Why we Bhutanese are never self sufficient even though we are better off?

1. We rather talk of what others have instead of what our own needs are.

2. How many of us drive a car of over 200,000 kms old even if we can afford a new car? 

3. How many of us change our place of residence from urban to rural setting because its more affordable and our income can be  stretched further?

4. How many of us are contended  with the attitude  " Oh! I do not know how that fellow is far better off. We hold the same type of jobs. Ahm!  He must be corrupted ".  We never examine how differently we live our life style and never bother to realise how much some work harder to do better.

5. We think life is like " provident fund composition " i.e.  50% our contribution and 50 % from somebody else. It is not.

For most people " Self Sufficiency " is 100% your own effort and 100% care in spending on  what you must absolutely have. As hard as we work to earn, we need to try even harder not to spend on things we can do without. Not renting a bigger apartment because you can afford it. Not buying a new and bigger car because you got a raise.  And certainly not upgrading your lifestyle because you are promoted to the next grade.

Today I came across a CNN interview of Mr.Emilio Estevez actor/ director/ writer son of Martin Sheen. He drives himself and thinks nothing of 4 hours drive. And he said he enjoyed driving his 280,000 Kms old car. He had moved to Cincinnati because "  it is more affordable than HollyWood and New York ". He stuck to the original family name " Estevez " and not his father's filmy surname " Sheen " because he wanted to strike on his own ( this last part I googled because I wanted to find out why the differing surname ? ).

" Success " and " Sufficiency " is measured by different people in varying ways. For me " success is having family members including relatives on talking and dealing terms at both  good and bad times ". And " sufficiency is development of self ability to live within means and feel gratification with hard work of past years and contend with the present age ".  I felt self sufficient and successful even as a barefoot patched "gho " farm boy walking to school in Summer and collecting firewood along with herding cows in Winter. And ofcourse collecting water from the near by stream was an every evening chore for all boys and girls of all ages. Only the sizes of containers varied to strength and age. I was like any other village child. Happy, hardworking and contend and these qualities never left me. Not sorry that I do not envy you..