Prakash is 45 years old an employee with top tier IT firm. Recently has been diagnosed with cancer and have been advised to undertake advanced radio therapy sessions in a foreign country that will cost a fortune in medical and other expenses. He also has advised that he has a 50-50% chance of making it.
This is big shock to Prakash and his middle class family.He lay on the bed with sleep evading him. His family is trying to console him and he requests to be left alone. His mind is empty and thoughts wandering. Top of his worry is his concern for his family. Wife Rita (38) and his children Hrithik (20) and Roshan (15) welfare without him is paining him.Tears roll down his eyes wondering about what has brought him here and how he is going to manage his life going forward whatever little left off
How my family is going to manage the laudry list of House expenses, insurance, emi, kids education all flash through his brain and the thought is depressing. Anyone seeing him can feel the agony of fear and he himself is feeling the shrinking earth on him. He also feels that God has abonded him.
Then he musters the courage and decides to fight this out. So, he allows his mind to think through all permutations and combinations vis a vis his resources so that he can mount a fight. He is trying to bring out all the monetary savings that can be quickly recovered and liquidated. His best math leads him to realize that his total assets are worth a Rs 1,00,00,000 today.
But then, he recalled the Dr’s words, the whopping costs ~USD (150,000) he projected and doubts start creeping his mind. He wondered if he ever can make it and restart his life ever.
Prakash decides not to go for his treatment in the best interest of his family but decides to live whatever is remaining and die peacefully so that his family may prosper long after him.
He wants to give a shot at the remaining 6+ month time doctor has given him. All the nice things that he wanted to do but postponed it for a later day run a flash news across his mental screen and he feels that he has achieved very little out of his life.
Given the analytically genius he is, decides to do a bit of math to rationally validate his Life worth so that he can die happily. Mustering all the courage, he decides to measure two parameters quickly though there might be other parameters.
Monetary Return on Life (MRoL) (MRol = Money Earned / Time Spent) and
Happiness Return on Life (HRoL) (HRol = Happiness Achieved / Time Spent).
At 45, he has spent 45*365*24*60 (23652000) mins of his life to earn the money and happiness.
At 45, he had assets with a total value of Rs 1,00,00,000
At 45, he had dispersed moments of happiness. Recalling all the outings, family get togethers, personal proud moments and fun @ work, he feels that he might have had ~1000 days of satisfactory life in all.
Math said it all, he neither had a monetarily successful life nor a happy life. His feeling was one of regret.
Thank God, he didn’t compare it with his friends, family and the the society at large. That would be depressing.There are millions and billions of human beings die with regret. They mayn’t tell you all but it is there. We might one day experience this ? What do you think ? Would we ?
Do you see a potential Prakash in you ?
Do you think that your life is not yielding the return ?
Would it have made any difference if Prakash was able to do the math regularly ?
Would it have made any difference if Prakash was able to project it forward to see where he ends up ?
I was reading “How do you Measure up your Life?” and these thoughts occurred to me.
Is there a business opportunity here ?
