The Goose and the Horse

The Goose and the Horse

Once upon a time, there was a goose who was plucking grass in a lush green meadow. In the course of her plucking, a horse came along and started feeding nearby. The goose was offended by the horse's actions, and proceeded to put him in his place, saying…

"I am, without a doubt, a more distinguished and complete animal than you, because your body is only good for one thing.

I, on the other hand, have the power to move on the land just as you can; not to mention that I am able to soar above your head as I please; and when I am in need of a bath I can refresh myself in the cool waters of ponds and lakes. 

I can be a bird, fish and land beast depending on my mood."

Upon hearing this, the horse snorted and neighed as though hearing a good joke. He replied, "It's true that you are perfectly ABLE to function in all three elements, but you aren't naturally gifted in any one of them.

You can fly, but you are so heavy and awkward that you could never rival the lark or the swallow for gracefulness.

You can swim on the surface of water, but you cannot survive underwater and glide as smoothly as a fish can; nor can you find your food beneath the waves."

And when you walk, oh… when you waddle your way around, with your flat feet and your long neck sticking out like a sore thumb, hissing and spitting at every other beast, you are truly a laughingstock among the land dwellers.

I admit that I am only able to move on land; but how graceful I am in my element! How well-built are my legs for my purpose! How powerful my entire body! How magnificent my strength! How blazing my speed.

I would much rather be only FOCUSED on one element, and be a GREAT FORCE in that, than be a goose in all!"

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So what do you think is the message in this story?

My take is that you should be thankful and appreciate what you’re naturally gifted in. You will always find someone else that is better at something more than you but it doesn’t diminish the blend of talents that you possess.

Any other thoughts?

Mirror Mirror on the Wall who’s the …

Mirror Mirror on the Wall who’s the …

What is it that you see?

Do you like what you see?

If you’re unsure on how to answer these questions a good exercise is to take a look at the people you do and don’t like.

First, think of someone you don’t care for. What is it about that person that you don’t like?  Pinpoint exactly what it is. For me there use to be a person in my life that would always keep tabs on what I was doing at work or reporting it to others, which by the way was none of her business. I did the same thing to her but I brushed if off because I was her boss.  But then I came to realize that the more she kept tabs on me the more I kept tabs on her even if it wasn’t work related.

 

Here I was criticizing her when I was doing the same thing.  That was my own reflection in the mirror coming back to me which I didn’t like in myself.

Second, now think of an attribute you like in someone else.  I have a friend who is always giving me encouraging words and who is basically my cheerleader for my business. I also realized she did this for lots of other people and I really admire and am thankful for her support.

Then one day we were having a conversation and she complimented me on how I’m always encouraging and supporting others to be true to them and what a service I’m providing to them.

Now isn’t that interesting? The same thing I liked about her is what she liked about me.

You could say you reap what you sow here but you can also say what you see in the world is actually a reflection of how you show up in the world. You notice these traits because they are in some form a part of what you do.  Sometimes it’s a nice reflection and sometimes it’s not so pretty.  If they didn’t have an effect on you then you have no emotion attached to it.

When you find yourself liking what someone else does or complimenting them then take notice, you likely have a similar attribute but it may not show up exactly like theirs.

Now the hard part, when you find yourself saying or thinking negative comments about someone else take a good honest look at yourself. Is it possible that you do the same thing in some way or another? That’s what I do and I find myself having less negative thoughts about others.

What does it do for me? It makes me more calm and accepting of other people’s behaviors. I realize they’re just being themselves.

What are your thoughts on this?

Resolution Revolution

Resolution Revolution

How’s that resolution you made holding up so far, such noble intentions that somehow dwindle as time ticks on?  Let’s face it; it’s hard to hold yourself accountable unless you have an absolute, unshakable resolve to see it through to the end.

Of course, you don’t need the beginning of a year to make a resolution but it makes a nice starting place.  Spring is also a good time for new starts as it aligns with nature’s new beginnings. But just like nature the seeds of birth didn’t start in spring, they were planted months earlier. You only physically get to see them in spring. They lay dormant in the ground hibernating waiting for just the right conditions to come to life.  It is amazing when you think about it in the grand scheme of things.

People aren’t so different.  In the winter, we may appear dormant but inside growth is occurring.  It’s a time of reflection, evaluation, goal setting and dream making.  Just like nature you plant seeds through the contacts you make, the education you receive and the goals you achieve.  Bit by bit those seeds grow into what you’ve created whether you’re conscious of what you planted or not. Key point here, create by design and not by default.

Losing weight, healthy eating and increased exercise are all high resolutions set at the beginning of the year but only a few will see it through.  The ones who plant and nurture the seeds of success will achieve their goal. They cleaned out their cupboard of unhealthy food, made a conscious choice to change the foods they consume, plan and stick to an exercise routine that fits their lifestyle, sought the support of family and friends who will hold them accountable in achieving their goal and have a celebratory event for each identified milestone.  These are all seeds of success.

If you have a goal that you with to attain you need to research what it would take to achieve that goal and then go about planting the seeds to achieve it.  It could be a class you need to take; contacts that you need to make or even conversations you need to have with key people. It’s not necessarily blasting out about what you desire but planting the seed of interest and then doing something about it that’s important. Bit by bit, month by month you’ll begin to see the fruits of your labor and before you know it, KA…ZAM you’re there.

Now get busy planting those seeds.