The story of two families

Note: One of my managers told me this story at work. It is very simple, but contains deep meaning.

It was a cold wintery night, and two families were suffering from starvation. They were so hungry and begged God for a miracle. Suddenly, both families received a knock at the door. A kind gentleman was generously distributing chickens around the area. He gave each household a chicken.

Both families were very grateful and could not believe their luck. Family A thought, “Finally! We have waited for far too long. Time for this suffering to end. Let’s eat!” And so, they quickly slaughtered the chicken and gobbled it up. They were SO hungry.

However, Family B took a different set of approach. Family B thought, “No, we mustn’t eat the chicken yet. We still have some scraps left. We can still survive…even if it means we must suffer a bit longer. Let’s take care of the chicken first and wait for it to grow. It will be worth it.”

Hence, Family B sadly waited. They could smell their neighbours’ chicken stew as they ate their scraps. Their mouths watered and stomachs growled. They weakly looked at their chicken. They could easily just kill it and eat it at the spot. But what if they don’t receive another chicken? What happens then? No, they thought, this sacrifice will be worth it.

Fast forward to a year later, Family B now has a field of new chickens and plenty of eggs. They were no longer hungry. Sadly, Family A died from starvation. They were hoping for another chicken to arrive at their door, but the generous gentleman never came again. 😦

So, what lessons can we learn from Family A?

Sometimes, temporary relief will lead to permanent pain.

Do not expect the same opportunity to occur again. Cherish your opportunities as if they were your last.

When making decisions, we should think long term.

Don’t be like Family A.

Next, what lessons can we learn from Family B?

Success takes:
Time (You don’t see results right away)

Effort (You must take care of the chicken)

Sacrifices (You must be willing to suffer at first)

Belief (You must believe that your actions will be worth it at the end. You must believe that you have made the right choice by postponing your desires. If you have no belief, then nothing will justify the suffering. You will easily give into temptation and eat the chicken)

Thanks for reading. I hope you guys enjoy the story!