I Can Attitude

or the Lion and the Mouse

Here is a story of the famous I can attitude. The plot of the story is old, the story is written in my own words.

its face, waking it up. The lion was not happy as it had been enjoying its sleep. Angrily it slapped at what ever it was that was on its face.

A tiny mouse fell to the ground.

- I shall kill you for waking me up! the angry lion said and prepared to do just that.

- Please, I ask you to save my life - I have a big family to feed and in my hurry I did not notice you in time among the long grass, the mouse said.

- Why would I save your pitiful life? You are of no use to anyone - you are even too small to eat! the lion said,

- No one´s size tells the value of their life, the mouse said, - But I make you a promise: if you save my life, one day I shall repay that debt.

The lion laughed and let the mouse go.

- There is no way you could ever save a lion´s life. Besides - there´s nothing here to threaten me! But go and feed your children and never show your face again.

At that he closed his eyes again and the mouse ran to safety. The lion might have forgotten about him in a day or two, but the mouse swore
to keep its oath. It followed in secrecy the movements of the great lion and when it found a camp of hunters (and stole some bread from them), it knew the time was near. The lion was the handsomest around, and they would surely try to kill him.

Hunt they did, but they did not kill the lion. They caught him alive and tied him tightly to the ground with the help of ropes. The lion lay there helplessly waiting for its fate.

There was a rustling sound in the grass and when the lion opened its eyes, a tiny mouse was in front of it. The lion recognized the mouse as the same one it had almost killed a long time ago. Without a word the mouse set to work and during the night it gnawed the ropes. The lion could hear it mumble under its breath "Oh yes I can... I can do this..."

It worked tirelessly and so, just before the sun rose, the lion could quietly rise to its feet and escape to safety.

Before it disappeared it looked at the exhausted mouse and said quietly:

- Never again shall I look down upon the small ones in contempt. You taught me a valuable lesson. No matter how big and powerful you are, there are situations where you still need the help of others. I shall remember your help and no longer shall lions kill mice as long as I am alive.

And so it was from that day onwards.

What you can learn from this story is that even if you are looked down upon and not taken seriously, you do have your own special gift. The world is full of stories of great achievements by the so called ordinary people. And all their achievements came from their I can attitude.

Most of all the I can attitude is in your own mind. You are capable of great things once you realize this.

It is easy to forget that you have already achieved good things. So do yourself a favor and write down on a piece of paper three achievements in your life. Three things that really made you feel capable of great things.

Keep the note in your wallet and when ever you see it, remember those things where you made a difference! Wake up that I can attitude in your mind!

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