The highest form of knowledge… is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another’s world. It requires profound purpose larger than the self kind of understanding.” Bill Bullard
A doctor, a lawyer, a little boy and a priest were out for a Sunday afternoon flight on a small private plane. Suddenly, the plane developed engine trouble. In spite of the best efforts of the pilot, the plane started to go down. Finally, the pilot grabbed a parachute and yelled to the passengers that they better jump, and he himself bailed out.
Unfortunately, there were only three parachutes remaining.
The doctor grabbed one and said “I’m a doctor, I save lives, so I must live,” and jumped out.
The lawyer then said, “I’m a lawyer and lawyers are the smartest people in the world. I deserve to live.” He also grabbed a parachute and jumped.
The priest looked at the little boy and said, “My son, I’ve lived a long and full life. You are young and have your whole life ahead of you. Take the last parachute and live in peace.”
The little boy handed the parachute back to the priest and said, “Not to worry Father. The smartest man in the world just took off with my back pack.” 🙂
http://www.moralstories.org/
Our ego can get us into all sorts of trouble. A false sense of self is intimately connected to our problems, and if we want to be free from them, we have to work on letting go of this limited version of self. This is difficult to do, because who am I without the story I have always told myself and others?
Practising stillness and being present each day, helps my mind to be as it is, it keeps my mind open and free and allows less time entangled with identities from the past or the future.
The mind itself is not dysfunctional. Dysfunction sets in when we seek our self in it and we mistake it for who we really are…. just like the lawyer! 🙂
LIVING IN THIS MOMENT 
Beautiful post! 💖😊
Thanks Trini, I appreciate your comment.
Great story and wonderful message. Gives important food for thought.
Thanks Carrie, definitely food for thought. 🙂
A very clever and accurate message.
I am glad! Thanks Jonathan.
Oh, yes, indeed, so true. Loved the tale! 😀
Me too, Thanks Eliza.
Love the story and lesson Karen. ❤
Diana xo
There’s always a lesson to learn in our stories of life! Thanks Diana. BTW I love your dream on facebook, it’s just a gorgeous message from your Dad. 🙂
(smiling) Thanks Karen. ❤
Diana xo
ha.. the poor smart chap.. Great message Karen..
Thanks Akhila, it’s a good story. 🙂
Still laughing!
Glad you got a laugh! 🙂
Laughing! My late husband was a lawyer, and for certain I can hear echos of him in this statement . . . and yes, I am still laughing!
Ha there is some truth in this story! Glad it made you smile and remember. 🙂
Great story 😃… and message Karen.
Don’t believe what we think about ourselves. Just be fully ourselves 💛
Thanks Val and yes that’s exactly the message! 🙂 Have a great day.
Another lawyer gets it as the butt of a joke. Great lesson though. 🙂
Yes it doesn’t seem fair! Thanks Jennifer 🙂
The Master Game – finding out what there is behind the stories of me and you, without concepts, without percepts, without here and there, past and future. An enigma, and a paradoxical one at that. Still, the only game worth playing that I know of. H ❤
It is definitely the only game worth playing Hariod. Well said, thankyou 🙂
Haha! That’s fantastic – the joke and what you wrote about it. Wise as always Karen. Thank you!
Namaste
Mary
Thanks Mary, it was fun sharing it. Namaste Lovely friend. 🙂
Oh how I love this!! 🙂 🙂 ♡
Yes me too Lorrie, thankyou. Have a lovely day. 🙂
I love your analysis of this story! It’s a great reminder to practice stillness and selflessness more regularly.
It has really helped me to practice these disciplines and keeps my ego in check! Thankyou.
Thank you for this brilliant post.
Thankyou for being here Julie. I appreciate your comments. 🙂
Very wise Karen, we do all need to let go of the ego or at least try to do sometimes not to be too egoistic.
So true Irene. Less ego is the answer! Thankyou. 😉
Love this story 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth. 🙂
A very good lesson taught. Og Mandino and Robert Schuller are my favorite writers. They believe we decide our journey. Good or bad. Better to seek a good life.
Thanks John for your comment. I believe we decide how to live our journey too and we always have a choice. They are great writer’s and have an important message to share.
Both were the best teachers of my life, in my days of youth. I saw both live. Amazing speakers.
Yes they are and great that you saw them live. 🙂
My step-father is a preacher and he knew them. I was blessed to have met them.
Separating ourselves from our stories is so important and yet those stories feel like they define us. I have found, though, when looking for miracles and a new way of being, they limit us. Great post!
Our stories are very powerful and as you say, they limit us and so there is great freedom when we let them go. Thanks Kay.
That was a fun story, Karen, with a deep lesson. I’ve seen a few in my days jumping with a backpack. Lovely post!
If we can become aware and let go of this story we keep telling, then there will be less jumping out with the backpack! Thanks Helen.
Karen I enjoyed the story our ego’s can get us in a lot of trouble but like you say if empathy is used. We think of others instead of ourselves first.
We can, and empathy is such a powerful emotion we can use to support each other. Thanks Kath. 🙂
Great post and great message. Thank you for inspiring.
Thankyou Cecilia. I appreciate your comment.
love your post….and really loved your joke…I copied it and put it on facebook…still smiling about it…thanks….kat
Thankyou Kat! I am glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Yesterday I practices stillness for the first time in a very long time. I sat in a boat in an estuary with a man whose language I do not speak. The only sound was the lapping of gentle waves.Perfection.
This is a beautiful Emilie. This is stillness, and an appreciation of the moment. Thankyou for sharing.