The Sweet Spot

Yesterday, a friend asked me a question. If you suddenly received 500 crore rupees, would your life get better or worse?

I didn’t hesitate. Worse.

Some truths don’t come from books. They come from living long enough, watching closely. Sixty years in, I’ve seen how excess turns into a burden. I’ve seen it in the rich, the powerful, and in those who simply got lucky.

Money seems like freedom, until it becomes a cage. At first, it buys comfort. Then it attracts pressure. Family, friends, strangers, even the government want a piece. Genuine relationships become rare. Suspicion enters the room before you do. Your time vanishes into managing: people, assets, emotions. You end up protecting the fortress instead of living in it.

I also have now experienced enough to understand that the joy of having this 500 crores will be short-lived. There will be something more that will be needed for my fulfilment. Over the years, every possession I’ve had has given me the same fleeting high. Then faded. Beyond the basic human needs for comfort, what truly sustains is balance. That’s the real luxury. That’s the sweet spot.

There’s a well-known story about J.R.D. Tata. Despite leading a business empire, he lived without display. No convoys. No luxury mansions. He once stood in a queue at an airport until a junior officer realised who he was and insisted he skip the line. He refused. That refusal carried power. He had wealth, but it didn’t own him.

You’ll see this theme again and again. People who mastered balance, not just success.
Narayana Murthy, Warren Buffett and many others we read about.

What makes them extraordinary isn’t the money. It’s their clarity. They know how much is enough. That knowledge is rare.

But this isn’t just about money. It’s about every part of life.

Health? Go too hard, obsess over every calorie, and your life becomes a checklist. Let go completely, and you pay the price with your body. True strength isn’t built through extremes. It’s built through steady rhythm. Showing up, resting when needed, eating without guilt, moving without punishment.

Time? If you give too much of it to others, you lose touch with yourself. If you hold on too tightly, you miss out on life around you. The key is knowing when to join in, and when to take a step back. When to give your time, and when to protect your peace.

Even purpose follows this pattern. If you live only for goals, you’ll burn out chasing the next peak. If you avoid challenge altogether, you’ll rot in comfort. Somewhere in the middle lies work that matters.

The Buddha spoke of this long ago. He tried indulgence. He tried deprivation. Neither brought peace. Only when he sat beneath the Bodhi tree, fed and steady, did he see the path: The Middle Way. A life of balance. Not easy. But true.

The sweet spot isn’t a fixed place. It shifts. You shift. But the feeling, once known, becomes unmistakable. Quiet. Strong. Light. It’s the place where you no longer feel the need to prove anything. You just live and that’s enough.

Most people spend their lives swinging between too much and too little. Only a few pause to ask: Where does peace live? What can I hold without it holding me?

That’s where harmony begins. Not in having everything. Not in giving up everything. But in knowing what to hold, what to release and when.