4 tales about success
1. Believe in yourself as an eagle
Deep within the craggy peaks of a desolate mountain range, a traveler stumbled upon an abandoned eagle’s nest. Inside, a lone, fragile eaglet huddled. Taking pity on the creature, the man brought it down to his farm in the valley and placed it in the chicken coop. Raised alongside clucking hens, the young eagle learned to peck at grain, scratch in the dirt, and roost on low beams. It grew up entirely convinced it was a chicken.
As the seasons turned, the bird matured. Its wings spanned wide, packed with dense muscle and magnificent feathers, yet it remained grounded by its own self-image. Recognizing the bird’s innate potential, the farmer decided it was time to train it into a majestic hunting bird. However, years of domesticity had taken their toll; the eagle possessed no desire to fly, preferring the safety of the coop. The farmer tried every method imaginable—coaxing it with fresh meat, tossing it gently into the air, and isolating it from the flock—but the eagle merely plopped back down to scratch the earth.
Frustrated but unwilling to give up, the farmer carried the heavy bird back up to the towering mountain peak where it was born. Standing at the edge of a sheer precipice, he held the eagle high and flung it into the abyss.
Initially, the giant bird dropped like a stone, tumbling through the thin mountain air. Panic struck. In a desperate, instinctual bid for survival, the eagle began furiously flapping its wings. To its utter amazement, the air caught beneath its feathers, and the downward plunge transformed into a glorious upward surge. It soared into the vast blue sky, finally realizing its true identity.
The Lesson: Training and challenging environments awaken our hidden potential. By boldly attempting what terrifies us, we can escape the limitations of our past and discover our true strength.
2. 5 gold coins
On the sweeping, unforgiving grasslands of Inner Mongolia, a young boy named Abage and his father became hopelessly lost during a sudden dust storm. Hours of aimless wandering left Abage completely exhausted. Terrified and weeping, the boy collapsed onto the arid earth, declaring he could not take another step.
His father knelt beside him, reached deep into his pocket, and pulled out five gleaming gold coins. He carefully buried one coin beneath the sparse roots of the prairie grass, then pressed the remaining four coins firmly into Abage’s small palm.
“Life gives us five gold coins,” his father said warmly. “They are childhood, youth, young adulthood, middle age, and old age. Today, you have only spent your first coin—the one we just buried in the grass. You still hold four precious coins in your hand. You must not throw them all away here on this lonely steppe. You must use them wisely, little by little, so that your life is never wasted. Today, we must walk out of this grassland together. And in the future, you must walk out into the wider world.”
Encouraged by his father’s profound wisdom, Abage found a sudden reservoir of strength. He stood up, and together they navigated their way out of the steppe. Decades later, Abage did indeed leave his hometown, traveling the globe as an accomplished ship captain.
The Lesson: Cherish the journey of life and view setbacks as temporary detours. By staying present in each moment, we find the resilience to navigate through any emotional or physical swamp.
3. Sweeping sunshine
In a quiet suburban home lived two young brothers, aged four and five. Their bedroom was positioned in a corner of the house where the heavy wooden shutters were always kept tightly closed. To the boys, their room felt perpetually dark, gloomy, and uninviting, making them long for the brilliant, warm sunshine dancing on the balcony.
One afternoon, the older brother hatched a brilliant plan. “If we work together, we can sweep some of that beautiful sunshine inside,” he whispered.
Armed with plastic brooms and small dustpans, the two children marched out to the sun-drenched balcony. They carefully swept the golden light onto their dustpans and rushed back into the bedroom. But the moment they crossed the threshold, the light vanished. Confused but determined, they ran back outside, swept more sunshine, and hurried back in, only to find the room as dark as before. They repeated this exhausting ritual dozens of times.
Their mother, busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, noticed her sons running back and forth, sweat dripping from their brows. Curious, she asked, “What are you two doing?”
“The bedroom is too dark,” the younger brother panted. “We are trying to sweep the sunshine inside!”
The mother laughed gently, walked over to the windows, and threw open the heavy shutters. Instantly, floods of radiant golden light poured in, illuminating every dusty corner. “Just open the window,” she smiled, “and the sunshine enters naturally.”
The Lesson: We often overcomplicate our pursuit of happiness. By opening the closed doors of our hearts, we allow the light of success to naturally dispel the darkness of failure.
4. A spider and three people
Following a torrential downpour, a tiny spider attempted to climb a damp brick wall to repair its shattered web. Because the mortar was slick and wet, the spider would lose its footing whenever it reached a certain height, tumbling back down into the mud below. Undeterred, it began the grueling climb again, only to slide down once more.
Three people walking down the street stopped to observe the struggling arachnid.
The first person watched the endless cycle, sighed heavily, and walked away dejectedly. “My life is exactly like that spider,” he muttered. “Constantly busy, working endlessly, yet achieving absolutely nothing.” He fell into deep discouragement.
The second person watched the scene and shook his head. “What a foolish spider,” he remarked. “Why doesn’t it simply walk around to the dry side of the wall to climb? I must learn from this and avoid making such foolish choices in my own life.” He walked away wiser, resolving to look for smarter paths.
The third person stood, captivated and deeply moved by the insect’s unyielding determination. “If a tiny creature refuses to give up after failing so many times, how can I ever justify quitting?” he thought. His spirit grew immensely stronger, filled with renewed perseverance.
The Lesson: Those possessing a positive mindset can find inspiration and lessons everywhere. Our external circumstances do not dictate our success; rather, our unique interpretation of those events defines our destiny.
Translated by Cecilia and edited by Maria
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