Know this story?

“Once there was a very wise king who spared no effort to teach his people good habits of being industrious and careful. He felt that nothing good could come to a nation whose people complain and expect others to fix their problems for them.

One night while everyone else slept, he placed a large stone in the road that went past the palace. Then he hid behind a hedge and waited to see what would happen.

Some folks drove around the stone. Others daydreamed and stumbled into it. Everyone who came by complained and whined because the stone lay in the road, but no one touched it.

Just before dark a shepherd came by and worked hard to move the heavy stone for worry that someone could be hurt by it in the dark. To his surprise, he found a bag of gold underneath with a note saying that the gold belonged to the one who moved the stone.

The king explained that we often find obstacles and burdens in our way. We may even complain out loud while we walk around them if we choose, or we can move them and find out what they mean.

And the king said that the one who travels the road best is the one who makes the road smoother for those who will follow.”

So, (without focusing on national issues),

• what lessons can we learn and apply in our own lives?
• how can we make the road smoother for all of us?
• can we stop complaining and whining about others?
• what can we do to ease the burdens or obstacles in our relationships, at work, in the community?

Can we stop judging what someone else is doing or not doing and, instead, focus on what we can do?