Welcome back to the second in the series ‘52 Guiding Lights.’  This one is about a parable that provides some insight into how we can deal with obstacles that crop up all the time in our day-to-day lives.  I picked the parable up from Pawbuzz.

In ancient times, a king had his men place a boulder on a roadway. He then hid in the bushes, and watched to see if anyone would move the boulder out of the way.

Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers passed by and simply walked around it.

Many people blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the stone removed.

One day, a peasant came along carrying vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to push the stone out of the way. After much pushing and straining, he finally managed.

After the peasant went back to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

The purse contained many gold coins with a note from the King explaining that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the road.

Every obstacle presents an ethical challenge. Do we do the right thing and respond accordingly, seeing it as an opportunity to embrace the challenge and improve our lives?

 

Or do we assume it is not our problem, try to blame someone else, and complain about the inconvenience?

 

In this day and age, it is not easy to always do the right thing, but those who create opportunities through kindness of heart and generosity to others and who are willing to get on and get things done probably have a better life.

 

It seems to me that often, the kindest, most sympathetic, and most generous people are often not financially well-off.  They have simple lives that have not been corrupted by power or money.  Is everything on your path an obstacle, or are there some opportunities in disguise?

 

Sometimes people need help with the obstacles they are facing.  The ethical thing to do is to reach out and offer support.  If you know someone who is struggling, reach out and offer some support.  It will make you and them feel good.  We need more ‘feel good’ in today’s screwed-up world.

 

Hope to see you back next time and thanks for reading this article. Don’t miss out – stay subscribed.  I am also interested in your thoughts.   So, if you have an opinion, join the conversation and add your thoughts or any comments you have (especially if you have something nice to say!) on the social media links (Linked In or Facebook) under the article.

   

Till next time,

Calvin

 

^©Copyright The Compliance Concierge April 2024