Monday Morning

Motivation    11/07/2011

THE POSITIVE PLACE. SALES MOTIVATION AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Staying on top

You’ve no doubt heard the story. It’s the story of the farmer and his donkey. The farmer had an uncovered dry well, and the donkey fell into it. Deciding that the donkey had seen better days, the farmer decided to bury the donkey and the well.

Gathering his friends and neighbors, they proceeded to throw in shovels of dirt. But much to their surprise, with each shovel of dirt, the donkey would shrug his shoulders, cast off the dirt, and then step up on top of the dirt. Each time they put in a shovel full, the donkey would repeat the process, until finally he got to the top of the well, clambered out, and walked away.

If you haven’t heard the story before, I’m sure there are much better versions than the abbreviated one I’ve just related. In some versions, the donkey gets to the top of the well, and kicks the farmer with both hooves.

But however many times you hear it, the story still brings a positive feeling. On the one hand, we have the uncaring farmer, on the other hand, the resourceful donkey.

And you have the lesson -- shrug it off, step up, and pull yourself out of your predicament.

Too many times, we tend to look at the challenges that greet us and give up -- but with a bit of effort, those challenges can easily be behind us -- on the case of the donkey, beneath us.

Challenges greet us all in life -- problems come and go, and there are few of us who won’t have a problem to two to deal with. But it’s the problems and challenges that cause us to rise to the occasion and grow -- and the way we deal with those challenges is above and beyond the most defining part of our life. As the old adage goes, it’s an easy thing for someone to pilot a boat through smooth seas and light breezes -- but when the waves pick up and the winds blow strongly, then the true mariner comes out. “Smooth seas never made a skilled mariner.”

So if you’re having problems of one sort or another, always remember the story of the donkey. Shrug it off, step up, and use your stumbling blocks to become stepping stones to a greater tomorrow.

Copyright, 2011, by Daryl R. Gibson. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the non-commercial redistribution of this document as long as it remains intact with this copyright and all other lines. This license does not extend to the use of this material in a compilation, whether for profit or non-profit use. Join us at http://www.weekdaywisdom.com.