Blind men and the elephant

I have a friend who runs a fashion and cosmetics business. From the outside, her business seems to be going well, she is preparing to open her fifth branch, often flies abroad to import goods and work with suppliers. Outsiders look on, some admire her “luxurious” life, some curl their lips and think she is just a young lady born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

I wonder, if given a similar starting point, how far would they go? In fact, deep down they probably always ask themselves that question and draw up “what if” scenarios.

Once, I went abroad with this friend, I went out for fun and he went to import goods. I realized that, from the outside, it looked like it was fun but it wasn't fun at all. Buying things, carrying things all day, when I got home, I had to unpack the goods, arrange them, calculate, and check the list to see which ones were enough and which ones were missing. Sometimes I had to go to three or four places to buy things because they were out of stock. Many days, when I finished packing the goods, it was already nine or ten at night, I quickly ate a bowl of instant noodles and then fell asleep like I was dead from exhaustion.

The next morning, the battle began again. During the trip, she only spent the last two days after importing all the goods, dressing up, going to tourist spots to take photos, and eating at a fancy restaurant. That was what outsiders saw - a trip combining work and relaxation for a beautiful rich young lady. As for the bowls of instant noodles, they would probably remain a secret forever.

Actually, we all have bowls of instant noodles that no one knows about. Those are the nights when we work overtime, forget to eat or sleep, and want to hide them from our parents' pain. Those are the days when we are late for our salary, have to go hungry, or eat leftovers in the refrigerator to the point of food poisoning, and want to hide them from our friends' invitations to gather for a meal. Those are the times when our boss scolds us for missing deadlines or failing to bid on contracts, and want to hide them from our lovers' expectations.

Life is not all rosy, sometimes it is sweet but many times it is also bitter. Everyone knows this truth but everyone does not know. People often look at the success of others without knowing (or do not want to know?) that before standing at the top, there were many times falling into the abyss.

Growing up is a painful process. It is an inevitable truth and there are no exceptions. Whether you are rich or poor, born into a happy or broken family, talented or mediocre, life will still make you shed tears for one reason or another. But it is through tears that we know the value of a smile. And in a way, the end of despair and suffering can also be as beautiful as a flower.

But life is actually neither happy nor sad. Happiness or sadness depends on how we perceive and accept it. Any comparison and reference to someone else's life is lame. After all, with someone else's life, we are just like a blind man touching an elephant.