Have you heard of the father, son and the donkey story from Aesop fables?….
A man and his son were once going with their Donkey to the market. They passed by some men who said “You fools, a Donkey is to be ride upon?”
So the Man put the Boy on the Donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed another group of men, who said: “See that lazy youngster, he lets his father walk while he rides.”
So the Man ordered his Boy to get off, and got on himself. They hadn’t gone far when they passed two women, who said “Shame on that man to let his poor little son trudge along.”
Hearing this he asked his boy to sit on the donkey along with him. Then they came across few more men who said: “Aren’t you ashamed? overloading that poor Donkey?”
They both got off, and carried the Donkey on their shoulders. They were walking on a bridge when the Donkey, kicked out which caused the Boy to lose his balance. In the struggle the Donkey fell over the bridge, and drowned.
The moral of the story…. if you try to please all, you will end up losing everything…
To me this story reflects a deeper struggle.. It’s about me constantly judging myself…. My battle with my own inner voices.
Like the other day, One minute I was happy that my blog had grown so much in three months and then I see the post of a fellow blogger who in the same amount of time had 10 times the views and followers than me. Then I felt….. what the hell? How? Maybe I am not trying hard enough? And then I came across another blogger who in a year had lesser views and followers than me and yet without fail they had kept putting up posts systematically… Then I felt…. what? How come they don’t care if anybody is reading their blog or not… why can’t I just write for the fun of it? Maybe I don’t value myself enough….
This is a daily battle, where how happy I am is defined by the standards and successes of other people … I mean you do need references, but you can’t define yourself by them all the time..
The biggest mistake the father and son did was not that they listened to others, cause listening to others really helps a lot sometimes. The biggest mistake they made was not interpreting what others said and moulding it in their own way to suit themselves. One they were comfortable with.
Voices in our head are more difficult to deal with than the opinions of others around you. Sometimes we internalize the opinions of others to the extent that they just become our own inner voices.
Yet, Despite all the voices in our heads we try hard to find the right balance between ..
- Work and home
- Valuing ourselves and seeking approval from others
- Being an adult and being a kid
- Taking control of things around you and just letting go
- Socializing and spending time by yourself
- Eating a bar of chocolate and working out
- Letting your sexual desires overwhelm you and solving the most complex logical problems…
- Between pushing yourself and taking it easy
- Doing things for others vs prioritizing yourself
- And even between life and death…
Somewhere in between the two extremes, you find your comfort point.. where you are at peace.. voices in your head have nothing more to say….. what others say doesn’t affect you as much. This point is what defines our true success.. And it need not be the same for all!
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What a wonderful post dear!!
Yeah, I have read this story and it is very meaningful… “The moral of the story…. if you try to please all, you will end up losing everything.” Totally agreed with the moral…
I also write just I love that, it doesn’t matter if likes, comments are there or not… Also what use of getting useless like which people give even without reading the post, just to get back likes and followers…
One of your best post which I loved to read… Keep writing, have a wonderful Journey ahead!!
Thanks a lot!
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Awesome post!
Thank you for the story 🙂
Thanks!
Thank you friend for sharing such a nice post..and about the followers and view..I have written a post recently….you can may look at it…this post a good one and the title is not a eye catching to be frank..the title should be eye catching to get the readers…
might be .Moral of a Donkey story…. Donkey teach us a lesson… Why shouldn’t we listen others all the time?…I feel you won’t be offended
Thanks!
Beautifully expressed 👌
Thanks!
Superb post👍
Thanks!
True! We all define success differently. Keep going 👏
Lovely post and you nailed it!
Thanks!
I loved this story. It’s so true. Stick to your beliefs if they make sense to you. Obviously we learn by taking into account what others may have learned through experience. But, someone’s opinion of a “snap shot” in time may not be the right opinion for your situation. Stay the course!
I thouroughly enjoy Aesop’s fables… Your post was amazing… thank-you for sharing!
Thanks a lot!
You write very well, don’t worry about followers, likes, views etc, just keep writing in your own way and the numbers will build. 🙂
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I remember reading Aesop’s fables as a child – it was nice to revisit them! As an eight year old I didn’t quite get all of them! So as an adult it’s nice to see what they mean to me now.
We are all plagued with doubt at some point or other in our lives, but when we put our personal selves “out there”, we are even vulnerable. But by doing what you do, you are finding courage and strength, each and every time.
Wether it’s one or thousand people that like your stuff, the main thing is, is that you are brave and you have touched somebody… Sx 🙂
I’d not heard this fable before, it rings true though, trying to please everyone always ends in self-destruction.
Great post.
I’ve never heard that story before, but I may have to pass it along. I know some people who could use hearing it.
Your post is definitely well written and said.
Thanks!
So true. By default we always try to match with others. There comes a time when have to put a stop to this unhealthy attitude.
https://lobouniverse.com/life-insights/lfl-28-procrastination-when-does-it-end/
I love this post. Way too many people get caught up in a people pleasing cycle and forget to focus on themselves.
Thanks!
I love this. There’s only one person in this life that you really need approval from – yourself. Everyone else will judge you and criticize you. You have to be your own cheerleader and do what’s right for you.
Always be yourself, other people should never define your personality! Great message!
This is an interesting story. Thanks for sharing this encouragement.
These are the days that I would think to myself, well you cannot please everyone. Therefore, be yourself and enjoy life.
Very well said. I think I found my balance when I accepted that I really couldn’t have it ALL, and became OK with that. I am not superwoman, I can do my best and that has to be enough because it is all I have to give. If others don’t like it, that’s not my problem.
It is indeed important to have balance. I am a new blogger and even still, have already started having those conversations with myself which I imaging can cause me to lose my focus and drive. Thank you for this reminder which came at just the right time!
This is such a good story. You will never pleased everyone. It’s your life and you should live it your way
This was a nice post! Finding balance with what you have and what you want to have in this business is difficult. Sometimes there is a bit of luck involved too. I am looking for the balance now too!
Taking time to read other blogs is beneficial and having a few favourites help to keep blogging. Success is actually to keep going! despite if no feedback. Comparing steals the joy. It depends what your focus and themes are and to go at your pace. I love to do Haiku but cant get my head around it so I let it go. I try focus on what is happening right now that is helpful. Great post (:
I have to agree that no matter what you do, there are people who just don’t mind their own business – they always have something to say. This post is really an eye opener
Such a great story, thanks for reminding me of it. I have not heard it in a long time. Sometimes you need to just do things to help yourself and not listen to others. Everyone has an opinion, and it’s better to just listen to yourself.
Though I’ve heard this beautiful story before, your take on it is just so insightful. I can’t agree more with you, you’ll definitely lose everything if you keep trying to please everyone. This is an ongoing struggle for me too, but I’m so glad at how far I’ve come. Your posts are just beautiful, thanks for the inspiration and reminder x
Nice post! You will never pleased everyone. It’s your life and you should live in your way.
An amazing post. We all must learn to move forth in what we are destined to do instead of what our critics say is right.
I’ve never heard this but I’ll tell you… I can totally relate. I feel like I used to spend so much time trying to please everyone. Not anymore.
Such a wonderful post. I believe that always listen to your inner voice first and then listen and follow what other say.
What an inspiring story with a deep meaning. It is very true that when you try to please everyone that you begin to lose everything. I’ll definitely pass this along, thanks for sharing!
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What an amazing post! I used to be a major people pleaser, it was very bad and drained me. This opened my eyes. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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Such a great saying to start my day right. There are times that things are overwhelming!
Happiness is a choice and only you can choose to be happy. Don’t let your happiness be decided by the way people think of you.
Yes i have heard of the story and also saw it in one comic movie.. I must say it’s a very stupid thing to do trying to please everyone cause it’s as a matter of fact impossible to please everyone.
The worst thing you can do is compare yourself to others, everyone grows and works at their own pace. You will only make yourself feel bad if you look at someone who has grown quicker than you in the same time
Create your own definition of success, never “settle”. https://themasonmindset.com/2018/09/04/your-definition-of-success-is-defined-by-you/
Keep up with the writing! It doesn’t matter if and how many people like your work. As long as it fulfills you and makes you happy…that should be reward enough!
We can all do this! We will all thrive! Excellent post!
Thanks a lot!
True story Pradnya! My following grows at a glacial pace but I enjoy what I’m writing so it’s worth it for me!
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Truly enjoyed your story, it is beautifully penned and the moral of the story is so meaningful. Well done!
InHisCare 💜
Thanks! 😊
Wow, what an insightful story and prudent analysis. I appreciate the fact that you say it is important to listen to others, but take their opinions in a way that suits you. That is an incredibly powerful point! The biggest challenge with writing is to keep going. With a sea of text already out there, it can be hard to get noticed, but when your passion seeps through your words, your readers/followers will come. Never give up. In these times it can be tempting to change your writing style or content to conform to the popular reads, but then you sacrifice your individuality and passion – you may gather followers quicker, but in the end, they will be overloaded with similar content from thousands of people; you will no longer stand out. Keep writing on what you are passionate about and don’t stress about the number of followers. I believe in you!
Thanks! 😊