“A young woman heard a knock on her door one day. When she went to open it, she found an old man on her door step. ‘Come in, come in,’ she said. The man asked, ‘Is your husband home?’ The woman explained that her husband was not home, but she invited the man inside anyway.
He refused, however. ‘I am here with my two friends,’ pointing to two elderly men waiting in the front yard. ‘However, we will wait outside until your husband returns.’
That evening as soon as the husband came home, his wife told him what had happened. ‘Quick, quick, call them inside,’ the husband exclaimed. ‘We cannot leave old men standing in the cold outside.’
So, the woman went outside and beckoned the men in. One of them rose and said, ‘Ma’am, all three of us cannot actually come in. You see, I am Love, and with me are Success and Wealth. Only one of us can enter your home. Please, go and ask your husband which of us he would like in the home.’ So, the woman went and after relaying the story to her husband, said, ‘I think we should invite Success in. Then, you will get the promotion you’ve been waiting for and we will become more prosperous.’
However, the husband thought and said, ‘But, Honey, I only want the promotion so we can be rich. If we invite Wealth into our home, then it won’t matter if I get the promotion, because we will already be rich. I think Wealth is a better choice.’
Their daughter then quietly spoke, ‘Mom, Dad, let us bring Love into the home. If we have Love with us, then we won’t care so much about Success or Wealth. We will be rich on the inside.’
Her parents thought for a moment and finally acquiesced to their daughter’s wish. So, the woman went outside and, addressing the man who had introduced himself as Love, said, ‘Okay, we have decided. You can come inside.’ So, Love took a step forward and began to walk toward the house. As he passed through the doorway, the woman noticed the other two men following. ‘Wait!’ she exclaimed. ‘We have chosen Love. You said that only one could come inside.’
Love then paused and explained gently, “If you had chosen either Success or Wealth, he would have had to enter alone. However, wherever Love goes, Success and Wealth always follow.’
If you ask most parents what their concerns are regarding their children, you’ll hear, ‘I want him to get into a good university. I want her to get a good job and be successful.’ Time and energy are therefore expended in pushing the child academically, encouraging the child to excel, punishing or reprimanding the child for anything less than a superb performance. Yet, a degree from a top university, a well-paying job, a lucrative career – these are not the true marks of ‘success’ in life.
True success comes when we are fulfilled, joyful, peaceful and prosperous – both internally and externally. So, fill your homes with love – love for God, love for each other, love for the community, love for all of humanity. Then, through that love, through that divine connection, all else will automatically follow. It is when we focus only on Success or Wealth that we find ourselves rich but not fulfilled, successful but not content.”
– H.H. Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji