Lessons from a mule

MANILA, Philippines — SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP is an article written by Joseph Sica. Let me share it with you. And I have also taken the liberty to add some personal commentaries.

Once upon a time, there was a farmer who had an old mule. The mule fell into a deep dry well and began to cry loudly. Hearing his mule cry, the farmer came over and assessed the situation. The well was deep, and the mule was heavy. He knew it would be difficult, if not impossible, to lift the animal out. 

Because the mule was old and the well was dry, the farmer decided to bury the animal in the well. In this way, he could solve two problems: put the old mule out of his misery and have his well filled. 

He called upon his neighbors to help him, and they agreed to help. To work, they went. Shovel full of dirt after shovel full of dirt began to fall on the mule’s back. He became hysterical. Then all of a sudden, an idea came to the mule. Each time they would throw a shovel full of dirt on his back, he could shake it off and step up. Shovel full after shovel full, the mule would shake it off and step up. Now exhausted and dirty, but quite alive, the mule stepped over the top of the well and walked through the crowd.

A great attitude. This is also a great way to approach life and living.

We need to “Shake it off and step up.” Too often we hold on to what has happened to us.

We hold on to it for a week, a month, even years. We cannot shake it loose from our memory. It eats away at us and steals our joy, happiness, and peace of mind. The past hurt can create feelings of bitterness, resentment, anger, and revenge. 

We keep allowing these emotions to be thrown on our backs, and if we do nothing, we will be buried deep in the well. Walls will be built in our relationships. We will avoid each other, and the cold war begins.

But, we have a choice: keep it inside and embrace the hurt or shake it off and step up. Give it a try. Shake it off and step up. Words that have been said or actions that have been done, shake it off and step up. Let it go. Whatever it is: a rude comment, a past mistake, being ignored, we can stew over it all week. It occupies us all the time. 

Too often, we nurse hurts; we keep them alive inside and go over them time and time again, not only stewing from them but now chewing them over and over until it gets us sick. Too often, we rehearse hurts, tell everyone what has happened to us.

The cure is to accept what has happened, try to make sense out of it, learn from it, then shake it off and step up. When you let it go, you feel free, and you are no longer buried in the well. Once you are on your feet again, you can take some action. You decide where you want to grow in life, the direction you want your life to take. You determine if you will allow the hurt to make you a bitter or a better person. Learn from it. Emerge stronger.

THAT’S LIFE! Refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, and self-pity. Some people keep on narrating and complaining about things that have happened in the past. Perhaps they have never moved on, and this is not a good thing. The past should not imprison you. It is merely a lesson and not a life sentence. It is always better to have hope in the future. The adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the potential to benefit and bless us. 

As I do business, consultancy, and interact with leaders and decision-makers in different industries, the indisputable fact is that many of these successful people emerged brilliant, tough, and wise because of the many adversities they had to go through. They did not run away; they did not quit. They went through it.

It has been said that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise, and hope are all excellent ways to “Shake it off and step up” out of the wells in which we find ourselves.

So the next time you feel and sense that dirt is being thrown on you, learn the lesson from the mule. Shake it off and simply trust God. Move on and do great things.

 (Connect with Francis Kong in www.facebook.com/franciskong2 or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)