It’s not complicated

Unknown Author

Contributed by Ashok G. Vasandani

 

Here’s a story I read in www.developgoodhabits.com that I’d like to share, something that we can all learn from.

THERE was once a very wise man living in ancient times. He was elderly and educated and held knowledge and books to the highest regard.

One day while on a walk, he realized that his shoes were really starting to wear out. Because he spends a lot of time walking on a daily basis, he knew he had to find the best shoes to support and protect his feet.  He had to make sure he bought the right shoes with adequate protection. The man gathered all of the books written by only those that he admired to search for the answer to: “What do I do if my shoes have fallen apart?”

He read through several books for many hours before finding out that he had no choice but to go buy a new pair of shoes. He then spent a lot of time reading about how to know if a pair of shoes fits properly. With the answers, he felt confident in his ability to buy a high-quality replacement for his old shoes. He figured if he hadn’t done his research, he probably would have gone barefoot for the rest of his life.

Following the books’ instructions, the man was told to measure his foot with a stick. He then went to the market where he came upon a pair of shoes that he liked. It was then he realized he had left the stick back at home, which was far away from the shop. When the man returned to the market, the shop was closed. And, by that point, his shoes were completely split, so he had to return home barefoot.

The next morning, he walked back to the market with bare feet, but the shoes that he had chosen the day before had been sold. The wise man explained what had happened to the shopkeeper, who reacted:, “Why didn’t you buy the shoes yesterday?”

The wise man replied, “Because I forgot the stick that I had used to measure my feet back home. I didn’t want to buy the wrong size, and I was following the normal instructions.” Even more confused, the shopkeeper asked, “But your foot was with you, why didn’t you just try the shoes on?” The wise man responded, “All the books say shoes must be bought with the exact same measurements of the shoes you already own.”

Laughing, the shop owner replied “Oh, no! You don’t need the advice from books to buy shoes. You just need to have your feet, some money, and some common sense to not complicate things.”

The Moral:

Sometimes you need to take action without overthinking things. Knowledge often comes in handy, but in some circumstances, if you lack experience or common sense, your knowledge will only get you so far. In fact, it could make things seem a lot more complicated than they actually are.

If you’re facing an issue, don’t forget to use your reasoning skills in addition to anything you’ve learned in a formal learning environment.

SOURCE: https://www.developgoodhabits.com/inspirational-stories/

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