How Are You Building It?

There was an old house builder in a small hilly town. He spent his whole life building houses and was very good at it. So good that his hands were trained to do the perfect work even if he did not concentrate on it completely. This was because he loved his job, he enjoyed making the houses as good as he could to make it special for anyone who stayed in it. Every house he built was different and beautiful as, while he was working he imagined the family residing in it and thought about everything that could make it more comfortable for the people he didn't even know.

As he grew older his interest faded into compulsion and he started getting exhausted, partly because of the hard work and partly because he stopped enjoying it. One day he went to his boss and said that he will not be able to work any more. His boss was astonished as he never saw it coming. The boss said "Ok, you can leave the job but only after building this last house. This is special for me, so make sure this is the best among all the houses you have built".

Angry and disappointed, the old man returned to his small cottage, thinking how selfish his boss is, who did not think about him once and all that he did for him, how he still wants to yield as much as he can from the poor old man. However the old man started working with no interest or love this time, just with a goal to finish it as soon as possible. He cursed the location of the house as it was on top of a small hill, making it difficult for him and the other labours to carry all the materials to the house. 

While he was working on the stairs, he built longer and less stairs so that the work required is less, thinking about the future residents "Yeah Richie rich! if you have a big pocket to buy this house, you certainly should be having big legs too. If only I could build a house for me, I could show you dumb people what a talented person like me actually deserves!". Somehow he managed to build a house with all the necessary amenities, but minimum beauty and comfort.

Next day when he went to his boss and sarcastically said that if his work is now complete, can he get his salary, The Boss smiled and gave him a key with his salary envelope. Before he could ask what is this key for, the Boss said that this house was a gift to the old man for his years of service and dedication towards his work. "Yes! This is Your House". The old man, shocked and distressed went home and for the first time actually saw the house he built. The house on one of the best locations in that town with a beautiful view and the best building materials, still nowhere in comparison to the masterpieces he had built. He was feeling heavy with regret and guilt, had he known that it was his own house how lovingly and how beautiful he could have made it in the same number of days and same materials.

This old man's house is our life. We have big dreams to make it the best and often plan it. But meanwhile the maths teacher who gives 10 extra questions to solve, the boss who advises you to make your presentation even better next time, the parents who scold you for not completing the holiday homework, the wife who insists on saving money for future, the invigilator who stops you from cheating in the examination, they all appear as selfish and unwanted as the old man's Boss.

But the truth is, The house is yours. The life is yours. Build it as your own if you don't want to repent like the old man.

• Location: Start building it on the location of your choice. The location is your career path which should be available, comfortable for you, neither too high nor too low, at any point if you want to stay and take a glance, it should give you a view your eyes relish. Since this is going to decide the climate, altitude, soil and everything for your house, never ever choose it for someone else, not to satisfy your parents, not to stay with your friends, not to please your spouse, not to show down your enemy, choose it only for yourself.

• Materials: The building materials are so important for the strength and quality of your house. The materials required to build our life are relationships. There are our parents who are the bricks of the base of the house, they give you strength and the opportunity to grow on their backs, they keep lifting you staying together. Our siblings are the reinforcement iron bars that keep us in shape and make us stronger. Family members are the marble and granite that beautify our life and friends are the windows that always provide you fresh breeze of air and keep you in touch with the outside world. If you are wondering which material is your life partner, that is the tricky part because he/she is not there to play a role in your house buddy, your partner is going to share the house with you :)

• Colours: The colours are the principles you live with and the habits you inculcate. Although they can be changed, it is not an easy task and you have to choose them wisely because they do play a major role. If the walls are white, they will reflect the maximum light and you will live in a well illuminated bright house. Red walls can pump up the adrenaline, green can relax the eyes, yellow can bring joy and excitement and if you paint your walls black, then may God bless you :)

Our life is a gift by God but he is still just the land and fund provider. You may start your life in a hut or a palace. But how you build your house with the available resources on the available location is still in your hands. Every constituent is important and if you fall short of one, you may or may not be able to compensate the gap with another one.

So close your eyes, have a look and ask yourself.. How are you building it?