A new tact for encouraging things to go the way you want in life

"A traveller to a small Greek island once watched as a yound boy tried to perusade the family donkey to move. The boy had vegetables to deliver and he'd carefully loaded up the animals's panniers. But the donkey wasn't in the mood for moving. The boy became more and more agitated and started to raise his voice at the donkey, standing in front of him and pulling hard on the rope. The donkey dug in its hooves firmly. Very firmly.

The tug of war might have gone on for a long time if it wasn't for the boy's grandfather. Hearing the commotion, he came out of the hourse and took in the familiar scene at a glance - the unequal battle between donkey and human. Gently, he took the rope from his grandson. Smiling, he said, 'When he's in this mood, try it this way: take the rope loosely in your hand like this, then stand very close beside him, and look down the track in the direction you want to go. Then wait.'

The boy did as his grandfather had bade him, and after a few moments, the donkey started to walk forward. The boy giggled with delight, and the traveller watched as animal and boy trotted off happily, side by side, down the track and round the far bend."

Pg 111-2 Mark Williams, Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World