A fable about self-image
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Once upon a time in ancient India, a dhobi wallah, a person washing clothes, went down to the river with his donkeys loaded with clothes for washing. A short while before, a hunter had killed a lioness not far from the river. Close to the river bank, hidden in the rushes, out of sight of the hunters, the lioness had hidden its cub.
The dhobi wallah happened to find this cub. He took the lion cub with him and raised it with the donkeys. As the years went by, the cub grew into a adult lion. Since he had been raised with donkeys, the lion believed he was a normal donkey doing its duty, carrying clothes down to the river with his donkey-friends and his master, the dhobi wallah. The ‘lion-donkey’ was quite happy with this life.
Life carried on as usual until one fine day a wild lion came down to the river to quench his thirst. As he was drinking at the river’s edge, the wild lion caught sight of something that made him take a second look in utter disbelief. He saw a big lion walking with donkeys, sheep and a human, carrying a huge load of clothes on his back. When the strange party had unloaded the clothes at river bank, the wild lion leapt and landed just in between them. They all fled in terror, including the lion-donkey.
Quick as a flash, the wild lion caught hold of the neck of the lion-donkey and kept it from fleeing. It bleated in fear, “oh, big animal, please don’t kill me!!! The wild lion laughingly replied, “But we’re from the same family! You’re a lion like me!
The donkey-lion replied, “Oh, no Sir, you are mistaken. I am just a poor and weak donkey doing my duty!”
The wild lion laughed loudly. He had never heard such a joke before. He said, “Come dear lion brother! I will show you something.”
The wild lion dragged the lion-donkey down to the river and showed it its face reflected in the river water.
”Look! Can you see your face? It’s just like mine. Do you believe me now?
”Oh, yes! Now I see! What a fool I was! How could I be such an idiot!!” replied the rediscovered lion.
”Oh yes, my dear friend. We are equal!” said the wild lion.
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I love this tale because it entertainingly emphasises the impact of one’s self-image on one’s life. Our behaviour is closely linked to our self-image. The lion because of his own belief that he was a donkey, acted like a donkey and therefore was treated like a donkey by those around him. Though tough to accept sometimes, we train others how to treat us.
What thoughts does this tale prompt in you? Do you hold any false notions of donkey-ness? 
Is there any belief you have about yourself which, upon closer examination, might prove to be solely based on what you’ve been told over the years and has been supported by your environment, and isn’t in fact who you are?
‘Wishing you the best in life! ♥
Louise
Louise Goddard BA Hons, M.NLP, CHt
Coaching and Hypnosis by phone and Skype
Licensed Master Practitioner of NLP
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