97/100

When the Board results were recently announced, we anxiously called up our cousin in Pune, whose daughter had appeared for the exams. Our cousin sounded low and down. On being prodded further, she informed us about her daughter crying inconsolably and uncontrollably since the declaration of results, the reason being she having scored only 97 out of 100 in mathematics. I tried to good humour the girl by making her believe that 97 out of 100 was indeed a big score and that in my times forget 97%, scoring even 50% was considered a big feat. I can’t really say , when the poor kid swam out of ocean of grief, but the incident had a great learning for me.

We don’t celebrate 97 things, achievements or assets that we possess, but lament about 3 that we don’t . We lament not having reached to the top of the organisational hierarchy, but don’t celebrate having reached number 3 position against heavy odds. We don’t enjoy Maruti Baleno that we have, but remain mired in envy of the neighbour having a BMW! And this applies to everything we possess and don’t possess!

Actually, golden words by Mahatria shared every morning by a friend of mine is now a major source of inspiration for my blogging. Today’s thought by Mahatria is not only the inspiration for this blog’s title but the entire blog. The thought immediately transported me to my early days when what we all have today was simply unimaginable. By those standards, I shouldn’t be in the category of middle class or upper middle class but super rich! But the million dollar question is whether a marginal first division holder, an ordinary student, a child from middle class family is happy with today’s distinction and even something much higher? Am I happy with 97 out of 100 or still lamenting about the three beyond me? His today’s thought reads:

“We always complain about the 3 which we did not get, instead of celebrating the 97 which we already got.”

Such a powerful message put so succinctly is Mahatria’s strength.