Risk taking (wisdom stories)
Risking it
There was a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time his throat became very dry, about that time he saw a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water and a note. The note read: “Pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need”.
Now the man had a choice to make, if he trusted the note and poured the water in and it worked he would have all the water he needed. If it didn’t work he would still be thirsty and he might die. Or he could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction, but it might not be enough and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began to work the handle, at first nothing happened and he got a little scared but he kept going and water started coming out. So much water came out he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled all the containers he could find.
The two seeds
Two seeds lay side by side in the fertile spring soil. The first seed said, “I want to grow! I want to send my roots deep into the soil beneath me, and thrust my sprouts through the earth’s crust above me . . . I want to unfurl my tender buds like banners to announce the arrival of spring. I want to feel the warmth of the sun on my face and the blessing of the morning dew on my petals!” And so it grew.
The second seed said, “I am afraid. If I send my roots into the ground below, I don’t know what I will encounter in the dark. If I push my way through the hard soil above me I may damage my delicate sprouts . . . what if I let my buds open and a snail tries to eat them? And if I were to open my blossoms, a small child may pull me from the ground. No, it is much better for me to wait until it is safe.” And so it waited.
A yard hen scratching around in the early spring ground for food found the waiting seed and promptly ate it.
Source: Patty Hansen
Playing it safe
A young reporter wanted to get a feel for agriculture, so he called upon a farmer and said, “How’s your wheat coming along?” The farmer replied, “I didn’t plant any.”
“Really?” asked the reporter. “I thought this was supposed to be wheat country.”
“Some say it is,” Came the reply. “But I was afraid we might not see enough rain this year.”
“Well, what about your corn? How is it doing?” the young man inquired.
“Didn’t plant corn this year,” the farmer said. “I was afraid of disease”
“Alfalfa?”
“No. Afraid the price might drop.”
“Well, then,” asked the reporter, “what did you plant?”
“Nothing,” the farmer said. “I just played it safe.”