Tortoise or Hare? Are You Living a Half Fast Life?

Tortoise or Hare? Are You Living a Half Fast Life?

(read in :035) “Rabbits jump and they live for 8 years. Dogs run and they live for 15 years. Turtles do nothing and they live for 150 years. Lesson learned.”~@9GAG

 

Ever wonder what might have happened if the New York Times best-seller list had been around a few centuries earlier? I’d bet Aesop’s tale The Tortoise and the Hare would have hit #1 and been the pinnacle of his success as a writer and influencer. Maybe it would have been made into a movie. Can you think of a story that has been so quoted, copied, parodied, or made into more cartoons?

 

I have confessed often that I have a jack-rabbit brain. My life’s been lived stuck in high gear, speeding along and never slowing down. Now, I’m beginning to realize that maybe I’ve been going fast but getting nowhere in a hurry. Last week, I took you on a field trip to visit the Ant and the Grasshopper, another of Aesop’s literary masterpieces. Today, I’d like to drop in on the old story-teller one more time. It’s pretty much the same storyline but with a twist.

 

Living a Half Fast Life

 

“Slow, steady progress is better than fast, daily excuses.”~Robin Sharma

 

In case you weren’t paying attention in seventh grade English, here’s a snippet. The story is about cocky rabbit who ridicules a slow-moving turtle. The turtle was fed up so he challenged him to a race. The rabbit was convinced he would win easily and soon leaves the turtle in the dust. Totally over-confident, he stops along the way for a snooze. Much to his dismay, he wakes up and sees the turtle, crawling slowly but never stopping, crossing the finish line ahead of him.

 

Hear that? It doesn’t matter if it’s a diet, a relationship, a course of study or building a business. Consistent, steady effort trumps sheer speed almost every time. The end game is to get where we’re going, right? If we’re speeding through life but never getting where we want to be is are we really on the fast track? Or is it just half fast?

 

More lessons from a turtle

 

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence…..Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” ~Calvin Coolidge

 

Centuries have passed since Aesop penned his famous tale and his wisdom stands the test of time but I’d like to suggest some turtle truths that the famous fable teller did not include in the original version.

 

One, we could all learn a valuable lesson from a turtle and that’s to be comfortable in our own shell. Turtles are ok with the body they’re in and go about their business without wishing to be anything other than the way they were created. We’d save so much stress and unhappiness if we’d embrace the shell we’ve been given, confident in knowing it houses our soul and serves to get us where we need to go.

 

Second, turtles, like us, have to stick their neck out the get where they’re going. Even though they have a protective shell, they have to leave the safe confines of their comfort zone to move ahead. We also have to come out of our shell if we want to go places. We need to risk a little and dare to step ahead.

 

Finally, we too carry our home with us everywhere we go. Ours isn’t as outwardly visible but it’s every bit as strong. Our true home is heaven. It’s not a location, “up there” somewhere. Paradise is less a place than it is a state of mind, knowing we are the joy and delight of our Creator. His Spirit resides in us like a light to protect and guide our every footstep. And it’s important that we spend some time often, soaking it up like our little friends in the picture. Be still, bask in it, feel the warmth of unconditional love. See you Thursday!