The scorpion and the turtle

Have you heard the parable about the turtle and the scorpion? Once a turtle and a scorpion found themselves stranded on the side of a rising river. The turtle was going to cross the river before the current became too strong. The scorpion asked whether he could ride the turtle’s back across the river. The turtle rightly answered NO! The turtle told the scorpion that he wasn’t crazy and wouldn’t give the scorpion a chance to sting him and kill him.

The scorpion said, “Look, why would I sting you? I will be on your back and if I sting you and you drown, I will drown with you. I don’t want to die so trust me I won’t sting you.” The turtle thought, yeah why would he sting me and kill himself so the turtle agreed and allow the scorpion to climb onto his back.

Halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the turtle on the soft part of his neck. The turtle turned around and asked why the scorpion would do that as the turtle was becoming paralyzed and no longer able to swim. The scorpion simply answered, “That’s what I do; I sting things.” The turtle then answered, “But now we will both die.” The scorpion simply said, “You knew I was a scorpion when you allowed me to climb onto your back”.

Obviously, you can draw many conclusions from this story. What I found interesting is that the turtle allowed calamity into his life by ignoring the obvious! We are in control of what we allow to rule our day – don’t be a turtle and ignore those signs and symptoms that will eventually lead you to negative outcomes. You are the master of your own destiny daily!