The Wish
Five siblings went to visit their grandfather. Whilst sitting around the table the old man asked, “If you had a wish, what would you want?” and the first one said, “If I had a wish I would want an ice cream.” She liked ice cream.
The second child who was a little bit older said, “If I had a wish I’d wish for an ice cream factory.” The first child thought that was really clever because if you had an ice cream factory you could get an ice cream whenever you wanted one. Not just one ice cream but hundreds of ice creams.
The third child was asked, “What’s your wish” and he said, “I’d like a billion dollars. Because with a billion dollars I can buy an ice cream factory, a cake factory, a fish and chip shop or whatever else I want, and I could do a lot more”. The first two kids thought, ‘Wow! Aren’t we stupid? Why didn’t we think of that?’ They thought that this young fellow who wished for a billion dollars was a genius.
But the next child when asked what he wished did even better than wanting a billion dollars, he said, “I wish I had three wishes, so that I could wish for an ice cream factory with my first wish, a billion dollars with my second wish, and with my third wish I could wish for another three wishes.”
They thought, ‘Wow! You can’t do better than that.’ Can you think of a wish that is even better than that – to have three wishes and the third wish is that you can wish for another three wishes?
But the last child said, “I wish to be content with what I have and so I have no need for wishes.”
“What do you think this story wants to tell us?
Hello there ..I'm Oasis 😊..
I read the story above it was really interesting one ... for me moral of the story is Contentment and satisfaction are really important while living a life 😌....
But note it our Contentment should not bond us from improving and getting better than earlier!! As improving mentally, emotionally, spiritually is another important thing in our lives ...
Hope u understand my point 👉👈....
Yes !! Then plz upvote so I can get that ....
@freshOasis7877
Hi freshOasis, thanks for sharing your view. I agree, contentment does not exclude growth/improvement. To me contentment means acceptance, not forcing things to be different but at the same time being open to growth.
I never thought of it that way. Thank you truly for the fascinating new perspective. Contentment is not the same as complacency, and is therefore not mutually exclusive with a mind open to change and growth.
Exactly! Curiosity and ambition lend meaning to life. Learning is the journey. Happiness is the destination.
@amiablePeace77
Love this Ami 💜 my takeaway from the story is:
"Craving for more is endless, while contentment is where peace at. But it's not an easy thing to have that even the wisest child has to wish for that."
@ouiCherie
Nice point about craving for more is endless! It's not easy to let go of cravings but it's also not impossible. We can do our very best to learn to let go every day. One question I ask myself when I crave for something is: "What is behind my craving".
There is a reason we wish to fulfill our needs. It is because we are human. Our higher cognition allows us to have plans and goals and dreams. Cravings are not inherently bad. They are just not the only important thing.
Discontentment is a waste of time.
@FlopsyAndy2611
Not acting on discontent but staying in a situation which is not satisfying without accepting it and be okay with it too is a waste of time for sure and also creates endless suffering.
@amiablePeace77
Material things can satisfy but for a moment
True contentment can only be found it finding pleasure and contentment in what we already have.
The more we have the more we want.,
Very good lesson of Life, Thanks
@scarletPear1945
Great words of wisdom scarlet!
The more you know, the more you know you don't know. Answers create questions and questions crave answers. It is a vicious cycle, but life would be awfully boring without it.
The physical entities themselves may not be permanent, but the positive experiences can last a lifetime.
@amiablePeace77 the more we wish for the less satisfied we are even if we get it. Then we want even more wishes. A vicious circle.
@soulsings
I can only agree to what you said, it's a viscious circle leading into frustration and maybe even depression at the end.
Pursuing happiness may be time consuming, but I have found that It is still worth it in the end.
@soulsings such a good point and an important reminder 💯
A warning against ingratitude, perhaps?
I disagree. Thankfulness and requests are not mutually exclusive. You can be content and still seek more. Just because you want more pleasurable experiences does not mean you cannot derive pleasure from those you currently possess. It is a bit like making happy memories. You can still cherish the old ones even if you anticipate new ones. You do not have to discount the good times behind because the ones ahead have not yet happened.
I think the story is teaching you to appreciate what you have as well as to have more gratitude. Also, the story could also highlight that you don not need material things to be happy.
@Harmony8682
Nice point about not needing material things to be happy! Sometimes just listening to birds chirping can create much more feelings of happiness than a gift someone bought for yo.
Yes, being out in nature can be rewarding.
Home sweet home.
Perhaps the birds are singing for you, but more likely the friend was thinking of you when they went shopping. As Cinderella said, "Bring me the first branch your shoulder brushes on your journey." The reason is more important than the gift itself. It is the thought that counts the most.
The story also teaches us that ambition makes wishes worthwhile, even if your goals take time to achieve.
@amiablePeace77 I believe this story is telling us the value of being content.. it's okay to wish for things but to be content with what you have and what you will get and appreciate it at the same time is for sure so important and does wonders to our mental and emotional well-being and can generally help us cope better in life 🙏🏼🤍
@amoOnii
You said that very well! Contentment leads to peace.
Peace leads to curiosity. Curiosity leads to ambition. Ambition leads to wishing. Fulfillment of wishes can lead to gratitude. Gratitude leads to contentment. Gratitude is the choice in the sequence. The other option is greed.
Amen! I could not have said it better myself!
People always have this mindset of wanting more and more.They never get satisfied with what they have.
Person who walk,wish for bicycle, then bike ,then car ,it goes on ..,this will never end.
My take on this would be, we should be contented with what we have,and try to seek happiness even in little things.
Mostly,try to celebrate the success of others.
@hardworkingStrawberries4640
Nice that you mention about celebrating the success of others. When we are happy about what others achieve there will be more happiness for everyone than if we only see our successes.
Love creates more joy to be sure. But do not forget that the more we love the more we experience not only extreme pleasure, but also immense pain and suffering.
Complacency is not a requirement for contentment. Ambition is not a sin. Striving for the best is what makes improvement possible. Without struggle there cannot be growth. Discipline is never pleasant, but without it...
Gratitude leads to happiness. Discontent breeds heartache. But dreams are important as well.
It is an interesting story. With this text I understand that I don't need money or endless wishes to be happy because happiness can be found in the little things.
@crimsonSky6594
Things we buy with money usually make us only happy for a very short time, but seeing the value in little things we often take for granted like a sun rise or a beautiful flower can give us endless happiness moment by moment.
@amiablePeace77 be happy with what you have
@greenYard2803
I agree greenYard, see the good things in life and appreciate them.
@amiablePeace77 Life is too short
@greenYard2803
Life is too short to waste the time we have, true. Enjoy the moment you have.