence of jealousy, even his envious ones disappeared. No one felt jealous of Henry anymore. He felt relieved, but this satisfaction didn't last long. He became a victim of frustration. Frustration turned into depression, and one day Henry took a leap off the bridge and drowned in the river. Now, we analyze the tragic stories of Tom, Duck, and Henry.
God blesses a few chosen individuals among millions of people with beauty, good fortune, and honor. These blessings set them apart from ordinary people. When they become exceptional, ordinary people start feeling jealous of them. They become afflicted with envy. People's envy and jealousy prove that they are not ordinary people. They are God's favored and blessed ones. People always envy those who they desire to become like. They want to see themselves in their position. They never feel jealous of those who are like them or lesser than them. Tom, Duck, and Henry were special individuals, but they were afraid of their envious ones. Instead of thanking God for His blessings, they started complaining. As a result, one day God took back His blessings from them. They were accustomed to the blessings, but they couldn't bear the emptiness that followed. Therefore, they committed suicide. The stories of Tom, Duck, and Henry prove that envious people should not complain but be grateful for God's blessings. They show that you are not an ordinary person. You are special. Therefore, whenever people feel jealous of you, express gratitude to God instead of complaining. Always fear the time when no one in the city considers you worthy of jealousy. Let people pass by you without taking note. I request you that whenever you feel the urge to complain, immediately prostrate and offer thanks to God. Gratitude is a million times better than complaints.
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