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For the Relentless Mind

The Power of Maybe

There's an ancient story that cuts through every attempt to make sense of life's chaos. It's deceptively simple, profound in its implications, and offers a master class in navigating uncertainty.

The Story

Once upon a time there was a Chinese farmer whose horse ran away. That evening, all of his neighbors came around to commiserate. They said, "We are so sorry to hear your horse has run away. This is most unfortunate." The farmer said, "Maybe."

The next day the horse came back bringing seven wild horses with it, and in the evening everybody came back and said, "Oh, isn't that lucky. What a great turn of events. You now have eight horses!" The farmer again said, "Maybe."

The following day his son tried to break one of the horses, and while riding it, he was thrown and broke his leg. The neighbors then said, "Oh dear, that's too bad," and the farmer responded, "Maybe."

The next day the conscription officers came around to conscript people into the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. Again all the neighbors came around and said, "Isn't that great!" Again, he said, "Maybe."

As Alan Watts observed: "The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it's really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune."

The farmer's neighbors represent how most of us live—constantly labeling experiences as "good" or "bad," "lucky" or "unlucky." We are meaning-making machines, unable to encounter events without immediately deciding what they mean.

But here's what the story reveals: Life doesn't happen to us with pre-assigned meanings. We assign the meanings.

The horse's disappearance wasn't inherently bad—it was neutral until humans decided it was a loss. The son's broken leg wasn't inherently tragic—context revealed it as salvation from war. The events were facts; the meanings were interpretations.

Most of us exhaust ourselves emotionally reacting to incomplete stories. We celebrate "wins" that later prove destructive. We despair over "losses" that later prove beneficial. We make decisions based on meanings that time reveals as wrong.

The farmer's "maybe" is revolutionary because it refuses premature judgment. He understands that meaning often changes, that today's tragedy might be tomorrow's blessing, that the story isn't over until it's over.

This doesn't mean becoming emotionally flat or ignoring real pain. It means recognizing that your immediate interpretation of events might be incomplete.

Consider:

• The job rejection that redirects you to better opportunities

• The relationship that ends to create space for deeper love

• The financial loss that teaches lessons creating future wealth

• The health crisis that catalyzes life-extending changes

The farmer's wisdom isn't about being detached—it's about being interpretively flexible. He can feel sad about losing his horse without concluding his life is ruined. He can enjoy seven new horses without assuming his problems are solved.

When something happens that triggers immediate judgment, pause and ask: "What if this means something different than I think? What if the story isn't over?"

In our instant-reaction culture, the farmer's approach feels radical:

Career setbacks: Instead of catastrophizing, consider what new paths might open
Relationship changes: Rather than labeling breakups as failures, allow for necessary redirections
Health challenges: Without minimizing difficulties, remain open to unexpected growth
Financial fluctuations: Resist assigning permanent meaning to temporary circumstances

The farmer's greatest gift isn't wisdom about horses—it's comfort with uncertainty. While his neighbors exhaust themselves with emotional roller coasters, he maintains equilibrium by refusing to pretend he knows more than he actually knows.

This creates space for:

• More thoughtful responses to complex situations

• Greater resilience during difficult periods

• Less attachment to outcomes you can't control

• Deeper appreciation for life's mysterious unfolding

In a world that demands instant opinions, the farmer offers a different path: the radical act of allowing events to be what they are while remaining open to what they might become.

The next time life delivers apparent good fortune or clear misfortune, remember the farmer. Feel what you feel, respond as you must, but hold your interpretations lightly.

Maybe that disappointment is redirection. Maybe that celebration is premature. Maybe the story you're living is more complex and surprising than you currently understand.

Maybe.

Two Quotes

1. “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to success is found in your daily routine ― John C. Maxwell

2. “It all depends on how we look at things, and not on how things are in themselves. The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it.”- Carl Jung

Three Posts

To Building Fortitude.

 Best Regards,

Colin Jonov, Founder & CEO Athletic Fortitude