Today, during practice 17, I learned a ton from a lovely couple of teammates. We’re working on good stuff and they are making progress. They, just like you, are only as good as the depth of trust between them. All relationships are built on this most fragile of foundations. We all know this and yet we mostly forget we only understand our side of the structure. Today, I reminded these teammates of the rule of holes. I asked them if they remembered when I taught them this rule a few practices back. Neither could recall. I get it. Most of my instruction falls on deaf ears, closed minds, wounded hearts, and busy brains focused anywhere but here. Most of yours does too.
So, today during practice 17 like nearly every other practice, I repeated myself. Here’s where my mind traversed, however, before I opened my mouth to counsel. I calmed myself with a few deep breathes, first. The internal chatter came instantly. “These people are paying me,” my little voice reminded me ever so quietly. “And, these people are just going through the motions hoping I’m some kinda magician,” my little voice declared a bit more vocally. “WTF. Why don’t they listen to me,” my little voice declared with a bit too much authority. “No, that’s not true I declared within.” I gathered myself and began retrieving useful facts from my neocortex filing system. I thought of the progress they’ve been making and how hard it is to hear when hurting. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and repeated the rule of holes. In doing so, I remembered mine; role, that is.
Here is the first rule of holes. Do not miss this. This could be huge. The first rule of holes. When you’re in one, STOP digging. The guy/gal who keeps digging gets deeper n dirtier. Pretty soon, they’re so far down when you and I peer in, all we see as they keep bending over and tossing stuff out, is some ass in a hole. Funny, huh…
BUILT TO LEAD 
Here is rule 2 ….
“One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a Well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the donkey was old, and the Well, needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He shook it off and took a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
The rest of the story….
The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
The moral of the story….
When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.”
Too funny and a rich story about life. Never quit, never surrender.
Gurue,
You gotta post this as a post of it’s own. It is so much better than mine. I am quite literally laughing my ass off…
Glad u enjoyed it Toto! When I read yours it reminded me of this legendary story and I found a good version thru Google. I could not believe how funny they fit together let’s leave them paired just as they are so we can find them and enjoy a good chuckle for years to come!