The Donkey, The Elderly Man and The Young Boy

A donkey, an elderly man and a young boy come into town. The elderly man sits astride the donkey and the young boy walks by the donkey’s side. A crowd appears. They shout and scream at the elderly man.

A man with a strident voice yells:

“you wicked, cruel selfish man. How can you be riding the donkey and making the poor boy walk?”

The elderly man gets off the donkey. He is full of shame. He places the young boy on the donkey and rides into the next town. Another crowd gathers. They’re armed with rotten tomatoes. They pelt the boy with the tomatoes and scream abuse at him:

“How can you, a young boy be so mean? You’re a discgrace. Have you no respect for your elders and betters?”

The young boy bursts into tears.

The elderly man ponders his next move. There’s only one logical choice. He climbs on the donkey and joins the young boy. They ride together to the next town.

Along the way, the Donkey Welfare Society members accost the unlikely trio. They beat the elderly man and the boy with sticks. The Donkey Welfare Society members say very little. Actions speak louder than words.

Bruised and embattled, the elderly man ponders his options. The Donkey Welfare Society members were right. It makes sense to let the donkey have a well earned rest. The elderly man and the boy get off the donkey. They walk beside the donkey and walk into the next town. The crowd at the next town has 2 straitjackets ready for the elderly man and the young boy. Surely only mad people would have a healthy donkey, yet insist on walking.

How To LOSE Friends And Influence People

What will be the story of your work this week? Why not try this approach?

1. Know your own story

• Make a realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses and use that knowledge to guide your behaviour.
• Recognise that every moment of the day you are telling yourself a story. Study your self talk and pledge to tell yourself a positive, gratitude filled story.
• know what your values are, know the things that you’re passionate about.

2. Use your discernment to assess the stories that others tell you

• your heart and your mind will identify the stories that resonate with you.
• combine everything you’ve been given, your common sense, your intellect and intuition to achieve amazing results.

3.Work with others to build a compelling story

• Adopt a passionate approach to your work.
• Watch the ripple effect as your business soars to new levels of effectiveness.
• Show respect for others and enjoy the pleasures of true teamwork.

What I’ve Learned

I’ve learned that the story begins with each of us and we owe it to each to tell our story and enable others to tell theirs.

My mother told me this story. She was taught the story by her grandmother. It inspired me during my recent work in Barbados. It galvanised me to encourage many of the Learning Programme participants to tell their Emotional Intelligence Stories.

They taught us as they shared their experiences and we all learned far more than if we’d sat through a series of lectures.

The Bottom Line

Simply put, storytelling works.