Help From Strange Places

Have you ever received help from places you never expected? Or from people you'd never thought could help?        

There was a general who had an embarrassing skin condition.?

He commanded a large formation and was well regarded and feared by all, yet this was his single constraint.

He had undergone numerous treatments by the best surgeons to heal himself of this heinous skin ailment. Nothing had worked, so he continued to live with it.

One day, a young maidservant defied all caution and approached the General. She informed him that a person with the solution to his problem was in the city.?

The General felt insulted and threatened to rain misery on the little servant girl.?

"Does she realize I may order her execution for playing around with anything as heinous as this disgraceful condition?" the angry General demanded.

This maid persevered in her appeal, and he eventually agreed to give this individual a shot. He heeded her advice and contacted the person she suggested, much to everyone's dismay. However, the General was surprised to see that he had not brought any high-tech equipment or a crew with him. He approached him on his own. The General made an effort to maintain his composure and listen to him.

Then he "prescribed" his solution.

The General, in total disbelief, was concerned that his hearing may have taken a vacation or that his brain had shut down and was no longer functioning normally. He certainly was not expecting to hear this prescription.?

Now he felt even more humiliated.

"This stranger has the nerve to suggest that I forego the pristine beaches and sparkling pools available to me in favor of a mucky swamp." "Seriously, how dare he?" He roared.

"Even though it sounds ridiculous, you should give it a shot since you have exhausted all other options." His subjects pleaded.

Although his initial reactions and outbursts were extreme, he eventually yielded to the voice of reason from his subjects because he had a positive growth mentality and was open to fresh perspectives.

He took a bath in the filthy swamp, and something unbelievable unfolded. When he emerged, his skin became as smooth and soft as a newborn's, new and rejuvenated, with no sign of the embarrassing skin problem that had plagued his image for so long.

This new week, be open-minded. What you seek may not come from where you expect it to. That big break, that first gig, that next gig, that next deal, could come from somewhere else than the place where you are flashing your torch. It could come from someone other than a fellow thought leader or influencer.?

It might not come from a "well-connected" connection to whom you're grateful for accepting your request.

It might come from the least expected places. It might come from the connection with 100 followers.?

Be kind, be accommodating, and look down on no one. You never can tell. That connection you thought you were doing a favor by accepting their request might be the source of your next big break.

Your help can come from strange places.

Cheers to a gig-closing week.