A story with a valuable lesson.
An old man met a young man and asked him,
“How many friends do you have?”
The young man replied,
“I have five friends.”
The old man then asked,
“How close are you to them?”
The young man replied,
“We are very close friends. They are there for me during both good times and bad, listening to me and enjoy spending time with me. They are people I rely on and can trust completely.”
The old man asked again,
“What do you usually do with your friends?”
The young man answered,
“We always hang out together at the parties and go out together. We like to visit the mall and buy things extravagantly. We also like getting together at one another’s houses to chat, watch sports and movies, drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, eat a lot of food and talk about beautiful girls.”
The old man paused for a moment, then said,
“Listen, I want you to get serious about your life goals. Life is too short to waste time on things that don’t matter. Make a promise to me and to yourself that from tomorrow onwards, you will look at yourself as a financial asset. Investing in yourself will pay off in the future. Your skills, knowledge, and experience are the biggest asset you have. Set clear goals, create a plan, work hard, and stay adaptable.”
The young man thought for a while, then promised to finally become serious about his future. Five months later, the old man met him again and asked,
“How many friends do you have now?”
The young man replied,
“None.”
The old man then asked,
“Why? What happened to your five friends?”
The young man whistled,
“They all left me, and I don’t know why?”
The old man smiled for a moment, and said,
“That’s how life is. It is commonly stated that when you become serious about your life and goals, you lose many friends. That’s why a Bugatti has two seats and a bus has thirty. I’m glad you’re becoming a Bugatti, and no longer a bus…”
It is important to remember that not all your friends will be supportive of your ambitions and goals. The moment you choose to start making progress in life, they become uninterested and begin to avoid you. Some may even be jealous of your progress and attempt to stifle it. It may be best to let them go if they cannot accept and support you for who you are and what you want to achieve. Do not worry about losing friends when you are in pursuit of your goal, success and happiness. Remember that you want to become a Bugatti, so you shouldn’t be afraid of having a few seats.
BY CHIMA DICKSON
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 4 APRIL 2024
