If you think I am talking about financial matters, think again. I am talking about Emotional Investment.

This too is a kind of investment wherein you put in your time and patience and withdraw on a rainy, blue day in the form of an encouraging smile, a shoulder to lean or a helping hand. Unfortunately, we do not realise the importance of this account and leave it for a later date, thinking that we will put in a huge amount together one fine day.

What we forget is that the only way this account differs from the regular financial one is that it needs to be replenished at regular intervals, the investments may be small or big but they have to go in. Only then will we be able to withdraw from it and will be able to reap rich dividends.

Just think, when was the last time we actually listened to our children without plans for the next day running through our heads. When was the last time we looked into our partner’s eyes and let him/her know how important he or she is to us without actually having said a word. When was the last time we actually stopped and talked to our neighbour without having any favours to ask or to let them know of our opinion.

So if we think that we will make up to our kids in the holidays, tell our partners how we feel on our anniversaries and talk to the neighbour on Diwali, lets not wait so long. We are surely and certainly heading towards emotional bankruptcy.

We teach our children to be tough and to achieve and over-achieve, but we forget to teach them empathy. When we as role models dont listen to what they are actually saying they fail to learn to listen. They grow up to be extremely successful adults who have a void in their souls.

Do we want a soulless society? All these cases of road rage, teenage violence, domestic violence, divorce, suicide, depression... all give us a pointer that something is wrong somewhere. But, we in our blinkered way think “this is just statistics, it has nothing to do with me”.