On wishes unfulfilled – Me, My Guru

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“It’s not mine. I went through financial crisis and came to our Guruji and it was then she said these words” so saying this she took out a sheet of paper and started reading out loud from it. So, she had taken notes of what our Guruji had said. Well done!

“Financial problem is of two types – bad and acute. Bad is when the mode of earnings is lost or stopped and the current expenses are eating into savings – short term and long term. Here, it is all about managing one’s expenses. In one case, I found the couple spending around Rs.2,00,000/- p.m. and having purchased new ‘Skoda’ car as the old one was more than 5yrs old. They were worried that they weren’t getting job of their liking and the man had to leave the previous job as he was getting paid only Rs.2,00,000/- p.m. and his colleagues weren’t respecting him, in short not treating him well”. When she said this, most of us left out a cry. How could one be of such a type? If she said those words, they were true in all sense. So, we could only pity that couple. If they were so irresponsible as to buy a new car when not having a job, spend Rs.2,00,000-/ p.m. and still cribbing that they were ‘adjusting’ then there was nothing one could do for this couple! This was the couple in 40’s and if they could be so ‘stupid’ as to resign on such small issue, it was no bad time – it was sheer ‘bad attitude’!

“This type of situation called for simple ‘austere measures’. But people didn’t understand simple facts of life. Not purchasing sarees for couple of month is adjustment for them. Just being able to go to Taj or Kamat hotel was a huge adjustment in their language. The suffering of this type had to do with mere ‘bad attitude’. One had to recheck their monthly bill and where actually money was going. One doesn’t travel in flight or A/c class in train at such times. But all this means we are asking them to lead a life of a pauper. So, this type need not be bothered about much” she was right. These were ‘luxury expenses’ and they had to be cut. They need not stop ‘enjoying life’ (in their words) but had to just downsize their expenses.

“We all have clothes that all our wardrobes can’t accommodate. So not buying till we get a job is no compromise. It is sheer common sense. But then common sense is the most uncommon thing in this world! Warren Buffet – third richest man says “Rich doesn’t mean buying all that is. In fact, one who buys just as much as he needs is ‘rich’ in actual sense. Branded dresses need not be purchased”. Infact, he himself hardly purchases ‘branded ones’. He finds them waste of money. He doesn’t have e-mail a/c, cell phone and he says they eat away his time and energy. If he can life ‘simply’ and in his words ‘only fulfilling his needs’, and within his means , then you and I need to look into our expense list and cut off major portion of it immediately.

‘If I am not able to spend without thinking twice’ doesn’t look like a principle that will let anyone be rich for long! This person doesn’t have financial problem, he has attitudinal problem. He needs to address his ‘greed’ issue”.

Here, she left us for lunch. Some days she stopped and just left us. It was as if she wanted us to soak all that she had said. It was as if she knew that we weren’t as fast in picking up the gems that she scattered so easily, effortlessly and at such high speeds. 

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read related posts for further understanding on this subject :
http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=greed 

http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=satisfaction