This too shall pass

Ugh.

I’m sick… again.

Two weeks in a row.

It’s a frustrating and humbling experience.

As Confucious is often quoted with saying, “A healthy person has a thousand wishes. A sick person only one.”

Even though there’s nothing I’d like more than to finally be free of illness, it has given me time to think about a lesson that I’d like to share with you.

But first, let me tell you a story about a Chinese farmer.

Once upon a time, there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away.

That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate.

They said, “We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate.”

The farmer said, “Maybe.”

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, “Oh, isn’t that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!”

The farmer again said, “Maybe.”

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg.

The neighbors then said, “Oh dear, that’s too bad,” and the farmer responded, “Maybe.”

The next day the officers from the royal palace came around to conscript people into the army, but because his son had a broken leg, they rejected him.

Again all the neighbors came around and said, “Isn’t that great!” Again, he said, “Maybe.”

The moral of the story is that life is cyclical in nature. Winter and Summer. Fall and Spring. Birth and rebirth. Ebbs and flows in an eternal ocean.

It’s impossible to tell whether anything that happens is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence.

• Lose a bunch of clients? Maybe that pushes you to pivot into a better business model.

• Get rejected? Maybe that inspires you to start going to the gym and become a much stronger person.

• Get sick? Maybe that gives you time to look within and gain clarity on a big life decision.

When we’re in the moment, those things don’t feel ideal. It’s frustrating, and rightfully so. They’re obstacles blocking our path.

But when we’re in the moment, that’s exactly when we must zoom out and see those obstacles for what they truly are: opportunities.

Opportunities to flex our focus. Opportunities to display our persistence. Opportunities to show to ourselves and others that we will not be defeated.

As cliche as it may be — life has a way of challenging you right before you hit a big breakthrough. You’re not failing. You’re in the middle of succeeding.

Even though you may not be able to see it right now, there’s a hidden upside to what you’re going through. Keep going, and remind yourself of The Chinese Farmer.

This too shall pass.

See you next Sunday,

Jay Yang

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