A Stitch in Time

The study of the lives of many great men and women of the world reveal that they were not great because they occupied high positions, had more riches or earned fame. Their greatness lied in the manner in which they attended to the small matters. I am fortunate in the sense that I have studied many biographies and autobiographies of such people, and learnt many useful things from them. The three great persons who have influenced me the most are Kabir, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. Each of them had their own greatness but one quality which is common to all great persons is their simplicity. However, everyone is not able to appreciate the joy of those who lead a simple life. 

I have been trying to imbibe this quality in me ever since I came in touch with these great persons through books. I am fully convinced that the main secret of our happiness is our simplicity. Lesser the needs, greater is the measure of our joy. I also believe that lesser needs need not necessarily mean deprivation in any respect. On the other hand, such life is self-preserving and mutually beneficial. When we consume only as per our need, others get their share in a natural manner, creating greater happiness all around. My experience is that there is always a scope for reducing our needs without compromising on comfort or happiness. I am going to support this with a very simple event of my life. In April 2008, I was to go on a personal visit to Dubai for about five days. While I was preparing for the visit, I noticed that my bathroom chappals were not in a very good condition and it appeared risky to carry them for the trip. Since I keep only one pair of chappals, the only alternative was to buy a new pair. As I was going to act on this, a thought came to my mind that why should I not get my chappals stitched to avoid any risk of it breaking apart. I then did the same and by spending only a rupee or two, my fear was gone. The chappals gave me no problem during the visit and I felt quite happy about my decision. The chappals then lasted for more than a year without any problem. 

This is just one example of the extent of simplicity one can go for. It is only a question of paying little attention to little things. But today’s world is so materialistic that such issues have no priority for most of us and we acquire material things without assessing our needs. In the process, we not only deprive others of their needs but also add to our own worries. No wonder, the happiness level is going down with the rise in income levels. 

As a student, I had read a proverb that said, ‘a stitch in time saves nine’. For me, it became literally true. One timely stitch of my chappal saved my ninety rupees at least for one year.

Rakesh Mittal I A S