In an ordinary countryside, there was a family that lived on cows.There was a young girl in the family who had to milk the cows every day.One day, she filled a bucket with fresh milk and was very happy.She planned to take the bucket of milk to the market and sell it for a good price.
As she walked along the road, her mind began to imagine wildly: “If I sell this bucket of milk, I can probably get back 300 eggs, right?When these eggs hatch out, there should be more than two hundred chicks.”
The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and she continued to fantasize, “When the chicks grow up, I’ll sell them again, and I’ll be able to buy a beautiful new dress!Wearing the new dress, I will go to the village banquet.By then, the lads will be all over me, clamoring to ask me to marry them!”
Thinking of this, she even literally shook her head as if she was rejecting those suitors.However, just as she let go of her hand, the barrel filled with milk slipped out of her hand and fell heavily to the ground.The milk spilled all at once and flowed all over the floor.
The girl’s dream disappeared along with the milk.She stood still, looking at the milk all over the floor, unable to say a word.
Why is this story so impressive?
Although this story is simple, it tells a mistake that many people make: Thinking without doing results in a failure.The girl had not even sold the milk yet, and she was already fantasizing about a better life in the future, without thinking realistically on her feet at all.
Many people do the same thing in life.For example, just after getting a job, they start planning how they are going to spend their money in the future; or just after having an idea of starting a business, they think about how successful they will be in the future.But if there is no practical action, all the dreams will be like the bucket of milk, and finally all “spilled”.
The Truth Behind the Story
This parable reminds us: Don’t get so caught up in your fantasies that you lose sight of what you need to do.Every step in life is important, and only by doing the current thing first can we realize the bigger goal.
That girl could have successfully sold the milk, made money, and then realized her wishes step by step.But she was too anxious to think about the future, and instead lost the most precious thing – the opportunity that was already in her hands.
What does this story tell us?
- Dreams are to be had, but actions are more important: It is not enough to have an idea, you must put in efforts to turn your dreams into reality.
- Don’t be in a hurry: Everything needs to be done one step at a time, you can’t skip the middle.
- Focus on the present in order to grasp the future: If you always think of distant goals but ignore the immediate details, you may end up accomplishing nothing.
Summary
Although this story was written hundreds of years ago, it is still relevant today.It uses a little girl’s fantasy to tell us an important truth: Don’t let empty thoughts replace action, or you may not even be able to keep what you already have.
So, no matter what you are doing now, please remember: Being down-to-earth and taking everything seriously is the right path to success.
