Mulyagusdin

Peace,

That day, Hodja had just arrived. In a village that was comfortable and safe, where almost everyone knew each other. The village was so peaceful. And so he settled there, for roughly two weeks.

There was something odd he noticed, a habit of the people there. They loved digging into the ground, about two cubits deep, to bury gold coins earned from their trade or hard work. Then they'd stack stones on top of the pile. The more stacks of stones in someone's yard, the more gold you could be sure was piled up beneath it.

So one bright morning, accompanied by the chirping of sparrows, Hodja started digging in his own yard too. But what he buried was gravel! Seeing this, the villagers who happened to be passing by were baffled, and before long, most of the town had gathered right there in the yard of the house Hodja was staying in.

“Honorable Hodja, what are you doing? It's not gravel you're supposed to bury, it's gold coins,” one of them called out, trying to set him straight. Nasreddin Hodja, without even looking up, answered:

 “If all you're going to do is pile it up and bury it, then what's the difference between gravel and gold? Neither one can be used or spent.”

In that instant, the villagers realized something. They hadn't been giving enough of their wealth away. They'd been too absorbed in collecting it and showing it off, without it ever producing anything. Not so different from Hodja's gravel.

What can we take away from this story?

First, don't hoard Knowledge. Share it. Tell others about it.

Second, don't cling to Wealth. Give it away.

Third, don't let Work pile up. Finish it. Delegate it.

The same goes for our work documents. There's no point letting them pile up on top of or under our desk, in a drawer, in a cabinet. That doesn't prove we're super busy or have a ton going on. Every one of those documents needs to be studied, circulated, or shared if it involves other people, so it can actually be useful, so decisions and policies can be made from it, so it doesn't just become gold buried in the ground.

Only once it's done should it be kept, as a reference and a record in case it ever needs revisiting. And even then, what gets kept should be sorted, tidied, properly labeled, and confirmed free of dust or damage, especially anything tied to money or the interests of many people.

So, a pile of documents isn't a sign that we're important or busy. It's a sign that we're someone who doesn't want to share, doesn't want to give, and doesn't want to finish the job.

Wishing you a great day ahead. Stay healthy and stay motivated. Come on, let's change together, for the better. Great character and a brilliant venture!!!

And peace,

Mulya

Note:

Nasreddin Hodja (Nasruddin Hodja) was a philosopher, scholar, and judge during the era of the Caliphate in Baghdad. He offered many great lessons through anecdotes and light humor as a way of working through problems.

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