This week’s Inspiration comes from a story authored by Ivan King titled Man in the Forest.
A humble farmer’s son had an inquisitive mind and always asked his father all sorts of questions. One day he approached his dad and asked him what it was that he needed to be successful in life.
In response, the father looked at his son and shrugged his shoulders and answered that he was just simple country folk and didn’t really know such things. The son then asked if he knew of someone who could answer his question. The father paused a moment in deep thought and replied that he could most likely get the answer from the village’s holy man. He remarked that the holy man was knowledgeable in all matters and that he felt confident that he would have an answer for his son.
The next day, the son went into the village to search out the holy man in hopes of learning from him as to how to achieve success in life. When asking directions, the boy was told that the wise man lived in a unpretentious house on the of town. When he finally arrived at the home and knocked on the door, he was greeted by an stooped old man who kindly bid the boy to enter.
The farmer’s son introduced himself and explained the why he was seeking out the wise man’s counsel.
“Unfortunately, I do not possess the answer to your question,” replied the wise man. “I am only an expert on matters of the spirit. For example, I know the secrets to spiritual enlightenment, but nothing of earthly wealth and economical accomplishments. I do, however, know where you might find someone who can answer your question.”
The wise man told the farmer’s son that there was a rich and powerful man who lived deep in the woods. He then gave directions as best he could as to how the boy might find him.
The following day, the farmer’s son set out on his journey to find the rich man’s home. After a full day’s walk, he finally reached the woods described by the holy man. Travelling a few hours more, the boy found himself in front of a huge gate that was made of thick wood and adorned with luxurious gold trimmings. The farmer’s son stood in amazement before the gateway as it must have been twenty feet high with a large solid gold circular door knocker in its center.
Filled with trepidation, the boy reached for the knocker. Then, as hard as he could he swung the heavy knob against the door several times.
A few minutes later a man came to the door; he opened it slightly and peered through the crack. The farmer’s son stutteringly introduced himself and explained to the man how and why he had sought him out.
When he finished his introduction there was a short period of uncomfortable silence. Then, finally, the man behind the door opened it wider and halfheartedly invited the young man to enter.
The farmer’s son stepped through the door as the rich man bid him to follow. The boy said nothing as he quietly followed the man along a path that led to stately and spacious mansion. But, instead of going into the house, the man led the boy along its side following a pathway that seemed to lead to a nearby lake. When they arrived at the bank of the lake, the man bade the boy to follow him onto a pier that extended out roughly ten feet into the lake.
When they got to the end of the pier, the man crouched down and picked up a large cinder block from a stack that lay at the side of the pier. The he handed the cinder block to the boy.
Despite not understanding its intended purpose, the boy took hold of the cinder block without question. He then began to explain to the rich man that he had just come to ask him as to what was the secret to becoming successful and that he didn’t understand what was going on.
The man looked up at the young man and said that he was going to reveal to him the secret to success, but first he needed to know if the boy was worthy of such knowledge. To know such a thing the rich man said that the he had to put him through a test. The boy was both confused and afraid, but remained silently compliant.
Then the rich man told the boy to jump into the lake while holding onto the cinder block, explaining that he wanted to see how long he could swim while holding onto the brick.
The boy, although even more shaken by this odd request, decided that to possess the answer to the question he sought was worth the risk of obeying the rich man’s instruction. So he jumped feet first into the murky water and after a few seconds came back up to the surface still holding the heavy cinder block. But with the block weighing him down he was only able to swim while holding it for a couple of minutes and then he had to let go of it.
The rich man then handed him another block and the young man struggled to hold but quickly had to let go of it as well.
Then the rich man handed boy a third and final block, but the young man was simply too tired. This time he was only able to hold it for a mere second and then had to let it drop.
The rich man then helped the young man out of the water and onto the pier. Then he turned to face him and said: “The secret of being successful is not that complicated and, if the truth be known, not too much of a secret. Simply put, you can’t hold on to the things that keep dragging you down. If you want to fill your life with nothing but positives, then you have to be willing to get rid of all the negative things in your life that keep you bogged down.”
“The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William J. “Bill” Bacqué