Tuesday, December 2, 2008 by Dave Blum

The other day, I was re-reading one of my favorite inspirational books, Sylvia Boorstein’s short and pithy “It’s Easier Than You Think“, and came across this parable:

“A monk was being chased by a tiger toward the edge of a cliff.  He leaps off the cliff, grasping a vine that has grown over the edge.  Below him is a long drop to certain death, above him is the snarling tiger.  As the monk swings in midair, a mouse begins gnawing at the vine above him.  His position is one of utter precariousness.  Growing out of the cliff in front of him is a wild strawberry, which he picks and eats.  He says, “This strawberry is delicious.”

We’re all in that very same precarious situation these days, wouldn’t you say?  Budgets are being cut, co-workers laid off, departments out-sourced or eliminated.  The tiger of uncertainty is above us, the long drop of unemployment/home foreclosure below us, and the mouse of credit card debt nibbling away at our life vine.  Letting go would be so easy. And yet…there before us is the strawberry: perfect, delicious, within our reach.

Although it may seem like despair is the only option in these difficult times, let’s all try to remember to stay present in the moment.  For even in the midst of the worst travails, if you keep your head about you, you’re bound to notice beautiful and tasty opportunities, right before your eyes:  a chance to reconnect with our clients, blessed downtime to develop new products or services, and unimagined, “down-economy” buying opportunities.

What is your interpretation of this parable?