The Taoist Farmer
What if life is happening for us and not to us? What if the things that seem like curses are really blessings in disguise?
Stay with me here.
What if sometimes we need something big to remind us we are here to experience this journey and all the ups and downs that come with it and that we can’t know what joy is without sadness.
Have we forgotten what is most important to us?
Maybe we’ve been too caught up in modern consumerism- it’s destroying our communities, our families, our planet, and ourselves. We have given up time to do what our hearts desire- read a book, go for a hike, take a nap in our hammock in the warm sun. So many of us have become slaves to our jobs, sacrificing our souls to be able to buy more stuff. Stuff that takes space and clutters our homes and our minds and is killing our planet.
Now we’ve been forced to stop. We have gotten our time back. We are all home with our families and are starting to remember what is really important to us and it’s not all the stuff. It’s our health. It’s our family. It’s our freedom. Things that cannot be bought.
When I say our lives will never be the same after this passes, I hope the changes are that we opt for that nap in our hammocks over everything else.
The story below has been one of my favorites for years. It’s what I try to live by anytime I view anything other than a blessing.
Stay with me here.
What if sometimes we need something big to remind us we are here to experience this journey and all the ups and downs that come with it and that we can’t know what joy is without sadness.
Have we forgotten what is most important to us?
Maybe we’ve been too caught up in modern consumerism- it’s destroying our communities, our families, our planet, and ourselves. We have given up time to do what our hearts desire- read a book, go for a hike, take a nap in our hammock in the warm sun. So many of us have become slaves to our jobs, sacrificing our souls to be able to buy more stuff. Stuff that takes space and clutters our homes and our minds and is killing our planet.
Now we’ve been forced to stop. We have gotten our time back. We are all home with our families and are starting to remember what is really important to us and it’s not all the stuff. It’s our health. It’s our family. It’s our freedom. Things that cannot be bought.
When I say our lives will never be the same after this passes, I hope the changes are that we opt for that nap in our hammocks over everything else.
The story below has been one of my favorites for years. It’s what I try to live by anytime I view anything other than a blessing.
The Taoist Farmer
There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.“Maybe,” the farmer replied.The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How wonderful,” the neighbors exclaimed.“Maybe,” replied the old man.The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy for what they called his “misfortune.”“Maybe,” answered the farmer.The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.“Maybe,” said the farmer.
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