The Shake It Off Story

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying'. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit the mule’s back, the mule shook the dirt off. Suddenly dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back he should shake it off and step up on the dirt pile! This he did, blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" the mule repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like a situation that would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO US IN LIFE-IT'S HOW WE REACT TO WHAT HAPPENS TO US IN LIFE. "Taking care of my body today through exercise gives me hope for tomorrow." ~Jodi Cianci