I often say that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. I was having sort of a difficult morning today, and then I came across a reminder of this story, and it really turned me around. Maybe it will have the same effect for you. Here’s the quote:
A man saw a snake being burned to death and decided to take it out of the fire. When he did, the snake bit him. The man dropped the snake and it fell right back into the fire. The man tried to pull it out again and again the snake bit him.
An onlooker said:
“Don’t you understand that every time you try to get the snake out of the fire, it’s going to bite you? Why are you being stubborn?”
The man replied:
“The nature of the snake is to bite, but that does not change my nature, which is to help.”
So, with the help of a metal pole, the man took the snake out of the fire and saved its life.
Honestly, we all could probably learn something from both the snake and the man in this story. But today I’m focused on the man. He picked up the snake and it bit him. How many times this week did you try to help someone out, or do something you thought was right, only to get bit for it? If you were anything like me, the thought at least crossed your mind: “Well good riddance then. Enjoy getting burned in the fire.”
But is that who I want to be? Is that my nature? To hold some petty grudge against a reptile that doesn’t know any better?
No. It’s not who I want to be, and when presented in that fashion, I can easily answer the question. So what’s the trick? How do I make sure that I push aside that first instinct to drop the snake and let it burn, and instead to keep helping?
Truthfully, I have no idea. But I was taken by the turn of phrase of the man in this story. “The nature of the snake is to bite.” Huh. That makes a lot of sense. The snake doesn’t know you’re helping it. It is supposed to bite you. Like a billion years of evolution have taught it to do so.
“But that does not change my nature, which is to help.” Why did you pick up the snake in the first place? Was it to get a nice “thank you” and maybe have your picture in the paper? NO! You were trying to keep that poor little guy from getting burned. And a few little bite marks don’t change the fact that saving the snake is still the optimal outcome. That is what you want to do. Helping is your nature.
This week, as I try to accomplish things or “help” people, I am vowing to myself to ignore the little bite marks I may receive along the way. Because really, those don’t matter in the grand scheme of things. What really matters is who I am and who I want to be. Regardless of the praise, or the complaints, or the bite marks that come up, my nature should be to do the most good for the greatest number.
“The nature of the snake is to bite. The nature of the recipient of help may be to not understand it or to not appreciate it or even to reject it at first. But that does not change my nature, which is to help.” Maybe if I use that once this week I will have made things just a bit better.
Have a great week everybody.