I heard about a doctor who became the greatest surgeon in his country. He was made president of the National Society of Surgeons, and on this day a great festival was held in his honor. But he was sad. A friend asked him:
- Why do you look so sad? You should be very happy - you have become the greatest surgeon, and now no one can compare with you. The greatest honor for a surgeon is to become president of the National Society. Why are you so sad?
The surgeon replied:
— I never wanted to become a surgeon. I succeeded in something I never wanted, and now you can't escape it. If I had failed then there would have been a chance, but now I'm chained to it.
His friend said:
- You must be joking. What are you talking about? Your family is happy, your wife is happy, your children are happy, everyone is happy and everyone gives you the utmost respect.
The surgeon said:
“But I don’t respect myself, and that’s the main thing.” I wanted to become a dancer, but my parents wouldn't let me and I had to obey them. I was weak-willed. And I am unhappy because I became a great surgeon. I'm unhappy because I'm the worst dancer in the world. I can't dance - that's the problem.
Contentment comes from nature, not from society. You carry your destiny with you, but it is an unconscious thing. Follow it. No one else will know what you have achieved, but you will be aware of it. You may not receive the Nobel Prize, since it has never been awarded to satisfied people. No one who is satisfied has ever received a Nobel Prize, neither Buddha nor Jesus. And this will not happen in the future, since the Nobel Prize is given to someone who very sincerely submits to society, who achieves public goals, and not their own. Look at the Nobel Prize winners and you won't find sadder people than them. Many of them felt dissatisfied, many of them committed suicide. And this is no coincidence, this has a deep meaning. Prizes cannot satisfy you. Follow the unconscious nature, do not force it consciously.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru