We take many interesting paths along our life’s journey.

Some paths are straight and clearly signposted; others wander all over the place and then there are some paths that just seem to peter out and stop. Where to now?

Then there are the stumbling blocks along the way. Maybe it’s the root of the tree that trips us up momentarily or it’s a boulder stopping us short. It’s the breakup of a relationship or it’s an illness. It’s moving to a new home or losing a job.

When this happens…when we stumble along our paths…what’s our initial take? ‘This is bad..this is terrible…it’s catastrophic…what am I going to do?’

But, we don’t know what’s around the corner though, do we? What’s beyond the hill? Around the boulder?

Let me share with you a Taoist story. This came to mind soon after learning that I had lost a long-term permanent position and many people around me were commiserating on “how terrible it must be to lose your job.”

Yes, there was that initial jolt and a moment of fear. But then, I couldn’t help thinking “Hmmm…perhaps.”

There once was a farmer who had a prized horse.  One day this horse jumped his enclosure and escaped.

The neighbours came to the farmer and lamented “Oh, what misfortune for you”.
The farmer responded “Perhaps.”

Soon after the prized horse returned to the enclosure, bringing with it several wild horses.

The neighbours came to the farmer and exclaimed “Oh, how fortunate for you!”.
The farmer responded “Perhaps.”

The next day the farmer’s son broke his leg after being thrown from one of the wild horses.

Again the neighbours came to the farmer and lamented “Oh, what misfortune on you”. The farmer responded “Perhaps.”

Soon after war broke out in the land. The military came to all the villages and farms to draft the young men into the army.  Seeing as the farmer’s son had a broken leg they passed him by.

The neighbours came to the farmer and exclaimed “Oh, how fortunate for you!”.
The farmer responded “Perhaps.”

For me, I knew that losing my job was the end of a path and it was also the start of a new one. This was a good thing. Yes, it was upsetting at first, very much so. But it was also exciting for the possibility of new horizons.

As we walk along our journey it’s a good reminder that life isn’t always exactly what it seems, right here and now.  There is a bigger picture.

And when someone says to you “Oh…that must be so hard for you”, take a deep breath and step back and say ”Perhaps”.