Today I would like to share with you a small bedtime stories, which sounds a bit like a fairy tale, but behind it there are some truths that we can all learn.
Once upon a time, in a quiet mountain village, there lived a very old grandfather, whom everyone called “Yugong”.In front of his house there were two very big mountains, one was called Taihang Mountain and the other was called Wangwu Mountain.These two mountains were so high that you could hardly see the tops of them, and they blocked the villagers’ way out.If they wanted to go somewhere else, they had to take a long way around, which was very inconvenient.
One day, Yugong looked at these two big mountains in front of him and suddenly made up his mind, “I’m going to dig up these two mountains!”He said this in a firm tone, as if he could really do it.
But when the others in the village heard about it, they all laughed at his foolishness.Some said, “How can you possibly move such a big mountain by yourself?”Others said, “You are wasting your time.”But the foolish man was not affected by these words; he decided to do the work himself.
Early the next morning, he set out with his sons and grandsons.With hoes and baskets on their backs, they began to dig the mountain a little at a time.The sun was very strong in summer and cold and freezing in winter, but they never stopped.Every day when they went home, everyone was exhausted and their hands and feet were sore, but they never complained.
Once, the youngest grandson couldn’t hold on any longer and sat on the ground crying, “Grandpa, when are we going to finish digging the mountain?It’s so big, I don’t think we’ll ever finish digging.”
Yugong smiled, touched his grandson’s head, and said, “Son, as long as you try a little bit harder every day, you will succeed one day.”
And so the family persisted day after day, year after year.Their behavior, though seemingly stupid, touched the gods in heaven.Seeing that the Yugong family was so persistent, the gods decided to give them a hand.So they sent two particularly strong immortals down to earth, and with a gentle lift of their hands, they moved those two big mountains away.
From then on, the villagers no longer had to take the long way around, and life was much easier.Everyone thanked Yugong and began to understand the truth that if you persist in doing something, even if it seems difficult, you will be able to accomplish it someday.
The truth behind the story
Many people, after hearing this story, would think that it is just a myth and legend, made up to be told to children.But if we think about it carefully, we will realize that this story is actually about a spirit – the spirit of perseverance.
Yugong didn’t really want to move the mountain away, but through this action he told everyone that difficulty is not scary, what is scary is giving up.In the face of others’ ridicule and questioning, he did not retreat; in the face of long labor and hard work, he did not stop.This kind of spirit is what is really worth learning.
What does this story tell us?
Don’t give up so easily.
No matter how big the difficulties are, as long as you don’t give up, there must be hope.Sometimes success is not because you are smart, but because you hold on a little longer than others.
Perseverance is more important than talent.
Many people think that success depends on intelligence, but in fact, many times, success is because you are willing to do a simple thing every day, repeated many times.It’s like Yugongo digging a mountain every day, and although his progress is slow, he never stops.
The power of example is infinite.
Yugong not only persisted himself, but also motivated his family to participate together.This kind of leading by example also infected the people around him, and eventually even the gods of heaven were impressed.It shows that one’s efforts can not only change oneself, but also influence others.
Don’t let short-term results limit imagination.
Sometimes when we do something and don’t see results in a short period of time, we wonder if we are doing something useless.But Yugong tells us that the significance of some things is not in the moment, but in the long-term impact.
Summarize
So, this seemingly simple bedtime story is not simple at all.It teaches us how to face difficulties, how to persevere to the end, and also what true courage and perseverance are.
The next time you think you can’t do something, think about Yugong Yishan.You may not be able to move a mountain right away, but as long as you are willing to take a small step forward every day, one day you will find yourself over that “big mountain”.
Good night, and may you feel the power of perseverance in your dreams.
