A Goat and a Bull

Today I share two stories intended to bring a smile to your face and a lesson for life. Keep in mind as you read these stories, thankful people are proven to be happier, less depressed, more satisfied with life and enjoy healthier relationships.

A story of a man and his goat

There lived a man in Budapest who went to see his rabbi with the following complaint, “Life has become unbearable! I live a horrible life with eight other men in a one room apartment. What can I do?”

The rabbi answered with a simple solution, “Take your goat and bring him to live with you in the apartment.” The man was dumbfounded and openly reacted to the idea but the wise rabbi insisted, “Do as I say and come back to see me in a week.”

The week goes by and the man returns looking more distraught than ever. “We cannot stand it,” he tells the rabbi. “The goat stinks, is destroying our furniture and eats everything in sight!”

The rabbi gives his next set of instructions. “Now, go back home and put the goat back in his pen. Then, wait a week and come back and see me.” The man obeys.

A week later, the exuberant goat owner returns to the rabbi and exclaims, “Life is beautiful! The nine of us haven’t been happier now that the goat is gone. I can’t thank you enough!”

The morale of the story? Change your perspective and change your life.

If you don’t like the way something looks,
change the way you look at it. (Wayne Dyer)

The story of two men and a bull

Two men were strolling through a field one day when they spotted an angry bull. They knew they were in trouble so they instantly started running towards the nearest fence.

The enraged bull took off in hot pursuit right towards them. It didn’t take them long to realize they weren’t going to make it.

Terrified, the one man shouted to his friend, “Put up a prayer, John. We’re in big trouble!”

John answered, “I can’t. I’ve never said a public prayer in my life!”

“But you must!” demanded his running companion. “The bull is catching up to us and we’re desperate for help.”

“All right,” panted John, “I’ll say the only prayer I ever heard – the prayer my father used before every meal, ‘O Lord, for what we are about to receive, make us truly thankful.’”

The morale of the story? Giving thanks* in (I didn’t say ‘for’) all circumstances may not change your circumstances but it will change you for the better in your circumstances.

*Studies show that grateful people find more positive ways to cope with the difficulties they experience, are more likely to seek support from other people, reinterpret and grow from their experiences, and spend more time planning how to deal with their problems.

Where in your life do you need a goat for a week?
How will you express gratitude “in” your circumstances?

Image source: Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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