The 10th Apple Effect

A hunter once lost his way deep inside the jungle while chasing a deer. He used all his navigation skills but neither did he find any way out of the jungle nor could he find any food to eat for 8 days at a stretch. He started feeling very hungry that he could eat an entire elephant at one go. Disappointed, he lost all hope. And that is exactly when an apple tree caught his sight. He collected a dozen apples to feed him for the rest of his search.

As he ate the 1st apple, his joy knew no bounds and he just couldn't stop feeling grateful and blessed. He thanked life. He thanked God. He could not believe his luck when he ate the 1st apple but he was less grateful while having the 2nd apple and even lesser grateful when he had the 5th apple. Somehow, with each passing apple, the hunger still kept on increasing and the joy kept on reducing drastically. He just could not enjoy the 10th apple.

Why? He had already taken for granted the gift of having found an apple tree in the middle of a forest after 8 long days of wandering with hunger. When he took the 10th apple in his hand, he was still very hungry but he just did not feel like having it any more. Economics calls this as the law of diminishing marginal utility. It is actually the law of diminishing gratitude, in simple words, taking things for granted. Or let’s just call it as the 10th apple effect.

The 10th apple did not lack taste, it did not lack the potential to satisfy his hunger but the only thing lacking was his gratitude for finding food in the middle of the jungle.

The 10th apple is as sweet as the first apple. If the 10th apple fails to give you as much pleasure as the first one, nothing is wrong with the apple, but with the person enjoying the fruit. If you get bored on a dull day, it is not because the day is dull and boring. It is because your gratitude has become dull and boring.

The hunter represents us. And the apple represents the gifts that life gives us. The 10th apple represents our lack of gratitude for these gifts of life and our ‘take everything for granted’ attitude. As we continue receiving the gifts of life, our hunger, our greed keeps on increasing and the joy we get from these gifts diminishes.

Focus on what is right

What is wrong is always available, so is what is right? Focus on what is working for you. Condition yourself to look at the brighter side of people and events. Notice ways that your self-talk and internal dialogues are contributing to your state of unhappiness.

If you keep on focusing on what is not working, you feel frustrated. It is same with any relationship for that matter. We create our own experiences by our thoughts and choices we make.

Count your blessings

Start counting your blessings in your life.

Thank everyone around you, even for small things. No need to wait until someone does something huge for you to thank them .Just saying ‘thank you,’ acknowledging a kindness, or engaging in a helpful act are all ways of expressing gratitude

Move away from negativity

There is an old proverb that reads ‘Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are ‘. Sometimes people can be toxic. You cannot hang out with negative people and expect to live a positive life. Our thoughts are influenced by people around you. Step away from people who focus on negativity all the time in your life. Negative people will drain your energy.

Invest time in positive relationships

One of the reasons we dread going back to work on Monday is we don’t feel we have spent enough time with the people who matter (family & friends).

Find your passion and purpose

Before you can follow your passion, you have to find it. If you have a clear purpose and if you are passionate about what you do, each day will be a grateful day in your life. If you are not able to find passion - Do what you love or love what you do

‘Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness’ – Chuang Tzu

Never let the ‘10th apple effect’ make you take gifts for granted. Never let your gratitude for life fade away.