What I learned from my 95-Year-Old Grandfather
I just met my 95-year-old grandfather this weekend. He's an interesting man, and I went to meet him with my family since he's living in his hometown for three months (small town in India). This was my first time visiting. It is somewhat of an estate that he built in the 80s (but that's a story for another time). While it's the size of a mansion, he lives in a small room with almost no furniture.
He lost his mother at a young age, around 6 or 7. His father shortly after moved to another city for a job, leaving him and his brother alone with their grandparents. He travelled to school on his bicycle and later moved to the big city of Bombay at the age of 17, with barely anything in his pockets.
He's gone through a long life and probably experienced everything that there is to experience in a lifetime. But what I learned from meeting him is that you don't need many things to live a fulfilling life. It's amazing how little he had in his house. His lifestyle is also quite simple. No friends, no vices, just complete devotion to god.
He is now 95, and there isn't much time left for me to spend with him. We have a language barrier between us. As I look at my own life, I feel foolish for doing so many things in order to make more money. I realized that you don't require many belongings. The luxuries we chase rarely help us - in fact, they often hinder us in many ways.