There were once three frogs living on a beautiful lake. It was full of majestic cypress trees, lily pads, and the most amazing view of the sunset; well, if you lived on the other shore. One evening, the three frogs sat together, lamenting over how they longed to get a better view of the setting sun. They all decided that life would be better if they lived on the other side of the lake, so they all promised they would develop a plan to make that happen. The first frog could not contain his excitement. He was tired of living the life he had, and he decided he deserved to live in the land of the beautiful sunsets right now. He ran around frantically on his lily pad, packed his frog suitcase, turned toward the other shore, and took one giant leap. Of course, he fell way short—oh, and into the mouth of an alligator. The second frog was just as excited to live in the land with the beautiful views. He, too, ran around his lily pad, packing his bags. He awoke the next morning and took off hopping from one lily pad to the other, never to be seen again. Unfortunately, no one stopped him and told him the sun sets in the west, and he was last seen hopping south. The third frog also looked forward to living on the other side of the lake. He thought, life will be great, and I can enjoy the amazing sunset every night from my new lily pad. He wanted to leave instantly as the other two frogs did, but he knew there was much planning to do for such a journey. The third frog vowed to find peace and balance on the lily pad he was currently living on and to spend his free time mapping out the best and safest journey he could. He thought, one lily pad at a time, and I will reach my goal. The moral of the story is, take your time and do not get in too much of a hurry. Be patient and learn before you leap. There is much to be said for starting a great journey from a place of peace and balance. I should know; I spent many years living life like the first frog, thinking every move I made had to be quick, perfect, and a direct route to my goal. I spent quite a few years as the second frog, randomly hopping from one place in life to another, never satisfied and never at peace because I never made it to the place I sought. This is where I made most of my mistakes in life. Thankfully, I learned how to become the third frog. Embracing my story and my moments from a place of peace and balance helped me to gain the footing, courage, and strength to make it to the other side of my lake. And the sunsets are so very beautiful.
