A man was lost in the desert and dying of thirst. He stumbled on until he came to an abandoned house. Outside the deserted shack was a pump.
He stumbled forward and began pumping furiously, but no water came from the well.
Then he noticed a small jug with a cork at the top and a note written on the side: “You have to prime the pump with water. P.S. And fill the jug again before you leave.”
He pulled out the cork and saw that the jug was full of water.
“Should I pour the water down the pump? What if it doesn’t work? All the water will be gone.
If I drink the water from the jug, I’m sure I will not die of thirst. But to follow the flimsy instruction and pour it down the rusty pump?” the man thought.
He finally made up his mind. He proceeded to pour the whole jug of water down the rusty old pump and furiously pumped up and down.
And … the water gushed out!
He had all the water he needed to drink. He filled the jug again, corked it and added his own words beneath the instructions on the jug: “Believe me, it really works.”
Sometimes we have to give it all away before we can get anything back.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” – Pablo Picasso
