One afternoon, an old farmer’s donkey accidentally stumbled and fell deep into an abandoned, dried-up well. The poor animal cried out piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Eventually, the farmer made a cold, calculated decision. He reasoned that the donkey was already past its prime, and the dangerous well needed to be filled in anyway. It simply wasn’t worth the time, effort, or money to rescue the animal.
He invited a dozen of his neighbors over to help him. They all grabbed shovels, lined up around the perimeter, and began throwing heavy piles of dirt, mud, and trash directly down into the well.
At first, realizing what was happening, the donkey cried horribly in absolute terror. But after a few minutes, to everyone’s utter amazement, the crying completely stopped. A strange silence fell over the well.
The Miracle at the Bottom of the Pit
Curious as to why the animal had gone quiet, the farmer finally peered over the edge. What he saw left him completely speechless.
With every single shovel of dirt that landed on the donkey’s back, the animal did something incredible: it would vigorously shake the dirt off and take a step up on top of the rising mound.
Shovel, shake, step up.
Shovel, shake, step up.
The neighbors kept digging, and the donkey kept climbing. Before long, to the astonishment of the entire crowd, the donkey reached the rim of the well, hopped over the edge, and happily trotted off into the sunset, leaving the farmer standing there in jaw-dropping disbelief.
The Moral of the Story
Life is going to throw dirt at you—all kinds of dirt. The secret to survival is to shake it off and use it to take a step up. Every single one of our problems is a potential stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by refusing to let our struggles bury us.
5 Golden Rules to Stay Happy:
Free your mind from hatred: Forgive others, not because they deserve it, but because you deserve peace.
Drop the worry: Worrying never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its strength. Focus on solutions, not problems.
Live simply: Appreciate the small things. Wealth isn’t about having more; it’s about needing less.
Give more, demand less: True fulfillment comes from contribution, not consumption.
Expect nothing, appreciate everything: Release your expectations of others, and focus entirely on what you can bring to the table.
