THE THREE OLD MEN

Taken from noelresella.com

Three old men, seated on a dilapidated bench, were conversing in the freshness of a Summer evening.

The first one addressed the other two: "What a magical period is childhood! I used to get up early in the morning and the activities of the day warmed my chest like a heady wine of happiness. I used to say: "Today, I shall help my father in the field," or "Look! Perhaps my mother needs me to carry the jar of water for her. Believe me, happiness seemed lost to me as soon as the body reached maturity. Nowadays, I seem to give all to regain the vitality of my youthful days..."

The second took over and said: "As for myself, I was never as wise as I was during my childhood, when I had no quarrels with women, no ugly tricks from men, no bad words, and only caring for the moment and the joys of the day. Believe me, the secret of eternal youth is in not having the worries of tomorrow. These days, I worry about my family, property, the positions held by my sons. I would give all to regain the tranquility of mind of my youth."

Then, the third old man cleared his throat and spoke in this way: "Just like you, I thought of the days of childhood when I said, 'Today I am going to arrange the house, wash the clothes, or learn my lessons.' Like you, I did not notice time passing, and was unconcerned as the years fell away, taking with it, our youthful days. But unlike you, I understand why we were happy at that time.What is the reason for happiness? It is not about being energetic, nor about having no worries. But, it is about GRATITUDE.”

This is what you should tell yourself every morning upon getting up: "Thanks for permitting me to remain alive, young, and in good health. The only way that I could show my gratitude, is to do today everything as best as possible."