This Thought-Provoking Story About a Man and His 4 Sons May Change Your Life

Throughout our lives, we make choices that dictate its course. We decide where we live, we pick what to work on, we decide whom to love, and so on. All these decisions — along with the experiences and interactions with others that result from them — affect what happens to us.

A story shared by Dr. Hemant Mittal — a psychiatrist and motivational coach in Mumbai — drives home the regrettable fact that we often don’t know what to prioritize or value until it’s too late. May it serve as a wake-up tale for those of us who still have time to pay attention to the people and things that continue to enrich our lives even when we take them for granted.

A Man and His 4 Sons

There was a man with four sons.

He loved his fourth son the most. Took great care of him and gave him the best.

He also loved his third one a lot and always spoke to his friends about him. He loved him less than the fourth one because his behavior was uncertain.

He relied a lot on his second one. Whenever he had some problem, he was the best adviser around.

But he didnt have any feelings for his first son. No matter how much love the son gave him, he never felt anything for him.

One day the man fell very ill. He did everything to cure himself. One day he met an enlightened guru. The guru said, “Your death is imminent but i will allow you to take one son along with you in death.”

Thus, the man asked the fourth son to die along with him and keep company.

He said, “No way!” He then walked away.

So, the man asked his third son. He said, “Life is so good over here. I’m going to stay here”.

The man then asked his second son. He said, “I’m sorry. I can’t help you this time around. At the most I can only accompany you til your grave.”

By now the man’s heart sank and turned cold.

Then a voice called out: “I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The man looked up and there was his first son.

Greatly grieved, the man said in an apologetic voice, “I should have taken much better care of you while I could have!”

Mind Mantra: We all have these four sons in our lives.

1. The 4th son is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die.
2. The 3rd is our possessions, status, and wealth. When we die, they go to others.
3. The 2nd is our family and friends. No matter how close they are, the furthest they can stay with us is up to the grave.
4. The 1st son is our mind. It’s where all our memories, love, and strength are store. We forget it. We take it for granted. It’s only when we are stuck by sadness, helplessness, or hopelessness we remember it. We feed it positivity only when we feel weak.

Which son would be your choice to love?

Now, this doesn’t mean that you should only focus on one thing. This story only shows that you have to know who or what matters most to you. You have to set your priorities. You have to know what is really valuable before it’s too late for you to appreciate it. This way, you’ll live a more meaningful life right until it’s time for you to go. That’s really the best that anyone can hope for. So, love wisely and love well.

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