shake it up
It is told of a certain farmer who had an old mule. In an unfortunate oversight, the mule fell into a well that was on the farm. The peasant heard the bellows of the animal, and ran to see what was happening. He was sorry to see his faithful servant in that condition, but after carefully analyzing the situation, he believed that there was no way to save the poor animal, and that it was better to bury her in the same well.
The peasant called his neighbors and told them what was happening and asked them to help him bury the mule in the well so that it would not continue to suffer.
At first, the mule was hysterical. But as the farmer and his neighbors continued to shovel dirt on their backs, an idea came to his mind. It occurred to the mule that every time a shovel of earth fell on her back…. She had to shake herself off and climb on the earth! This made the mule shovel after shovel. “Shake off and get on. Shake off and get on,” repeated the mule to encourage herself.
No matter how painful the pounding of dirt and stones on its back, or how stormy the situation, the mule fought back panic, and continued to toss and climb. At his feet the ground leveled up. The men, surprised, understood the strategy of the mule and that encouraged them to continue throwing dirt. Little by little, it was possible to reach the point where the mule, tired and dejected, was able to jump out of the walls of that well. The land that seemed to bury her became her blessing, all because of the way she faced adversity.
This is life! If we face our problems and respond positively, refusing to give way to panic, bitterness, and regrets about our low self-esteem, the adversities that come into our lives to try to bury us will give us the potential to benefit and blessed, with the help of God!
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