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April 2014

The Piecemeal Living

By Ashok Kataria Chartered Accountant
Reading Time 4 mins
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From the moment we are born, Mother Nature readily starts bestowing her grace upon us. Everything necessary for a smooth and healthy start of life is readily made available to us. All necessities are being taken care of with an utmost ease, as if Somebody is perfectly executing a well designed plan. From the very first breath, enlivening sunlight, mother’s feed, nature’s warmth and all other essentials are provided without any hassle. All things are beautifully and perfectly placed as if Someone has meticulously worked out our grand entry on this magnificent stage called world. Has it ever been heard that a baby is born with an anxiety of the source for his first breath? No, because all things generally necessary for a good, healthy, and sustainable living are adequately provided.

A question arises that if all is so skillfully worked out for us, why mankind is in a state of despair? Why are many of us living a life in piecemeal instead of enjoying it to the fullest? The answer to this is simple. As we grow, ignorance creeps in. Everything that is made available in abundance is neglected and attention shifts from “haves” to “have nots”. The feeling of being in a state of emptiness sets in; unaware of the fact that one is full in all respects. The irony is that we want more and more, not knowing that we already have plenty. The appreciation for having this beautiful life, fresh air, sound sleep, good family, caring friends has lost its way to gadgets, big cars and foreign holidays. Materialistic pleasures have taken over ‘true happiness’.

Today, one is not able to control one’s ‘desires’. Craving for material objects is affecting prudent decision making, in other words, prudent living. All actions are performed on selfish interests. There is an emphasis on wealth rather than values. Wealth is accumulating but man is decaying. Luxury is preferred over necessities and priorities are changing. Until a generation back, it was observed that the entire family saved on all fronts, to first own a house before anything else. Instances today are easily observed where even the learned professionals are found of preferring a car over a house. Availability of easy finances to meet indulgences in cars, mobile phones or holidays is changing our priorities. We are forgetting that it is easy to borrow for our comforts, but takes a lot to repay. It is not just the money that gets repaid in installments but life itself gets into an ‘installment mode’ and piecemeal living”.

It is easy to get out of this type of life. As a commerce student and accounting professional one has studied the principle of accounting for personal accounts – Debit the Receiver – Credit the Giver. From the very first day of our birth, there have been innumerable receipts in various forms from the world. Someone, above in the heavens, is debiting the account of every receiver for every single grabbing from the world. What would be the position of our account if we only receive and do not pay back in some form? There would be no credits in the account and one would depart indebted – which should not be the case.

The first step for repaying our debt is to start acknowledging the fact that God has been kind to grant us all that is necessary. It is only when we begin counting our blessings, will we be overwhelmed with gratitude for all that has been bestowed upon us – this would generate a feeling of abundance which would compel us to share with others, and get our account credited in Lord’s book of account s and make us live our life to its fullest potentials. I would conclude by saying:

Without any bounds, it is Lord’s grace,
All in plenty for mankind to embrace,
But mean is the world, thus lacking in His praise,
And searching for more in a strange race.
Forever let down with an attitude to seize,
Beautiful gifted life though, living in a piece,
Just a shift in view to see all’s there
Abundance on offer for a life of flair.

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