Story about happiness : When a man became a member of the "99 club"

There once lived a King who, despite a life filled with luxuries, was neither happy nor content. He had everything one could desire, gold, jewels, grand feasts, and a magnificent palace, but a deep emptiness lingered within him. No matter what he acquired, he always felt that something was missing. One day, while walking through his kingdom, the King came upon a common peasant working in the fields. The man was covered in sweat from the day’s labor, yet his face shone with joy as he sang while he worked. The King watched in amazement. How could a man with so little be so happy, while he, the ruler of the land, felt burdened with sadness? Curious, the King approached the man and asked, “Why are you so happy?” The peasant paused, wiped his brow, and smiled. He explained that his happiness did not come from wealth but from the simple blessings of life. He and his family had enough food to eat and a roof over their heads. What more did they need? The King was not satisfied with the man’s answer. Later that day, he summoned his most trusted adviser and shared what he had witnessed. The King asked, “How can this poor man be so content while I, with all my riches, am not?” The adviser listened carefully and then said, “Your Majesty, I believe the man you saw has not yet been made part of The 99 Club.” “The 99 Club? What is that?” inquired the King. The adviser replied, “To understand The 99 Club, Your Majesty, you must first place 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it on the man’s doorstep. Then you will see the truth for yourself.” Intrigued, the King followed the adviser’s suggestion. That evening, a bag of 99 gold coins was left outside the peasant’s home.

When the man returned from his long day in the fields, he saw the bag on his doorstep. Curious, he took it inside and opened it. His eyes widened with joy when he saw the shining gold coins. He had never seen so much wealth in his life! Overwhelmed with excitement, he began to count the coins, making sure he had not imagined them. He counted once. Then again. And again. Each time, the total came to 99. The peasant was puzzled. “Who would leave just 99 coins?” he thought. “Surely, there must have been 100. Perhaps I dropped one.” He searched the house, the doorstep, the road outside, everywhere, but the missing coin was nowhere to be found. He could not accept that someone would give an uneven number of coins. His joy began to fade as his mind fixated on that missing piece. Determined to complete the collection, the peasant decided he would work harder than ever to earn just one more gold coin. But with this new desire came a change in his spirit. No longer was he content with what he had. He began to overwork himself, pushing beyond his limits. He no longer sang while he worked. He became irritable, scolding his family for not working as hard as he was. His thoughts were no longer filled with gratitude but with frustration. He had convinced himself that happiness would only come when he found that 100th coin. Days passed, and the King observed the transformation in the peasant. The man who once worked joyfully in the fields now moved with exhaustion and resentment. The King, puzzled by this drastic change, turned once again to his adviser. “What has happened to the man? Why is he no longer happy?” The adviser smiled knowingly and said, “Your Majesty, the man is now a member of The 99 Club.” Seeing the King’s confusion, he explained further. “The 99 Club is made up of people who have enough to be happy but are not content because they believe that one more thing will complete their happiness. They always tell themselves, ‘I will be happy when I get that one final thing in life.’ But once they get it, another desire takes its place. And so, they chase endlessly, never truly satisfied.” The King fell into deep thought. For the first time, he saw his own reflection in the peasant’s struggles. Had he not been doing the same all his life and that is seeking more wealth, more power, more luxuries only to remain unhappy? That night, the King made a decision. Instead of seeking more, he would learn to appreciate what he had.