The Chinese Farmer - Perspective

An old Chinese story tells of a farmer whose only horse runs away. “How terrible!”

say his neighbours. “Maybe!” says the farmer.

The next day his horse returns, bringing along three wild horses. “How wonderful!”

say his neighbours. “Maybe!” says the father.

The following day his son tries to tame one of the wild horses, but he falls off

and breaks his leg. “How terrible!” say his neighbours. “Maybe!” says the farmer.

The next day some soldiers come along to force young men of the village to join

them in war. Because the lad has a broken leg, he is left behind. “How fortunate!”

say the neighbours. “Maybe!” says the farmer.

The soldiers, still one man short, take the young man’s cousin instead. “How

dreadful!” say the farmer’s neighbours.  “Maybe!” says the farmer.

That night a landslide covers the house in which the cousin would have been

sleeping if he had not been taken by the soldiers. “How fortunate!” say the

friends. “Maybe!” says the farmer. And so the story could go on! One of life’s

great lessons is this: we’re never sure just how things are going to turn out. We’ll

live a good life if our attitude is always positive - determined to make the best

of all situations that come up.

So much of what we teach and learn in our classrooms depend upon perspective. 

Determining what is and what isn't important.  Looking for connections to where we have been and where we want to go.  Discovering in ourselves what we desire and devloping a means of obtaining what we want.  All comes down to perspective.  

Vince Lombardi once said, "It is not how often you get knocked down, but how often you are able to get back up."

To often teachers and students see setbacks, wrong answers and failure as an end. 
However, these should not  be seen as ends, but simply part of the process towards success. 

It all depends upon perspective!