There is a Chinese proverb that highlights the importance of addressing fundamental issues before anything else. It uses the metaphor of farming: If a field is unable to hold water, then no matter how good the seeds are or how hard you work, the effort will ultimately be wasted. Similarly, no matter how hard you work, if there are flaws in your thinking, your efforts will be in vain. A good way of thinking is like a bright light in the journey of life.
5 short stories that will inspire you to transform your way of thinking
The memorial tree
A businessman invested a lot of money to develop a resort on a small island. However, the island was not well-known, and after several months, there were very few visitors. The businessman wanted to increase the greenery to attract tourists, but the island was barren, and planting trees was not easy.
As losses mounted, the businessman considered giving up. After thinking about the situation, a professor friend of his offered a suggestion.
The next day, the businessman advertised a special service: Visitors could plant a memorial tree on the island in honor of a wedding, a family memory, and so on.
This creative advertisement quickly became popular, attracting thousands of visitors to plant their own memorial trees.
In less than two years, the island was full of trees, and the sale of saplings brought a huge profit.
Lesson: Leveraging available resources can often lead to achieving more with less effort.
The statue of Confucius
During the Song Dynasty, a school hired a stonemason named Yu Tao to carve a statue of Confucius. After it was completed, they noticed that Confucius’ eyes were not looking straight ahead, but slightly downward. The school felt this damaged Confucius’ image and asked Yu Tao to modify it.
Yu Tao was in a dilemma; the statue was already finished, and modifying the eyes would ruin its aesthetic. After much thought, he told the school administrator: “There is no need to modify the eyes. Just add a desk and a book underneath the statue. When students see the sage still studying, they will have no excuse to be lazy.”
The administrator agreed, and after the additions, the statue seemed even more meaningful, and more people came to pay their respects.
Lesson: When faced with difficulties, timely changes in thinking can often lead to new solutions.
The payment method
After Britain colonized Australia, they signed an order to send convicts there. This solved the overcrowding problem in British prisons and provided more labor for Australia. The British government paid private shipowners based on the number of convicts loaded onto the ships.
However, they soon realized that shipowners did not care about the well-being of the convicts; they neglected them, leading to a death rate of over 10 percent.
Government officials tried various ways to reduce the death rate, but nothing worked. Eventually, they changed the payment method: Instead of paying based on the number of convicts loaded onto the ships, they paid based on the number who arrived alive in Australia.
Now, shipowners had a financial incentive to keep the convicts alive. They improved food and water quality and even provided doctors on board.
As a result, the death rate dropped dramatically to about 1 percent.
Lesson: Learning to think in reverse, breaking the inertia of thinking, can often lead to surprising victories.
The old man and the children
An old man loved peace and quiet, but children often played noisily nearby. He scolded them, but they still came to play every day.
Finally, the old man came up with a plan. He gathered the children and said: “I appreciate that you make this place livelier. If you come to play every day, I will give each of you a dollar.”
The children were excited to receive money for playing and became even more boisterous.
However, after a few days, the old man reduced the amount to fifty cents, then twenty cents, and finally stopped giving money altogether.
Angry, the children said: “We won’t come here to entertain you for free!” and they stopped coming.
Finally, the old man enjoyed the peace and quiet he had longed for.
Lesson: Viewing a situation from a different perspective can often lead to a solution to even the most difficult problems.
Alexander and the Gordian Knot
Legend has it that the ancient Greek King Gordius once tied an intricate knot on a chariot and prophesied that whoever could untie it would conquer Asia. Until 334 B.C., no one had succeeded in untangling it.
Alexander the Great heard about this and decided to try it himself. After struggling for a while without success, he wondered: “How can I untie this knot?”
Suddenly, he had an idea: “I will solve this problem my way!”
He drew his sword and cut the knot in half.
After that, Alexander won every battle and ultimately established an empire that spanned Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Lesson: Great achievers are not bound by conventional thinking.
Conclusion
In life, it is often necessary to change your way of thinking to overcome obstacles. By being flexible, imaginative, and thinking outside the box, you can often find creative solutions to your problems.
These five parables are reminders that a new way of thinking can often lead to new solutions. Remember to stay adaptable and open to change in your journey through life.
Translated by Eva
