Written April 2022
There was a farmer. One day his horses broke free and ran away.
The villagers said ‘oh no! That’s awful’.
And the farmer said ‘maybe’.
The next day his horses returned.
The villagers said ‘oh wow! That’s great news!’
And the farmer said ‘maybe’.
The next day the farmers son went out on one of the horses and broke his leg.
The villagers said ‘oh no! How terrible!’
And the farmer said ‘maybe’.
The day after that the military came and summoned all young men to fight.
The farmers son was spared becuase of his broken leg.
And you already know what the villagers and the farmer said dont you?
Moral of the story: be like the farmer.
Who do you think enjoys life more, the farmer or the villagers?
The villagers live in a never-ending rollercoaster of emotion, fear, and elation. They live in a world where external circumstances (which are constantly changing, cannot be controlled and will never stop) rule how they feel.
The farmer on the other hand is neutral towards external circumstances. He knows that he doesn’t know why things happen or whether they are good or bad, no matter how they may appear.
The farmer is at peace, because of his neutrality.
If you live your life chasing the ‘good’ and running from the ‘bad’ you will live a life of continual ups and downs, a life on an emotional and mental rollercoaster, a life in which you believe you can control life to create more good and less bad.
This is a recipe for feeling rubbish about yourself and life.
Because when things appear to be going well, you did it! You created it! Go you!
And when things appear not to be going so well, it’s your fault. You’re rubbish! Nothing works!
When really, life will life and you are simply an observer of it all. No control. But also no responsibility to fix it all.
So, be like the farmer.
This is simple and the truth always is.
