First Short Stories – Just One Small Sip
There was was a woman who had spent three days wandering the desert without any water. She was about to faint when she noticed what appeared to be a lake a few hundred yards in front of her. Could it be, the narrator asks. She said, “Or is it simply a mirage?”
With her last remaining energy, she limped toward the lake and soon realized that her prayers had been heard: it was no illusion, but a magnificent, spring-fed lake full of pure water, more than she could ever drink in her lifetime. She was thirsty, but she just couldn’t bring herself to sip the water.
SEE ALSO: How To Focus On Relevant Instead Of Irrelevant
She didn’t do anything but stand there beside the lake and look down.
She was acting strangely, as observed by a passing camel rider from a nearby desert village. Why don’t you have a drink, ma’am? he enquired as he dismounted and walked over to the thirsty woman.
She raised her head to face the man, tears welling up in her eyes and a worn-out, upset look on her face. She said, “I’m thirsty, but there’s way too much water in this lake for me to drink. No matter what I do, I’ll never be able to complete it all.
“Ma’am, your opportunity right now, and as you move forward for the rest of your life, is to understand that you don’t have to drink the entire lake to slake your thirst, the passerby said as he grinned, bent down, scooped some water up with his hands, and lifted it to the woman’s mouth. Only one sip is required. Just one modest drink, and more if you like. All your worries, fears, and anxiety about the remainder will vanish if you focus only on the mouthful that is in front of you.”
Try to keep your attention solely on the sip (or task, step, etc.) you’re taking throughout the day.
To be honest, that’s all life is: modest, constructive steps you take moment by moment that eventually add up to something valuable, frequently something far better and different than what you had in mind when you started.