“Impossible is just an opinion.” -Paulo Coehlo
There was a small village farmer that had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender was a mean man that wasn’t married and desired to marry the farmer’s beautiful daughter.
One day the farmer went to the moneylender to ask him for some more time to return the loan. The moneylender pretended to be furious for a while and then proposed a bargain. He said that if the farmer would not repay his debt, he would be punished, or he had an option to let the moneylender marry his daughter and all his debt would be waived.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. There was no way the farmer could pay off the debt anytime soon and he did not want his daughter to marry the cruel moneylender.
The cunning moneylender made an attractive offer in deciding the fate of the father and daughter. He would place a black and a white pebble in his money bag. The daughter then had to choose a pebble to decide her fate.
If she picked the black pebble, she would have to marry the moneylender and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she picked the white pebble, she didn’t have to marry the man and her father’s debt would be forgiven. If she refused to pick a pebble, the farmer would be thrown in jail.
They were standing on a path scattered with pebbles. The moneylender bent over, picked up two pebbles and put them in the bag. The sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked two black pebbles instead of a black and a white one. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
The girl was confused as to what to do. She knew that she was being cheated. She thought for a while and then kept her hand into the bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking or showing it to anyone, she fumbled and let it fall into the pebble-strewn path where it got lost among the other black and white pebbles.
“Oh, I am sorry, how clumsy of me,” she said. “But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, we will know which pebble I picked.” The moneylender dared not admit his dishonesty in front of the villagers. The black pebble in the bag made it look like the girl had chosen the white pebble. She did not have to marry the moneylender and her father’s debt was cancelled. –Edward D. Bono
Summary:
The girl changed a seemingly impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.
Like the girl, we need to remember that there is always a way out of problems. Just don’t give up. Instead use your energy to look for solutions.
Most complex problems do have a solution. Unfortunately, too often we give into the problem instead of looking for the solution.
Leaders who lack wisdom approach problems with linear vision – thus only seeing the problem that lies directly in front of them and blocking the possibilities that lie within the problem.
Reflection:
- What is a problem you or your team face right now that seems like there are no solutions to?
- How can you change the way you look at the problem your team is facing, so solutions appear?
- How can you and/or your team use this message to help you?
Moving Forward:
- With your team list the problems you all are facing. Then take some time and brainstorm how you will try and overcome each one.
- When faced with obstacles ask yourself the following questions:
- How can I get past this?
- What options haven’t I considered?
- What could I be missing?
- Who can help?
- Share this message with someone that is facing a seemingly unsolvable problem.
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” -Thomas Alva Edison
For more stories like this, check out Challenger Deep: Stories, Fables and Lessons to Help You Rise Above Adversity: Challenger Deep: Stories, Fables, and Lessons to Help You Rise Above Adversity – Tami Matheny