“The Hare and the Tortoise” Retold: Learn Life Lessons
We all have grown up reading and listening to the age old story, “Hare and Tortoise.” As a young kid we enjoyed the story more than being sceptical and asking a question, “And how is it possible that a hare can lose, doesn’t matter, how long it slept and a tortoise can win, doesn’t matter how steadily it walked, after all? Any way, we learnt a very important lesson, “Slow but Steady Wins the Race.” Nice, isn’t it? Being overconfident about your skills and abilities is always dangerous. That might even make you forget to run as well. But, you know, the hare felt very bad. He decided to run a race again!
Part Two
When you learn from your mistakes and correct them
“Let’s run a race again!” the hare said to the
tortoise at the coffee table on one fine morning. Tortoise could see a fiery
desire to even the score in hare’s red eyes. “For sure!” he exclaimed. A good
hearted tortoise wanted his friend to get one more chance.
The race began again. As usual, the hare ran fast while the tortoise walked slowly. This time, the lush green grass, red carrots did not distract the hare. He was unstoppable. He ran steadfastly keeping his eyes on the winning post. He hopped tirelessly to reach the finish line and won the race.
What do we learn from this?
1. Learn
from mistakes
In life, mistakes are bound to happen. However, they do not decide what you are. Know yourself. There may be certain reasons behind the failure. Identify them. Work on yourself. Correct your mistakes and move ahead!
1. Recognise
your Strength
Know yourself. Do not forget, you are “Hare”,
after all. You might have mistaken, but you have not forgotten the art of
hopping. Revive your expertise. Your speciality is your identity and your
expertise is your strength. Never forget this!
Be Consistent
Both, the hare and the tortoise, put consistent effort to complete the race. It never matters whether you are fast or slow. What matters more is that you stay in the race till the last point. Once you decide to take on the race, run till the end. The tortoise knew that he could not win, still he finished the race. Finish up the extraordinary task you have taken, no matter if it fails in end. Accept it gracefully and move on. There is an honour in such defeats. Remember, “Lose Like a Winner.”
Focus on your journey
A way to success is never easy. There will always come a plenty of distractions in your way. Avoid them consciously. Remain aware of them. Always remember the lines written by Robert Frost,
The
woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But
I have promises to keep,
And mile
to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Support your friends and loved ones in their failure
The tortoise realised that his friend was in low spirits and needed his help to regain his self- confidence. He did not mind to face defeat for his friend, of course, with courage.
Sometimes, small sacrifices are essential for the sake of friends just to help them to come out of their depression. Our loved ones expect support in such situations.
What’s the Moral?
This version of the story has two folds: You can win by practising perseverance and learning from past mistakes. Whether you are like the tortoise, slow and steady or like the hare, fast and focused, it is the strong determination and persistent efforts that works as a fuel within you and propels your progress to success.
Part Three
The hare and the tortoise sat together and analysed the results of both the races. After pondering over, they realised that both of them have very distinct qualities and abilities. Their potentials differ from each other and hence, it makes them completely different personalities. “I can run fast”, the hare said, “But lack concentration.” “You are so persistent and determined, yet, very slow.” “If we use our talents in cooperation, both of us can win the race together.”, said the hare further. “There! You said it”, exclaimed the tortoise.
What to take from this?
The Power of Collaboration
The rapid progress of the hare and the thoughtful wisdom of the tortoise jointly made it. The tortoise was watchful and alert all the time and that’s why the hare was never worried about any distractions while staying on the right track. The synergy between them was evident to make them successful.
Thus, make collaboration with talented people. It
will boost up the weaker areas improve in performance. Be collaborative!
Teamwork makes the difference!
The hare and the tortoise, both, won the race because they worked together as a team. The chances of success are always high when people come together, form a team, and execute their responsibilities.
Mutual Support
Support one another. It helps everyone involving in a mission to raise the bar with confidence.
The hare’s speed and tortoise’s wisdom, both, were crucial in their success.
Leveraging Strength
Identify the strengths of each other. Use them for each other’s benefits. It can lead to more effective and efficient outcomes.
Friends,
In this modern age, we often come across challenging situations where collaboration is very essential. It might be your workplace, business, corporate office or any personal venture, the message is clear: working together and supporting each other can lead to extraordinary results. Together we are stronger.
I have brought to you an animated version of this story in yet another version.
I bet, you can't miss it. So, enjoy this video:
Post a Comment