Dr. Shelly Arneson Author and Consultant
  • Home
  • Blogs and News
  • Workshops
  • Consultation
  • Shop
  • Links
  • Contact Information
  • Dissertation
Picture

Happy Communicating
​

How about "We Can Always Try To Make It Better"?

10/29/2014

0 Comments

 
When I was a guidance counselor in an elementary school I used to read a Yiddish folk tale to the students called "It could always be worse". the story begins with a man and his wife who live with their children in a small hut. The man goes to the rabbi to complain about the state of affairs in their small home and the rabbi tells him to go get a goat and two chickens and bring them into his house. Although the man questions the wisdom  of this choice he does what his spiritual leader tells him to do, only to discover the small hut is now even more crowded than before. As you can probably guess this tale goes on until the house is teeming with farm animals and humans alike. It is at this point that the man goes back to the rabbi for the final time. The man throws up his hands and says says "Rabbi, I can't take it anymore. You have to do something or I will surely go crazy!"The rabbi very calmly tells the man to go back to his house, take all the animals out of his house and go back in. The man does as he is told (likely double time) and remarkably finds his house to be a quiet and safe haven.
The 3rd grade students to whom I read this story would often remark that the man simply realized that he didn't have it that bad in the first place. " he should have been grateful for what he had in the first place" was a common comment I often heard from these 8 year old students.
Yes indeed. What great modus operandi to live by!
It is easy to take the low road and complain about little things until things get worse or we see someone in more dire straits than we are. And then, if we are lucky, we realize it could always be worse.
Just for today my hope is that you are able to see all the good things you have in your life. And I wish for you no farm animals to be housed in your abode.
Happy communicating,
Shelly
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Shelly Arneson

    Picture

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
Photos used under Creative Commons from Tjeerd, Johnragai-Moment Catcher, UnknownNet Photography, Mr. Bombdiggity, wuestenigel, quinn.anya, Chocolate Geek, Jorbasa, Leonard J Matthews, JefferyTurner, Golf Resort Achental, fabola, www.ilmicrofono.it, m01229, Heinrich Plum, Titanic Belfast, Strocchi, Cultural viewpoints from around the world, katrienberckmoes, fabola, susivinh, fourcroft, Sweet Dreamz Design, usarjnco, Eldriva, symphony of love, cordalth, boellstiftung, David Holt London, maryjohum, Tony Webster, Rich.S., ZK-OJQ, davidmulder61, garryknight, ChrisPerriman, mrkrndvs, goatling, YellowstoneNPS, Frederick Homes for Sale, Mary_on_Flickr, yourbestdigs, Dean Hochman, guillenperez, Janitors, rachaelvoorhees
  • Home
  • Blogs and News
  • Workshops
  • Consultation
  • Shop
  • Links
  • Contact Information
  • Dissertation