Don't let your mind enslave you ( Short Story)

Four starving beggars went to a king and begged him for food. They said, "We are suffering too much, Your Majesty! We are poor and we can't afford to feed our families. We are intensely hungry and thirsty, as we have not eaten for two days and two nights. Please, give us food and water!"

The king hesitated, looking at each of them in turn, and then he muttered, "I need to ask you a question first, what does each of you own now?"

The first beggar answered, "I only own some old furniture I inherited from my grandfather. They hold no value for me now."

The second beggar followed, "The only thing I own is a bookcase full of old books which I inherited from my elder brother. They are worthless to me now."

The third beggar responded, "What I own is an old sewing machine I inherited from my mother. It's faulty and useless to me now."

The fourth beggar whistled, "The only thing I own is a large piece of farmland which I inherited from my father. That's all."

Upon listening to the four beggars, the king was silent for a moment. However, he asked three of them to go into the dining room, excluding the fourth beggar who began to wonder why he was rejected.

In the dining room, the three beggars were served plenty kinds of food pasta, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, cheese, fruits, and wine. They were also offered food to take home to their families. Meanwhile, the fourth beggar was left hungry and was given nothing. He was deeply sad.

As the four of them left the palace, the king's attendant went straight to the king and asked, "Your Majesty, why didn't you give food to the fourth beggar?"

The king answered,

"A man who owns a farmland shouldn't complain of hunger. If he cannot plant food in his large piece of farmland, then he is a very foolish man! In fact, he is his own worst enemy!"

The attendant thought for a moment and mumbled, "You are right, he is truly his own worst enemy!"

The biggest enemy you have to deal with is yourself. Oftentimes, we make ourselves beggars when we are meant to be givers. We were born lions, but we choose to live like sheep. Most of us have self-inflicted our own suffering, and pain, built walls, and brought limitations upon ourselves. We are blinded to all the riches and success around us, we don't know our worth and we settle for less. However, you must take a moment and recognize who you really are. You have to believe in yourself ultimately. Make good use of what you have. Always think big and dream big. Don't let your mind enslave you. Be the king you were meant to be. And most importantly, be wise!