2 Minutes of Positivity: The Angry Commander and The Student
I translated these two short stories from China’s leading social media a while back and decided to share them here today. I hope they will inspire you as much as they’ve inspired me over the years.
The Angry Commander
In America, a group of soldiers attended a talk by their new local commander at a large theatre. The commander spoke passionately about safety issues for a while before abruptly asking, “On your way here, how many of you used the car’s safety belt?” Only a few raised their hands. Unhappy with the response, the commander reprimanded them for neglecting their safety. The vice commander then approached and whispered, “Sir, their camp is just across the road. That’s why most of them walked over.”
Lesson: People often tend to be self-righteous, believing their ideas and judgments are always correct, leading to frequent reprimands of others. However, this isn’t necessarily true, as our perspective may not always be accurate. To prevent conflicts, anger, or misunderstandings, it’s crucial to approach problems from the perspective of others. This story encourages empathy, open-mindedness, and a willingness to understand the full picture before passing judgment.
The Student
In ancient times, a student preparing for an examination had a perplexing dream. In the dream, a tall city wall was adorned with planted white cabbage, and his sister-in-law slept beside him. Confused about the meaning, he sought guidance from his mother-in-law, but she was unavailable. Instead, he shared his dreams with his sister-in-law, who dismissed them as foolish, saying the tall wall was unsuitable for cultivating cabbage, and her sleeping beside him was unlikely.
Feeling disheartened, the student continued to his exam. Along the way, he encountered his mother-in-law, who noticed his distress. After hearing about the dreams and his sister-in-law’s interpretation, his mother-in-law joyfully exclaimed, “This is wonderful! The white cabbage on the tall wall symbolises you excelling in your results, and your sister-in-law sleeping beside you means it’s time for a positive change in your life!”
Lesson: Embrace an optimistic perspective when facing problems, and you’ll find hope. Optimists discover hope in setbacks, while pessimists tend to see setbacks even in success.
Source: Translated from Chinese internet stories and Little Red Book
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