The Donkey Story: Staying Clear on Where You’re Going

We’ll begin with a simple story.

Long ago, in a small village, a grandfather lived with his teenage grandson, and they owned a donkey. One day, they decided to travel to the capital. At first, the grandson rode the donkey while the grandfather walked beside it. After a while, they met a man who criticized the boy for being disrespectful, riding while the elderly man walked. Hearing this, the grandson got off, and the grandfather rode instead. Soon, another passerby scolded the old man for being heartless and letting a young boy walk so far. Hearing this, they both rode the donkey together. Later, a man stopped them and accused them of cruelty for putting too much weight on the poor animal. So, they both got off and walked alongside the donkey. Finally, they met someone who mocked them for being foolish enough to walk such a long distance when they had a donkey to ride. Confused and exhausted, the grandfather and grandson turned around and went home.

At first glance, this is a story about opinions.
But there is one detail that is easy to overlook:
👉 They had a destination.
👉 And in the end, they didn’t get there.

# What we will explore

In this session, we’ll look at what happened along the way:
• How did they slowly lose their direction?
• At which point did they stop following their own intention?
• Why did every voice become strong enough to change their path?

# A deeper reflection

No one forced them.
No one controlled them.
Yet step by step,
they moved further away from where they originally wanted to go.
This raises a few questions:
👉 Who was actually making the decisions?
👉 What kind of “voices” were they responding to?
👉 And why did those voices matter so much?

# Bringing it back to real life

In our own lives, we also meet many “voices”:
people’s opinions
social expectations
ideas of what is “right”
But beyond that:
👉 Do we also carry similar voices inside us?
Sometimes,
it’s not just what others say -
it’s what it triggers within us.

# The key point

Listening is not the problem.
Adjustment is not the problem.
But without a clear sense of direction,
👉 every voice can become a new instruction
👉 every situation can change your path
And slowly,
you may still be moving,
but no longer towards where you intended to go.

# What we will do

This is a reflective session.
We’ll explore:
• What is your “destination” right now in life?
• In what situations do you most easily change direction?
• Who are the “voices” that influence you the most?
• Do those voices also exist within you?
• How do you recognise when you are moving away from your own path?

# Who this is for

This session may resonate if you:
• Feel pulled in different directions at times
• Are thinking about long-term direction in life
• Want more clarity in decision-making
• Are interested in understanding patterns, not quick fixes