What Are You Craving?

 

We recently received new laptops and iPhones from our company. Until now, I had never used an iPhone, and a friend of mine started teasing me, saying, "You work at an amazing company; what else do you need?"

Yesterday, I shared my mutual fund portfolio with a fund manager, who remarked on its impressive growth. He asked, "What else do you need?"

I wanted to lose weight but dreaded going to the gym. However, I’ve been going regularly for over three weeks now, and I can already see progress. A friend noticed the visible change and when I expressed my desire to lose more weight, she said, "You’re blessed! You look much fitter in such a short time. I’m trying too, but I can’t seem to lose an inch. Losing weight quickly is great—what more could you want?"

Last night, before going to bed, I asked myself, "What else do you need? What are you craving?" 

I woke up with a bittersweet feeling after a dream.

In the dream, I saw a little boy who resembled Nicholas from the movie A Boy Called Christmas or maybe like Max from The Boy In The Woods. He had achieved everything—an amazing job and a large bank balance. Someone was giving him expensive gifts like a mobile phone, a super expensive watch, and other gadgets. Yet, the boy looked at the giver with a longing expression, as if he wanted more.

The giver asked, "Do you want more? I’ve given you everything I have. What else do you need? What are you craving?"

The little boy gazed up at the sky and whispered, "Probably a hug."

My heart broke into a million pieces when I re-visualized that dream. There is a little boy inside each of us who doesn’t seek material possessions. What we truly crave is compassion—a hug, which is more valuable than anything else.

-K Himaanshu Shuklaa..