A long time ago, mice and cats were deadly rivals.Cats always chased after mice and ate them when they caught them, so the mice lived in fear every day.
In order to deal with the cat, the mice often got together to hold a small meeting to discuss whether there was any way to know in advance that the cat was coming, so that they could escape in time.But every meeting was like going around in circles, and no one could come up with any good ideas.
One day, a young mouse suddenly stood up and said, “I have an idea!We can hang a bell around the cat’s neck, and whenever it moves, the bell will ring.When we hear the sound, we can hide right away.”
As soon as this suggestion was said, the other mice immediately applauded and said, “That’s brilliant!”“Now we are saved!”Everyone thought it was a brilliant idea.
So the mice began to divide up the work, and got the mice who were the best at crafts to jingle and jangle all day long, and finally made a beautiful and loud little bell.
Everyone looked at the shining bell and was so excited, as if victory was just around the corner.
At this time, a very old mouse elder came forward and said, “The idea is good, but let me ask, who dares to go and hang the bell around the cat’s neck?”
As soon as these words came out, the whole room fell silent.All the mice looked at me, I looked at you, and no one said anything.
It turned out that even the best plan is just empty talk if no one is there to do it.
What is the hidden problem behind this story?
On the surface of this fable, it seems to be a light-hearted and interesting story, but it actually reveals a very realistic problem: Many people are good at coming up with ideas, but few are willing to take the responsibility of realizing them.
We often encounter this situation in life – everyone in the team can say a bunch of suggestions, but when it comes to actually doing something, people start to back off.
What does the story tell us?
- It’s easy to make suggestions, but hard to implement them.
It may only take a few minutes to come up with a good idea, but it often takes a lot of effort, courage and time to turn it into reality. - Don’t just stop at the “talking” stage..
If everyone is waiting for someone else to do it, things will never get done.Sometimes we need to take the initiative, even if it’s risky. - Good plans need to be backed up by action.
An idea without execution is like a car without an engine; no matter how perfectly designed, it won’t run.
Summarize:
Although the mice came up with a clever solution, they ended up failing to solve the actual problem because no one was willing to execute it.This reminds us that in life or work, words are not enough; real success comes from people who dare to act and take responsibility.
The next time you think of a great idea, ask yourself, “How much am I willing to pay for this idea?”Maybe that’s the most important step.
