A story told around a campfire a thousand years ago can resonate just as powerfully as a meme discovered yesterday, and, more often than not, they are the same story.

There’s a beautiful Chinese proverb about a farmer and his son which illustrates perfectly that there is a greater context to every moment that only time can reveal. The rough contours of the story are as follows:

A prosperous farmer and his son worked the land with their strong and beautiful stallion. One morning the horse runs away, leaving them unable to do the heavy labor of the farm. All of the farmer’s neighbors lament what a terrible misfortune this is for him, but the farmer just says, “Maybe so; maybe not. We shall see.”

A few days later, the stallion wanders back to the farm with several beautiful wild mares at his side. The farmer’s neighbors can’t believe this turn of events. They exclaim how extremely lucky he is, but the farmer just says, “Maybe so; maybe not. We shall see.”

Later that week the farmer’s son starts breaking in the new mares. He is thrown to the ground and shatters his leg, leaving him unable to do his daily work. The farmer’s neighbors declare this a deeply disheartening misfortune, but the farmer just says, “Maybe so; maybe not. We shall see.” 

A few weeks later, a battalion of soldiers rolls through town and recruits all the young men of the village to fight. They pass over the farmer’s son because he is laid up in bed with a broken leg, but every other son is taken for the national army. The farmer’s neighbors declare him extremely lucky to not lose his boy. The farmer simply says, “Maybe so; maybe not. We shall see.”

Versions of this story unfold a billion times a day the world over:

A flight missed. A relationship ended. A promotion denied. A wallet lost. 

A winning lottery ticket. The job of a lifetime. A million followers. King of the hill.

Often, only the passage of time reveals the true outcome of an event or situation. Releasing oneself from the outcome and taking the long view can be an incredibly powerful way to meet life on life’s terms.

Copyright 2023 Kesel Wilson (entirely, 100% human-created)

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