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The Donkey and the Well

"One day a donkey fell into a well.  When the owner discovered what happened, he frantically searched for ways to rescue the animal with no success.  Regretfully, the owner decided that since the donkey was growing old, he should give up the idea of rescuing the animal and simply fill in the well.  Hopefully, the donkey's demise would be quick and painless.

The farmer then called his neighbors to help with the task, and soon several men began shoveling dirt into the well.

When the donkey realized what was happening, he brayed and struggled…but finally the noise stopped.

After a few sad moments, the farmer looked into the well and there stood the donkey.  Alive and progressing to the top, the donkey had found that by shaking off the dirt instead of allowing it to bury him, he could keep stepping on top of the earth as its level rose.  Then, he could easily step out of the well - and trot off happily.

As you may have noticed, life often attempts to cover us over with dirt and clutter.  The trick is to shake it off and do something to take the next step up (Cottrell, 2005, p. 52-53)."

Reference:  Cottrell, D. (2005).  12 choices…that lead to your success.  Dallas:  CornerStone Leadership Institute.

12 Choices…That Lead to Your Success is available on loan from the Ohio State University Leadership Center.  To borrow this resource or any other resource, please go to the resource search page http://164.107.48.88/winnebago/index.asp?lib=???

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Created: 2008-04-03, Updated: 2009-01-09