The Sue Atkins Wednesday Story To Ponder

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Making up your own mind and being happy with it

 

Here is your Wednesday story from my never ending notebook and everlasting coloured pencil.

“On a certain day in 1456 a farmer entered the great city of Norwich with his son and a donkey.

The man was riding the donkey, and his son was leading it on a rope.

No sooner had they entered the city walls when they heard a passer-by say in a loud voice, “How disgraceful. See how that man sits on his donkey behaving like a lord of the manor while his little son runs himself ragged trying to keep up.”

Full of shame, the farmer dismounted and set his son on the donkey while he walked beside it.

In the next street, a pedlar drew his customer’s attention to the trio, “Look at that. That little rascal sits up there like the Young Pretender while his poor old father trudges along in the mud.”

Deeply embarrassed, the boy asked his father to climb up behind him.

Once they turned the corner into the next street, a woman selling bat legs and toad venom spat out, “See what has become of the human race. No sensitivity to animals. Look at that
poor donkey. Its back’s almost bent in two carrying the weight of those two loafers. If only I had my wand with me….. disgraceful!”

Hearing this the farmer and his son without a word slipped off the donkey and began to walk beside it.

They hadn’t gone more than a few yards, however, when they heard a market stall holder shout across the market to his friend, “I thought I was stupid but look, here’s a real ass.

What’s the point of having a donkey when it doesn’t do any donkey work?”

The farmer stopped, and having given his donkey a pat on the nose, said to his son, “Whatever we do, someone disagrees with it. Perhaps it’s time we made up our own minds about what we believe is right.”

  • So what has this story got to do with your parenting?
  • Who do you listen to?
  • What is that costing you?
  • How could you develop your own parenting confidence more?
  • What would be the benefits to you, your stress levels and your life generally if you followed your own intuition more?
  • What do you believe is the “right” thing to do – are you clear in your own mind?
  • How could you gain more clarity?
  • What would that give you?
  • So what’s stopping you grabbing a piece of paper and a pen and jotting down some of your own ideas?
  • How does that feel?

Great – now have a great week !

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