Monday, November 3, 2008

Motivating Monday

Posted by Unknown

November is Here! Meaning fall is in full swing. A time to get out and rake, enjoy rainstorms vs. snow, and pull out all those winter sweaters. My goal is to start my resolutions before January and don't get discouraged that winter is coming. To fight back the candy and cookie season by being positive and hopeful about the future. I read this story and it made me laugh. A good story with a good moral. Just remember when life gets you down there is always a way out.

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!
You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!


What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

- Author Unknown


2 comments:

Julie Walker said...

love it!

Karynn said...

What a smart little mule. Smarter than me!