Youth Health foundation

 There was once a Chinese farmer who had a horse that he loved very dearly. One day, the horse ran away. The neighbors all gathered around him to offer their condolences, saying, “Hey, I’m so sorry that your horse was lost. I know it’s a terrible thing.” To the neighbors’ surprise, the farmer responded, “I don’t know if it’s a terrible thing. We will see tomorrow.” 

 The next day, the Chinese farmer’s son went into the woods and recovered the horse. The whole village erupted in celebration. They shouted, “This is so great! Your son managed to find the horse–how incredible!” The farmer replied, “I don’t know if it’s great. We will see tomorrow.”

 The next day, the son was riding the horse that was found, and tragedy struck. The horse kicked him off and he broke his back. Everybody rushed to the scene, screaming, “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe your son was injured. The horse must have been bad luck. You guys shouldn’t have even found it in the first place!” The farmer responded, “I don’t know if the horse was bad luck. We will see tomorrow.”

 The next day, the Chinese army arrived with a draft. Since they were at war with the Mongolians, they required that all able-bodied men under the age of twenty five to serve in the army. But, they made an exception for the farmer’s son because of his broken back. Again, the whole village rushed in and rejoiced for the farmer. “This is such a blessing! You are so lucky.” Finally, the farmer then said, “I don’t know if I was lucky…”

“We will see tomorrow.”

 I remember my father first telling me this story when I was a young teenager. After going through a few more years of life, I recognized that there were two important lessons in it. I wanted to share those today, as they truly can help many teenagers who are struggling in their lives. 

1. Recognize that everything happens for a reason.

 You don’t know if what’s happening to you is good or bad. You only know how you feel about it in the moment, but you don’t know the actual outcome. Sometimes, things in the moment that seem like the worst are really the best; sometimes the most painful experiences are the most transformative. It could very well be that the worst crises that you’re going through is something you’ll be grateful for down the line. So, if you’re going through a “setback” and you don’t allow your emotions in the moment to overwhelm you, maybe–just maybe–you’ll see that it all made sense in the end.

 If you were tasked with creating a human, how would you make them tough? You probably wouldn’t give them a chill and easy life. How would you make them patient? You probably wouldn’t give them things without making them wait. How would you teach them to love? You probably wouldn’t surround them with people who had no flaws and were always likable. The point is, you have to recognize that the hardships in your life are meant to craft you into a better person. Everything happens for a reason. 

  2. Find comfort in the uncertain present.

 You don’t know the whole story and you never will. That’s how life is. Like the Chinese farmer, accept that what happens in the future is unknown. Once you do that, you can truly be immersed in the present moment. Even though you don’t know everything, that’s okay. For now, it’s about enjoying the current moment and appreciating everything we do know. Be grateful for what we see in front of us, and enjoy the mystery of what we can’t. 

 After all, regrets won’t change yesterday. Worrying won’t change tomorrow. The best we can do is to find peace in the imperfect present.