Own Your Magnificence
"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." —Jimmy Dean
I love this story I heard once about a donkey.
There was an old farmer whose donkey fell into an empty well. The farmer was old and the donkey was too. The farmer knew he didn’t have enough strength to pull the donkey out of the deep hole. So he reasoned to himself, “This donkey is old. I am too. I can’t get him out of this mess. It is better for the donkey and for me if I just bury him here in this hole. He’s had a good life and served me well, but I can’t do anything with him now. It is better to bury him and put him out of his misery.” So the farmer grabbed a shovel and started throwing in dirt.
The dirt felt like raindrops on the donkey’s face, only it was messy and it hurt a little. He wondered what was going on. He was already bumped and bruised from the fall. His body ached and he felt tired. Everything around him looked dark. He couldn’t make sense of what was happening to him. He felt scared and alone. “What more could go wrong?” the donkey thought to himself. That’s when the second pile of dirt hit him. It seemed to come out of nowhere — and this time it hurt. “Why is this happening to me?” the donkey groaned. He was angry and confused.
The farmer could hear the donkey’s cries from below. The donkey cried louder and louder with each pile of dirt he threw. And then the cries stopped. The farmer felt relieved. He didn’t want the donkey to suffer and was glad he was no longer in pain. “This is for the best,” the farmer reasoned. He continued to fill up the hole.
The donkey stopped groaning for a moment. “All this complaining isn’t getting me anywhere,” the donkey reasoned. “I’m still in this mess and it is only getting worse. I need to do something different so that I can get out.” So the donkey thought, “I can’t do anything about the dirt being thrown at me, but I can change my attitude. I don’t have to let others put me down — or steal my hope. I do have a choice.” The donkey decided to shake off the dirt and not let it affect him.
Something amazing happened. When he shook off the dirt, it no longer affected him the same way. The dirt fell down around him. He used the dirt to STEP UP and GET UP on top of it. In that moment, the donkey made Three Critical Choices.
1. He chose to STOP letting others influence him and took back control of his life.
2. He chose to SHAKE OFF any hurt feelings — negativity, discouragement or feeling overwhelmed — that kept him from moving ahead.
3. He chose to STEP UP to the challenge, confront what was happening, and push past the obstacles facing him.
STOP. SHAKE OFF. STEP UP. He did it over and over again. With every step he got stronger and more determined. The more dirt he shook off, the better he got at not letting it affect him. The struggle built his confidence. “I can do this,” the donkey thought. “I can do this as long as I don’t give up.”
The farmer couldn’t believe his eyes. Instead of being dead, the donkey was very much alive. With every pile of dirt he was getting closer and closer to the surface. The farmer mistook his silence as a sign he had given up. The farmer had underestimated the donkey. If the donkey had just stood there and done nothing, he would have surely died.
The donkey refused to let a negative circumstance determine his outlook on life. He did not allow his feelings to influence his mood or steal his joy. He walked out of that hole one step at a time. The very thing that hurt him actually helped him get free. By noto o giving up, the donkey overcame a hopeless situation. The donkey left the struggle stronger and more confident, with a hopeful attitude toward the future and a different perspective on pain.
Dear Angels, there is such power in not giving up! What is some insight that we can use to keep on keeping on?
Dear Ones, your wisdom is so needed in the world. When you stand in your divine authority you are showing the entire world what family looks like. Many times you give a message and give advice without realizing that you are being a testament to the strength that lives within you. You shrink down as you lift others up. Dear Ones, honor your magnificence! It is okay to sing the praises of others in your life but recognize that you are that one that you are exalting. It is your time to shine now. We are placing a crown on your head. Wear it well!
Dear Angels, thank you. I love you. Namaste y’all.
Today, I promise these three things: to stop the barrage of negativity that tries to influence me; to shake off anything that tries to attach to my positive light; and to step up to the challenges of life every day.
Teri Angel is a Happiness Coach, energy healer, best-selling author, spiritual teacher and mentor, and a motivational speaker. Teri is the Peace Campaign Coordinator for We, The World and the founder of a nonprofit organization, Angelspeakers Inc., which offers educational workshops and events centered around environmental awareness to include animals and nature, peace advocacy opportunities and ancient wisdom teachings. Teri’s movement “Peas For Peace” involves strengthening our awareness of the oneness of all, unifying mankind through compassion, peace, love and joy. She was named "She Who Blesses the Sacred Land" during the Peace On Earth Tour and embraces that title with loving grace. www.angelspeakers.com
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