I Will Get That Bone, Too

I'm thinking about the stories I read as a child. The stories that stand out to me are short and teach a lesson about success and happiness.

Aesop’s fable of “The Dog and His Bone” contains a profound lesson for personal success: when we are not content with what we have and grasp for more, we often lose what we have. The fable is about a dog that found a bone. He was so possessive of the bone that he growled at anyone attempting to take it out of his mouth. The dog’s attitude was, “This one is mine!”

When the dog went to bury his prized possession, he happened upon a stream. As he looked into the water, he saw his re?ection. Thinking it was another dog with a more significant bone, he growled at the reflection, and the dog’s re?ection growled back. I want that bone, thought the greedy dog, opening his mouth to grasp it. When he did, he lost the bone in his mouth to search for the more extensive bone that did not exist. This behavior, though in a dog, is not unfamiliar to humans.

It's a lesson that resonates with all of us. We have shelter, food, and clothing. We meet our basic needs, but we want the more essential Items when we see someone with a bigger house, eating at the finest restaurants, and wearing designer clothes.

The story of the dog emphasizes the foolishness of trading what you have for false promises. Some people enjoy where they live, the food they eat, and their clothes. Other people want to improve in all areas of their lives.

Here are three principles for getting a more prominent bone.

1. Protect the bone you have. The bone you have is better than the bone illusion in the water. Focus on what you have.

2. Stop wanting and start doing. Once you know your goal, act on it. The bottom line is, are you willing to go after the more significant bone? Too many people only want to want.

3. Avoid envy. A bone in your mouth is better than a more prominent “bone” in the water.?

From “That Reminds Me of a Story.” Amazon book by Wayne Nalls