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Choosing to Smile in a Traumatized World
I’ve learned to let the march of life just flow
As I was preparing for the release of my book, The Little Book of Big Lies, I huddled with my team for something to say or share about overcoming stress, anxiety, drama, and trauma. Then someone said, “This world is so traumatized right now, so why is Tina Lifford smiling?”
I smiled.
Here’s my answer: In my 20s, I heard the story of the Taoist Farmer. It changed me forever.
The parable goes like this:
“There once was a man who lived on a farm with his son and his horse. It was close to harvest time. One day, the barn door was left open, and the horse ran away. When neighboring villagers learned this news, they asked, “How will you bring in the harvest without your horse? This is awful.” The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said, “Who’s to say what’s good or bad?”
A few days later, the farmer’s horse returned with three wild horses. The neighbors exclaimed, “How wonderful!” Full of excitement, they told the farmer how rich and lucky he was. The farmer shrugged his shoulders and said, “Who’s to say what’s good or bad?”
The farmer’s son worked to tame the wild horses to help bring in the harvest. One of the unbroken horses bucked him off. The…
