Long ago, a king had a large boulder placed in the middle of a busy road. Then he hid nearby to watch what people would do.
Wealthy merchants came by on their way to market. They walked around it. Some of the king's own officials passed, too. Many of them complained loudly that the roads were not kept clear. Not one of them tried to move the stone.
Late in the day, a peasant came along carrying a heavy load of vegetables. When he reached the boulder, he set his load down and tried to push it to the side of the road.
It was hard. He pushed and strained for a long time. Finally, the stone rolled away.
As he bent to pick up his vegetables, he noticed a small purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. Inside were gold coins and a note from the king.
The note said the gold belonged to whoever moved the boulder out of the road.
What the obstacle in our path teaches
This old fable is often told to students and new employees, and it lands every time. Everyone can see the problem. Most people walk around it. A few complain about it. Very few move it.
- Every obstacle hides something. A skill, a reward, a lesson, a better road.
- Complaining is a way of walking around. It feels like action. It is not.
- The person carrying the most often does the most. The peasant had every reason to skip it.
The moral in one sentence
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve your condition, if you are willing to move it.
Questions to sit with
- What boulder have you been walking around for months?
- What might be underneath it?
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