Aesop’s famous fable of the Goose and The Golden Egg tells a tale of a farmer and his prized goose. The goose produces an egg of pure gold each day for the farmer, who sells the egg for a handsome sum. Over time, the farmer becomes impatiently curious; asking himself ‘What is inside of this goose?” and “How can I make more?”. The famer’s intrigue eventually gets the best of him, which results in him killing the goose in order to answer his burning questions.
On the surface, Aesop’s fable teaches us that greed is a less than desirable characteristic. But if we dive deeper the fable reveals a powerful and unexpected message about wellbeing. Balance is key.
On one hand. When we focus on producing more and more golden eggs (or producing short term results) we lose our ability to produce results at all, as we fail to nurture our production capacity (the ability to produce golden eggs). Conversely, focusing solely upon our production capacity an avoiding an active pursuit of short-term results (or eggs) we fail to survive to see any long term pay off.
Hence, balance is key. In school and in life we must strive to attain a balance of all things that make up our days, weeks, months and years. Identifying and working towards goals is important, but equally important is maintaining our ability to achieve these goals. For each person the idea of what equates to balance will be different. However, the principle remains the same.
As we move into our busiest part of the semester with assessment and exams piling up, rewards yourself by taking a break and doing something you enjoy. Create your balance. Ensure your ability to ‘produce golden eggs’ remains a focus by recognizing your need for a break, some down time, a spoonful of self-care and above all: Balance.
Jack Chalker
Head of Haydon House