Friday Story:

This is a very special story that I write with all my heart for our male subscribers. I want to say thanks for graciously receiving stories and articles that are focused on women and the female psyche, that feature a “she” and rarely a “he.” As you know, I serve women.  But so many guys find value in these articles, and many more keep subscribing!   I  commend you for being wise enough to extract the value that all humans can use from my writing. And for that wisdom and patience, I have written this story especially for you. I hope that you enjoy it.

Three Boys at the Top of the Hill

I saw three boys at the top of the hill, scooters ready for the challenge. They were so excited!

“This is going to be great!” They cheered.

The boy in the red shirt was all readiness, his muscles warm-up to the task, his attention focused at the bottom of the hill.

“Are you ready?” he asked the other boys.

The boy in the purple shirt said yes unthinkingly while fidgeting with the hem of his pants.

The boy in the blue shirt did not answer. His hesitant look and the way that he pulled back made it clear that he did not feel ready.

The boy in the red shirt was not one to linger. He shout out:

“Go!”

But the boy in the purple shirt protested.

“Wait a second!” he screamed while he fidgeted some more with the hem of his pants, the watch on his wrists, the wheel of the scooter.

Then, trying to feel in control, he started the count-down:

“3, 2, 1…GO!”

I followed the boys as they glided gleefully down the hill, wondering about what I had just seen.

They all wanted to win. But only one really expected to win. Because of this he was free to win.

Can you guess the order in which they arrived at the finishing line?

They boy in the red shirt was first, followed by the boy in purple. The boy in blue kept himself far behind the others all the way to the end.

Only one boy reached the bottom of the hill first. Only one won that short childhood race.

As I had thought, the boy in the purple shirt allowed his doubts to distract him and the boy in the blue shirt allowed his fear to detract him.

Yet as they gathered at the bottom of the hill, I witnessed a surprising phenomena.

Only one of them was a winner. But none of them were losers.

The boy in the red shirt was jumping with pride and joy, as would have been expected. The others congratulated him and he felt rightfully good about himself.

But I saw no thoughts of losing in the boy in the purple shirt. Though he finished second, he had a great time. He laughed and talked on and on about the feeling of flying. He was elated.

The boy in the blue shirt did not talk much. But he smiled, looking at his two friends, feeling that he belonged, that he was accepted. That brought peace and warmth into his heart. He was content.

Intrigued, I allowed my imagination to follow them into the future and there, in the land of possibilities, I witnessed an extraordinary phenomena.

Even then only one of them won the long race to success. But none of them were losers.

The boy in red shirt grew up to be a leader. He became the president of his own corporation. He was a risk-taker and an innovator in his field. He launched great new projects and achieved financial and career success.

Yet, at the end of his life, he felt that he had won the race, but had lost the game. He regretted not having loved enough, not having taken time to enjoy his life and the company of his loved ones.

The boy in the purple shirt struggled for many years with his nagging doubts. It was an uphill battle to distinguish himself when he was always fidgeting with everything; berating himself for not being perfect, trying to fix this and that before sharing his ideas.

He studied endlessly, filing a multitude of diplomas, titles and certificates. But no matter how much he knew, he did not truly feel competent. In spite of this, he managed to become a supervisor and later on was inducted to the mid-upper levels of corporate management.

But something happened to him then. He felt radically dissatisfied with his life. He realized that he had never accepted himself, never enjoyed the present moment. That moment flying downhill in his scooter kept coming to his mind; the feeling of freedom, of being totally present. He wanted to live like this!

He quit his great corporate position and traveled to study with spiritual masters. He spent years making his doubts his scouts, until he was left naked, without doubts, without questions, without worries. He reached a still point of total acceptance and presence. And he became an enlightened guru and writer, a spiritual teacher to many, a man who touched the hearts of millions and changed the consciousness of his time.

The question of winning lost its meaning, for he had won what he most sought: the freedom to be fully present in life.

And what about the boy in the blue shirt?

He struggled to make ends meet all his life.

He had a great family that he adored, but changed jobs frequently.

It seemed that he did not quite fit anywhere. He felt burdened, weighed down by something that did not allow him to feel free. He struggled with this burden in secret, for he was always present and supportive to those he loved.

At the moment of death, he tried to console his loved ones, but he secretly felt that he had been a failure; that he had not been really free or successful. That he had been a coward and had not dared to live freely, as he had dreamt when he was sliding down the hill in his scooter, egging himself to speed up but holding himself back, afraid to win the race and lose his friends.

Yet, this boy in blue and millions like him raise their children with great values, keep the world running and leave a trail of loyalty that is cherished by their friends and loved ones for decades after their death.

May they be blessed in the knowledge of their great contribution!

May they have time and find help to release the war between self and others that burdens their soul; so that they can win their desired prize while they are also loved and accepted.

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Maria Mar©2014

New York, New York

This story is copyright of Maria Mar© and protected by international copyright law. No permission to distribute, appropriate or reproduce is given. Want to share? I appreciate if you send your friends to this page using the share buttons here.

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