Be Open-minded
Generally, our view of the world is made up primarily of what we experience through our five senses. What we personally know of the world, we have either seen, tasted, touched, smelled or heard. Unfortunately, our senses are limited. Therefore, our view of the world is limited. This is not a problem, unless we start believing that what we have experienced through our five senses is the only reality. It is not.
Right now, there are countless things that are real that we are not aware of and just because we are not personally aware of those things does not mean that they are not real or true. For example, if you had never seen the stars on a clear night, and I pointed to the sky in the middle of day and told you that there were countless stars up there, I would have great difficulty convincing you of their existence, yet they are really there… dancing in the sunlight.
No one knows it all. We are all ignorant – just on different subjects. There are many things you know that I don’t, and in like manner, there are things I know that you don’t. In fact, if I shared with you some of the things I have personally experienced, you would stare at me in disbelief and probably think that I was making it up... just like the Little Frog did in the following story.
The Little Frog That Lived In The Well
There was a Little Frog that lived in a nice, deep well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born and brought up there.
The walls of the well were all covered with wet moss. When the Little Frog was thirsty, he drank a little bit of the well water, and when he was hungry, he ate some insects. When he was tired, he lay on a little rock in the well and looked up at the sky above him. Sometimes he saw passing clouds. Occasionally he saw a bird fly past. He experienced night and day. This was his world. He knew of no other way of life for himself. Hence, he did not long for anything more or anything better.
One day another frog that lived in the lake came by the well and accidentally fell into it. The Little Frog asked the lake frog, "Where are you from?"
"I am from the lake.", answered the lake frog.
"The lake!" exclaimed the Little Frog, "How big is that? Is it as big as my well?", and as he enquired, he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.
"My friend", said the lake frog, "you cannot compare the lake with your little well?"
Then the Little Frog took another leap and asked, "Is your lake this big?"
The shocked lake frog exclaimed "What nonsense you speak, the lake is thousands of times bigger than your well. Besides, there is much more up there than you can ever imagine. There are mountains and valleys and rivers and lakes, and all kinds of birds and animals and trees and flowers and people and trains and cars, and countless other things."
"Well, Well," said the Little Frog, "nothing can be bigger and better than my well; He then shouted, "You are a liar, get out."
Like the Little Frog, many people refuse to believe that which they don’t understand. Some will believe only what they like to believe, or only what fits into their own scheme of things, summarily rejecting anything to the contrary.
It is said that incorrect assumptions are the prime cause of failure in adult life.
It is a sad fact that there are so many people out there ‘stuck in a rut’, but who will ignore opportunity when it presents itself because of preconceived ideas about what it might be.
To move onward and upward in life, be open to possibilities. There is (much) more to life than meets the eye. Open-mindedness and the willingness to revise your thinking in the face of new information can provide a tremendous advantage for succeeding in a world of rapid change.
Right now, there are countless things that are real that we are not aware of and just because we are not personally aware of those things does not mean that they are not real or true. For example, if you had never seen the stars on a clear night, and I pointed to the sky in the middle of day and told you that there were countless stars up there, I would have great difficulty convincing you of their existence, yet they are really there… dancing in the sunlight.
No one knows it all. We are all ignorant – just on different subjects. There are many things you know that I don’t, and in like manner, there are things I know that you don’t. In fact, if I shared with you some of the things I have personally experienced, you would stare at me in disbelief and probably think that I was making it up... just like the Little Frog did in the following story.
The Little Frog That Lived In The Well
There was a Little Frog that lived in a nice, deep well. It had lived there for a long time. It was born and brought up there.
The walls of the well were all covered with wet moss. When the Little Frog was thirsty, he drank a little bit of the well water, and when he was hungry, he ate some insects. When he was tired, he lay on a little rock in the well and looked up at the sky above him. Sometimes he saw passing clouds. Occasionally he saw a bird fly past. He experienced night and day. This was his world. He knew of no other way of life for himself. Hence, he did not long for anything more or anything better.
One day another frog that lived in the lake came by the well and accidentally fell into it. The Little Frog asked the lake frog, "Where are you from?"
"I am from the lake.", answered the lake frog.
"The lake!" exclaimed the Little Frog, "How big is that? Is it as big as my well?", and as he enquired, he took a leap from one side of the well to the other.
"My friend", said the lake frog, "you cannot compare the lake with your little well?"
Then the Little Frog took another leap and asked, "Is your lake this big?"
The shocked lake frog exclaimed "What nonsense you speak, the lake is thousands of times bigger than your well. Besides, there is much more up there than you can ever imagine. There are mountains and valleys and rivers and lakes, and all kinds of birds and animals and trees and flowers and people and trains and cars, and countless other things."
"Well, Well," said the Little Frog, "nothing can be bigger and better than my well; He then shouted, "You are a liar, get out."
Like the Little Frog, many people refuse to believe that which they don’t understand. Some will believe only what they like to believe, or only what fits into their own scheme of things, summarily rejecting anything to the contrary.
It is said that incorrect assumptions are the prime cause of failure in adult life.
It is a sad fact that there are so many people out there ‘stuck in a rut’, but who will ignore opportunity when it presents itself because of preconceived ideas about what it might be.
To move onward and upward in life, be open to possibilities. There is (much) more to life than meets the eye. Open-mindedness and the willingness to revise your thinking in the face of new information can provide a tremendous advantage for succeeding in a world of rapid change.
1 Comments:
Hi Virand,
I found your site when "Googling" for a copy of the story of the frog who lived in the well.
I am a teacher of teachers at a Melbourne TAFE and was after some analogies that reflect the capacity we have to expand our world and our possibilities through reflective practice, and daring to think and step outside the square we know.
I love your comments and the stories you've included on your site. Your words are wise and thought provoking - thankyou.
Jenni :-)
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