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A young man had befriended the
gardener who cared for the grounds of
the university he was attending. The
gardener was a very old man with a
youthful spirit who enjoyed the vibrant
and lively environment that the
university provided. The gardener had
taken a special interest in this
particular young man because his
inquisitive nature reminded him of
himself at that age.
As the gardener was tending a bed of
flowers on a beautiful, sunny day, the
young man approached with his head
hanging down, and he was mumbling
something to himself. As the young man
came closer, the gardener could hear the
conversation he was having with himself,
which was in the form of a confrontation
with someone else. The young man stopped
at the flower bed and looked at the
gardener intently. Without as much as a
good morning, or how do you do, he
continued his conversations as though
he’d been having it with the gardener
all along.
“Who’s supposed to know? No, how are we
to know the point of a thing if everyone
seems to know, or think they know, and
are more concerned that you agree that
they know, than to truly know it for
yourself?”
“Breathe,” the old man said, “what’s got
you so worked up on such a beautiful
day?”
Exasperated the young man said, “Perhaps
you can shed some light on how we are to
know something for ourselves, while
everyone is telling us what to think?”
The gardener responded, “There are five
methods to take if you are to know
something for yourself. I used these
methods many times throughout the years
and they’ve served me well. They work
individually, or together.”
“Would you please share them with me,
Sir? Because right now, I’m feeling very
conflicted,” the young man reported.
“First, there is consideration of a
matter, which is the application of
careful thought, deliberation,
examination, contemplation, or to mull
things over or review what’s being said.
Second, is the contemplation over what
is happening, which is nothing more than
the act of considering, but with a
focused attention or study of what is
happening. Third, is to ponder over a
situation by weighing things in the
mind, quietly, soberly and deeply. In
other words, appraise the situation.
Fourth, there is mediation, which is the
method of focusing your awareness,
thoughts and energy entirely on a
matter. And lastly, fifth is the method
of reflection, which is to return to an
event, to reexamine and revisit it until
you fully understand all of the
implications. You basically replay the
event over in your mind to learn the
necessary lessons from the situation.
The point of all of the methods is that
they are a means to provide each of us
with our own perspective and context on
our personal journeys. They also make it
possible for us to own it—or take
responsibility for how we process life
events. This, in turn, builds
self-confidence.”
The young man’s face relaxed with relief
as he took in a deep breath of fresh
air. “I do believe that this is the most
important lesson I will have learned in
all my time at this university. I will
now either know, or not know, because of
my own efforts to understand my world.”
V.P. Mosser
©2001-2008 V.P. Mosser
You're welcome to use this article in
your Ezine or website as long as you
include this blurb.
Successful entrepreneur, V.P. Mosser is
the creator of the Learn the Lessons
Series, the Life's Journey publication
and numerous thought-provoking articles.
To learn more and receive free chapters
or issues, visit http://www.learnthelessons.com
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