I’ve borrowed this from Oracles. For me, it’s rather poignant.
A Sufi teac
hing story tells of a man who prayed continuously to become aware to succeed in life. Then, one night he dreamt of going into the forest to attain understanding. The next morning he went into the woods and wandered for several hours looking for some sign that would provide answers. When he finally stopped to rest, he saw a fox with no legs lying between two rocks in a cool place. Curious as to how the legless fox could survive, he waited until sunset when he observed a wolf come and lay meat before the fox.
“Ah, I understand,” the man thought. “The secret to success in life is to trust that the Universe will take care of my needs. I don’t need to provide for myself. All I have to do is surrender to the all-sustaining Universe.” Two weeks later, weakened and starving, the man had another dream. In it he heard a voice say, “Fool. Be like the wolf, not like the fox.”
For the longest time, I was like the fox. It was, indeed crippling. I have since learned to be the wolf and have found more success than I ever hoped for.
Although this is a message for every day, at this time of year (winter) it is likely more important for those of us who are wolves to remember the foxes hidden in the trees.
