A woman who had worked all her life to bring about good was granted one wish: “Before I die let me visit both hell and heaven.” Her wish was granted.
She was whisked off to a great banqueting hall. The tables were piled high with delicious food and drink. Around the tables sat miserable, starving people as wretched as could be. “Why are they like this?” she asked the angel who accompanied her. “Look at their arms,” the angel replied. She looked and saw that attached to the people’s arms were long chopsticks secured above the elbow. Unable to bend their elbows, the people aimed the chopsticks at the food, missed every time and sat hungry, frustrated and miserable. “Indeed this is hell! Take me away from here!”
She was then whisked off to heaven. Again she found herself in a great banqueting hall with tables piled high. Around the tables sat people laughing, contented, joyful. “No chopsticks I suppose,” she said. “Oh yes there are. Look – just as in hell they are long and attached above the elbow but look… here people have learnt to feed one another”.
In the era of Hyper Competition, we miss the important essence of life i.e., ‘Compassion and Cooperation’. We can create heaven out of hell, if we learn to appreciate one another. A supercomputer is capable of developing intellectual capability of nth time than a CSE UPSC 1st rank holder .But it is the ability to connect with the people, it is the emotional intelligence to feel empathy, it is the kindness attitude what should be in any successful aspirant.
In this journey of UPSC preparation, try to learn one life lesson each day. Your road to UPSC success will become nearer in the way more than you think of!
