Here we are on Message #195 and I haven’t told you the #1 most favorite story of my callers to Success Hotline (973.743.4690). How do I know it’s my callers’ favorite?
I ask them.
Many years ago, I heard this story. I never forgot it because it has really helped me.
I hope that you’ll remember this story and that it will help you.
Once upon a time, there was a little donkey that lived on a ranch. The little donkey spent all of his time in a pen with his grandfather. One day, the little donkey said, “Grandpa, I want to grow up to be big and strong like you. What do I have to do?”
Grandpa said, “All you have to do is learn how to shake it off and step up.”
That confused the little donkey so he asked his grandfather what that meant.
Grandpa said, “Let me tell you a story. One day, when I was just about your age, I was right here in this pen when someone left the gate open by mistake. Well, I escaped and started walking out on the prairie. I was admiring the big mountains and the huge sky. Then, all of a sudden, when I wasn’t looking at where I was going, I fell into an old, abandoned well. I was trapped at the bottom of the well, scared to death, thinking I was going to die. Then, within a few minutes, I heard a truck and looked up and saw an old farmer. I thought he would surely save me. But he just looked down at me, shook his head, got back into his truck, and left.
“A few hours later, I heard what sounded like four or five trucks. I looked up and saw the farmer and several of his friends. The old farmer said, ‘Boys, the well’s abandoned and that little donkey ain’t worth anything, so let’s get to work.’
“They got their pick axes and shovels and started burying me alive. Now I knew I was going to die! The dirt started burying my hooves and then it started covering my lower legs and then I suddenly realized something -- every time a shovel-full of dirt landed on my back, I could shake it off and step up on it. So I shook it off and stepped up, and shook it off and stepped up, and I continued shaking and stepping, and shaking and stepping, until I eventually shook off enough and stepped up enough that I was able to step out of the well and save my life!”
Then the grandfather looked right at the little donkey and said, “Remember, if you want to grow up to be big and strong, you have to learn how to shake it off and step up.”
I’ll bet that you are never going to fall into a well. But, I’ll also bet that people are going to throw dirt on you. By “dirt” I mean that people will criticize you, reject you, gossip about you, etc. Remember, if you want to grow up to be big and strong, you have to learn how to shake it off and step up!
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