The world stinks
Here’s my first attempt at telling a parable.
Once upon a time, a teetering, bushy gray-bearded man started toward the market. Hobbling along he realized something wasn’t right. The spring air felt right but it didn’t smell right. It smelled sour. He paused, shrugged, and then dutifully trudged along.
He happened upon a purple lilac bush in full bloom. He thought, “This sweet lilac will help me escape the sour.” So he stopped and inhaled deeply. In horror he jerked away. It reeked! And the deeper he inhaled the more disgusting it smelled. Having found no relief, he dejectedly shuffled along.
A whistling stranger passed the teetering, confused, gray-bearded man. “How anyone can whistle in this sour air is beyond me?” he thought. Further along, a fellow townsman waved, calling “Good day,” to the gray-bearded man. He stopped and in frustration called back, “Do you smell that?” The townsman joyfully called back, “Yes, isn’t the spring air lovely!” “Humph” the confused gray-beard said as he tottered toward the market.
It was the same everywhere he went. Finally, produce in hand, the frustrated, confused, dreary, gray-beard turned toward home. Dejected, he thought to himself, “The whole world stinks.”
The sun slipped below the horizon while he sadly sat in a sour filled room. Discouraged and confused, the bushy gray-beard hoped for the relief of sleep. While washing his face, rancid white bits of cottage cheese fell from under his mustache. They’d clung there since dinner the night before.
Straightening himself and inhaling deeply, spring fragrances danced in his nose. Suddenly, the world didn’t stink anymore.
The moral of the story is: If the whole world stinks, maybe the problem isn’t the world. Maybe it’s you.
The good news: If you are the problem, then you are the solution.
Too True! It’s amazing how many of us have leanrt this lesson!
Raeford,
It’s a bit surprising and a little unnerving when the truth dawns on us.
Regards,
Dan
Great parable; great message! Thanks, Dan, I’m going to use this in our weekly department newsletter if you don’t mind.
Sam, Enjoy… if they don’t like it, say someone else wrote it.. 🙂 Thanks for the good word.
Quite often our perception of life is the true reflection of how we feel about ourselves. Our thoughts are manifested in our actions and words. Your example is quite obvious in nature but many people sabotage themselves subconsciously in their pursuit of goals and happiness. Sometimes it makes you wonder if people are truly seeking happiness… after all, miserly loves company.
That’s a very nice first attempt at parables Dan!
I think everyone had experienced this at least once in our life, in my line of business it comes to my mind the constant struggle to make some product or service “better” for your customers, while it is already more than fine and it looks bad just to one’s personal, obfuscated judgement.
Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith in trusting others more than you trust yourself.
Grabriele,
Thanks for leaving your first comment. I appreciate a good word of encouragement.
It can be tough to trust others. I’ve found it pays off.
Cheers,
Dan