The Story of Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody
There once lived four people, so the story is told,
Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody, bold.
They shared a little village, where much work needed to be done,
But when it came to taking action, nobody wanted to be the one.
There was a task that needed doing,
A job that needed seeing through.
Everybody knew it was important,
And Everybody thought Somebody would do.
Somebody said, “Anybody can do it,
It’s really not that hard, you see.
If Everybody takes a little interest,
The work will soon be history.”
Anybody thought Somebody had taken charge,
And Nobody thought it was his call.
So Everybody waited for Somebody,
While Nobody did nothing at all.
Days went by, and the work remained,
The problem grew from small to great.
Everybody blamed Somebody,
While Anybody stood there at the gate.
Somebody whispered, “It’s not my duty,
Why should I carry all the load?
There are so many people around here,
Let someone else walk down that road.”
Anybody said, “I would have helped,
If only Somebody had asked me to.”
Nobody said, “I thought it was Everybody’s job,
So there was nothing I needed to do.”
And so the task was left undone,
Though everyone knew what had to be done.
Everybody blamed Somebody,
But Nobody had won.
Then one wise person spoke aloud,
With words that made them see:
“When Everybody waits for Somebody,
Nobody takes responsibility.
When Anybody can do something,
Why wait for someone else to start?
A little effort from each person
Can make a difference from the heart.”
So Somebody finally took the lead,
And Anybody joined the way.
Everybody worked together,
And the task was done that day.
They learned a lesson worth remembering,
A truth that time cannot erase:
Great things are never accomplished
When responsibility has no face.
Don’t wait for Somebody to begin,
Or hope that Anybody will appear.
Don’t assume that Everybody will act,
While Nobody takes the responsibility here.
For every dream that goes unfulfilled,
And every goal that slips away,
The reason is often very simple:
Everybody thought Somebody would do it,
Anybody could have done it,
But Nobody did it that day.
And the greatest lesson of all is this:
If something needs to be done, don’t wait for the crowd to lead. Be the Somebody who takes the initiative, the Anybody who offers help, and the person who turns good intentions into deeds.
By: Ajay Gautam
