Gratitude Goat – anyone?
Goat. How can this remote animal can possibly help us cope better in difficult situations? Well, let me tell you an anecdote I heard while growing up in Russia. It really sent home a good message. It goes something like this:
A middle-aged man comes to a doctor and says: “Doctor, please help. I live in a one bedroom apartment with my wife, three kids and mother in law. Life is so tough, I can’t bear it anymore.”
The doctor replies: “Ok, here is my recommendation. Go to a farm and get a goat. Bring it to your home and live with it for a week.” The man goes off and does just that.
A week passes by. The man comes back to the doctor. “Doctor, what have you suggested? My life is now more miserable than ever!”
The doctor says: “Now take the goat back to the farm and come back in a week.” The man obeys.
A week later, the man comes back to the doctor and says: “Doctor, thank you so much! My life is so much easier now! I am happy once again.”
While I don’t find this particularly funny (although you might), the message here is so clear. We often get so caught up in our hectic lives that we get exhausted and start to lose sight of the positives. We, then, shift our attention to negatives, which only exasperates our exhaustion. And, then we forget to be appreciate what we have.
But come a “goat” into your life and, all of a sudden, you see that the life before the “goat” was not so bad after-all. It seems to have been more manageable than it is now, with the “goat”.
The goat can be anything. Tooth-ache, broken leg, loss of job, COVID-19 … really, anything that complicates your life. “Ah, if only I could go back to my life before the “goat”! I would appreciate it much more.”
Often times, we are given second chances, if the “goat” is small or temporary. Other times, our lives change completely. But it is in our hands to handle change for the better and make the most of the situation.
Just the other day, I hurt by foot and couldn’t run like I normally do every morning with my girls. What a “goat”! And while getting out of the door every single morning with two little kids who put up a lot of resistance might seem like a tiring task, I missed it.
For those who forget, or don’t know what it’s like, it goes like this: “Girls, put on your shoes, we are leaving! Sophie where did your sock go? Shoes on please! Girls? Chloe what did you do with your other shoe? Sophie why did you take off your shoes, I just put them on you!” … and so it goes ….
I missed not being able to chase them and carry on with the day like I normally do, despite all its challenges.
And so, I know, it’s easier said than done and the “goat” analogy doesn’t work in all situations. But it is a nice little “tool” to add to our toolbox when it comes to managing difficulties in life. Just remember to appreciate and be grateful to what you have. It would be much worse. Baaa!