For anyone who has been a subscriber to my emails for a while, you will have seen this story already. However, I love it so much I wanted to include it in my blog so that it is available for anyone to read and benefit from.
I'm always coming back to this story when things don't go to plan or work out quite as I would have expected. I find myself feeling down and really have to dig deep to pull myself out of that negative state. I will be honest with you, I find it very difficult sometimes. Today is one of those days. I have an ongoing injury that has forced me to take a break from running for at least 2 weeks. I'm in a lot of pain and feeling very low because of it. I have also had a customer contact me because they haven't received their order yet which I sent out a week ago. As a small business owner, having to send out a duplicate order due to Royal Mail 'losing' parcels causes a great strain. These two things might seem trivial to someone reading this but to me it can set off a negative reaction. This story reminds me that everything happens for a reason and just because it seems bad right now, there could be something positive around the corner that I can't see yet. It gives me faith that these 'negative' things might just be happening for a good reason. I hope this story helps others when life is not looking so great.
There once was an old farmer who had worked hard for many years. One day his horse broke free and ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbours came to visit. "Such bad luck," they cried sympathetically. "Maybe," the farmer replied.
The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it 3 other wild horses. "How wonderful, so lucky!" The neighbours exclaimed. "Maybe," the farmer replied.
The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses and was thrown, breaking his leg. The neighbours again came to offer their sympathy for his misfortune. "Maybe," answered the farmer.
The day after, the military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbours congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "Maybe," said the farmer.
So what is this story telling us?
The moral of this story is that we shouldn't label events as good or bad as we never know what they may lead to. It just puts us on that famous "emotional roller coaster" and is counterproductive. The farmer in the story refused to label any event as good or bad and as such kept control of his emotions, while his neighbours were on a roller coaster based on their own reactions to the events.
If you would like somewhere you can go to talk to other like minded individuals who are on their own mindfulness journey, I have a free Facebook group One Sanctuary, One Community with Fiona Stretton-Emerson where I share lots of helpful tips and quotes to help you stay positive and mindful. You can share your own thoughts and journey within the safe environment of the group if this is something you feel comfortable in doing. There is no pressure to be actively chatting and interacting in the group and if you just want to use it as a tool to help you stay focused and positive then that is fine too.
If you are having trouble sleeping I have a great free pdf that you can download. It is full of helpful tips and advise on how you can get a great nights sleep. Just click here.
I will leave you with this great quote. Until next time... xx
It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters. There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.
Epictetus