A soldier fell in a hole and couldn’t get out.
A Senior Officer went by and the soldier called out for help. The Senior Officer yelled at him, told him to suck it up, dig deep & drive on, and threw him a shovel. But the soldier could not “suck it up and drive on” and although he used the shovel the officer had given him, he only dug the hole deeper.
Civilians walked by and the soldier begged them to help him but they said, “You got yourself into that hole. That’s karma. Don’t expect us to put our lives at risk to save you! ”
A psychiatrist walked by. The soldier cried “Help me! I can’t get out!” The psychiatrist threw him some drugs and said, “Take these. They will relieve your pain.” The soldier thanked the Psychiatrist and took the pills. He did feel a bit better but he was still stuck in the hole.
A well-known psychologist rode by and heard the soldier’s cries for help. He stopped and asked, ” How did you get down there? Were you born in that hole? Did your parents throw you in there? How do you feel this situation? Tell me about yourself, it will alleviate your sense of loneliness.” So the Soldier talked with him for an hour, and then the psychologist had to leave, but he said he’d be back the following week. The soldier felt grateful and thanked him, but he was still in the hole.
A priest came by. The soldier called for help again. The priest said, “Don’t worry, I’ll say a prayer for you” and gave him a bible. He got down on his knees and prayed for the soldier, then he left. The Soldier was very grateful, he even read the Bible, but he was still stuck in that hole.
Another soldier happened to be passing by. The first soldier cried out, “Hey, help me. I’m stuck in this hole!” Right away the other soldier jumped down in the hole with him. The first soldier said, “What are you doing?!!! Now we’re both stuck in this hole!!” But the other soldier said, “Calm down buddy. It’s okay. I’ve been in this hole before. I know how to get us out.
I love this parable because it illustrates what I often say to others when they ask why I have been through so much. My reply is, “You can’t help someone out of a pit you haven’t been in yourself.”
What are your pits? Your mess can become your message and your test can become your testimony. Share your stories of the pits you’ve fallen in, to help others climb out of theirs. I am always encouraged by the Australian billionaire, Peter Daniels who went bankrupt three times but wouldn’t give up. He said he spent a lot of money on his education, on books and tapes (those were the old days) and when he finally made it, he bought his wife the most expensive piece of jewelry and said, “I notice you haven’t been complaining about what I spend on books and tapes lately!”
Our education comes at a price, it’s either monetary or it is emotional, mental or physical. Learn from your lessons and then share those lessons with others. This is the core of a great speech.
