A new spin of an old story.
You may have heard of the story about the scorpion and the turtle. The scorpion who wanted to get across the lake knew that he had a problem. The scorpion could not swim. Knowing his weakness he sought out someone with the strength of swimming. By the waters edge he saw a turtle. “Mr Turtle could you give me a ride across the lake.” The turtle knowing the nature and the strength of the scorpion replied “I can, but I will not because you will sting me and I will die.” The scorpion replied “Mr Turtle why would I do that for if I sting you I will drown and die.” The turtle being enlightened said “That is true. I will take you “.
The scorpion climbed on board the back of the turtle and they began their journey across the lake. Half way across the lake, the scorpion reared up its tail and struck repeatedly against the turtles shell. The turtle looked back at the scorpion and said “Mr scorpion, you have failed. I am protected from your sting through my tough shell.” The scorpion, while looking the turtle in the eyes, then stung him in his neck. “ I did not fail Mr Turtle. I merely had to get you to take your eyes off of the goal and place them on me. This brought the softness of your neck closer to me to sting. “But now we both will die” said the turtle. “To die while living out my true nature I can accept. The fault was in you for asking me to not be me and do that which is not my nature.”
A moral that this twist in the story provides is this. Often times our first mistake is engaging in conversation with those whom we know have a nature of harm. By speaking with the scorpion, the turtle allowed himself to be persuaded to do something against his better judgement.
Secondly, there is no such thing as a free ride. The turtle allowed the scorpion to receive the reward of work that the scorpion did not contribute to. In fact the scorpion added to the work of the turtle by adding his weight. When others want to benefit from your work and they do not contribute to the work to obtain this goal, flee from them.
Third, Your strength is only a strength when you do not tell everyone about it. The turtle has a strong shell, but when everyone knows of the strength of the shell, they seek another means to destroy. Keep your strengths strong by speaking less about yourself and paying more attention to what others say about themselves. Their own words often lead to their own demise.
Lastly, don’t take your eyes off of your goal. There will be many in your life smiling as a friend while plotting against you as an enemy. They will strike at you. Many times not with the intent to harm you yet, but to discover the place where you are weak, to then strike you in their own time. In those times shake them off. Disrupt their balance. Remove them from your situation by removing yourself from the situation. If not, you will soon find that your your situation has become your predicament, that has lead to your permanent residence of dysfunction, pain, failure, and fear.
If the turtle would of kept his eyes focused on the goal of getting to the other side and not turned around to address the scorpion attempting to bring pain to his life, he would not of had a problem. If the turtle would of simply "shook it off" the problem would of rolled off his back and he could continue onward. But instead he spoke with the scorpion reminding the scorpion of his strength while exposing to the scorpion his weakness.
Some in your life may not mind going down, as long as they take you down with them.
Those people you simply need to "Shake Them Off".
Revision of an old tale written by Isaac Costley