Alice sat in the park under a tree, her favorite spot. She gently opened a box from her bag, revealing her favorite cake. With flowers, a gentle breeze, and warm sunshine, everything seemed perfect. She was thrilled because her inner genie had granted her wish: to taste her favorite food in her favorite place. She took the first bite, savoring it with her eyes closed.
But no! It didn’t taste the way she had expected. Despite the cold breeze in her hair, the colors of the flowers, and the mild sunshine, it just didn’t feel right. Disheartened, she called upon her inner genie.
“Ahh! What a bad day! I can’t deal with this. Please help me!”
The genie appeared. “What’s wrong, Alice?”
Alice cried, “This cake! It’s awful! It’s nothing like what I expected. The flowers, this tree, this garden—nothing feels as beautiful as I dreamed. I prayed for weeks for this day. I planned everything perfectly, and now it’s ruined!”
The genie replied calmly, “But the cake looks fine to me. Does it need more sugar? Is it not cooked properly? What’s wrong exactly?”
Alice became more restless. “No! All those things are fine. It just doesn’t feel the way I thought it would. I’m not as happy as I expected.”
The genie smiled. “But it’s just a piece of cake, Alice. What more do you expect from it?”
Alice sighed, “I know, Genie. You won’t understand.”
The genie tried to calm her down. “Okay, Alice, but help me understand.”
Alice explained, “A few weeks ago, I saw pictures of my friends on Facebook—Jenny at a hill station, Jimmy hiking, Karen partying. They all looked so happy. I asked myself what I enjoy the most, and it was this: cake in this park.”
The genie nodded. “And then?”
Alice continued, “I decided this was what I wanted—a picture-perfect day. I’ve been waiting and thinking about it, living for it. It feels like I’ve lived this day a thousand times before it actually happened.”
The genie teased, “So why worry? You’ve already enjoyed it so many times.”
Alice was distressed. “I told you, Genie. You won’t understand.”
She continued, “We humans dream of something our whole lives. We live for it and die for it. When we get it, we call it success.”
The genie asked, “So your happiness depends on this one moment?”
Alice replied, “Yes, I think so.”
The genie said, “But Alice, if you’ve already enjoyed this day in your mind, just post a picture on Facebook and be happy. Isn’t that what your friends are doing?”
Alice became thoughtful, “It seems like a good plan, but if I’m not happy in reality, it doesn’t make sense.”
The genie asked, “Are your friends really happy?”
Alice pondered, “I don’t know.”
The genie smiled, “How many happy people have you met, Alice?”
Alice became calm. “I understand now.”
The genie asked, “What did you understand?”
Alice replied, “It’s just one piece of cake, nothing more.”
They both smiled, and the genie disappeared.
Alice took another bite, and the cake started tasting better.