Adventures in Living a Healthy, Juicy Life
by Cheryl Ragsdale
Deciding who is more powerful isn’t necessarily obvious. Consider this well-known children’s story before we move onto Samson and a story about a very special Buddhist Nun with unusual, super-human power.
The Wind and the Sun were arguing over who was stronger. Spying a traveler coming down the road, the Sun said, “I see a way to decide our dispute. Whichever of us can cause that man to remove his coat shall be regarded as the stronger.
Man relishing the sun
Graciously, the Sun hid behind a cloud to allow the Wind to go first.
The Wind blew hard upon the traveler. But the harder he blew,the more protectively the man wrapped his jacket around him. The Wind gave up in despair.
Coming out from behind the cloud, the Sun shone brightly and gently upon the man, who soon found it too hot to walk with his coat on.
What’s the moral of the story? Kindness is more powerful than severity.
Aesop’s fable about the competition between the Wind and the Sun reminds us that the way to open another’s heart is with gentleness. Reverence, respect, and honor are different ways of expressing power. Recently, I’ve mentioned strong men and passengers who, just for a moment, needed a helping hand from a stranger. **
north wind blowing cold and snow
Be Aware. To see that help is needed, and to then withhold it, is to miss a special moment of being a hero. The timing of the assistance made it too late for Bill Shannon to share a moment like that with anyone on the subway that day when he needed a seat and people neglected to make one available before he took matters into his own hands.
Be Gentle. Like how you would approach a man whose wheelchair toppled over and landed him in a corn field. Being a hero – for not laughing – and for not asking him to explain himself.
Be Trusted. Be a hero by honoring your agreement to safely transport passengers from point A to point B – a promise that the texting bus driver forgot he made.
Not like a ticker tape parade – everyone’s admiring me – kind of hero. Be the other kind of hero. The one that makes you smile secretly to yourself because you know you did the right thing at the right time. A moment that’s just between you and that other person. No one else even had to notice. That feels good. Happiness lives in that moment.
That’s power. Like Shaolin monk style.
We don’t always recognize power when we see it. You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but the woman featured in this video has a special gift. Like Samson, from the Old Testament, she has super-human power in her hair! She demonstrates her kung fu power by using her long plait (braid) to pull heavy equipment – like 8 cars. Oh, and by the way, she’s 52.
Watch her in action and then see what she gave up to fulfill her dream of becoming a Buddhist nun.
Gentle and powerful and kind – watch for opportunities to be a quiet hero today. It will do your heart good. Make you healthy. Keep you young.
We love your comments! Please share your thoughts.
follow Cheryl on Twitter www.twitter.com/thatgirlisfunny
Cheryl Ragsdale
Cheryl Ragsdale enjoys making life fun. Sometimes, mellow pleases her. Usually, grunge works. Mostly, laughing is what’s needed. Whatever your mood, you’ll find something interesting on www.thatgirlisfunny.com
PS You know what’s really good? That Buddhist nun is still powerful, even bald-headed. Not like foolish Samson – letting that woman cut his hair without permission and losing his power. I know, he was distracted.
** To read the above referenced stories, click one of these three links:
- Can’t Get Enough of Bill Shannon aka “Crutch”
- Misreading Signals: Yes! No! Maybe…ugh!
- Honk “Boston Style” Next Time You See Someone Texting and Driving
________________
Cheryl Ragsdale practices martial arts for fun and physical fitness at Florian Martial Arts Center. She was recently promoted to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blue Belt by Keith Florian and Kenny Florian, both Black Belts. Stand up for yourself and stay young from the inside out. Check out some of my other posts strictly for UFC fans and fighters.
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Youtube