Motivation Spiritual Stories

4enlightenment brings to you completely original spiritual stories that capture your imagination while imparting deep wisdom. Written by Dhamma Tāpasā a former buddhist monk, mental health professional and therapeutic practitioner who now transforms others lives with his unique style of transformational life coaching, book your free experience today.

The Grandfather & Grandson

In a small field a boy and his grandfather are digging the soil. They are turning it over, smashing the lumps, preparing it for the years sowing. It’s hard work but necessary for the bountiful harvest they will receive from all their efforts.

The old man is well into his 70’s and is panting a fair bit, with every fork load thats turned sweat drips from his forehead but he doesn’t complain.

His grandson is 17 years old, fit strong and able. He curses with every fork load that’s turned, then standing there he huffs and puffs and complains before sticking the fork in once again cursing as he goes.

After a while, the young grandson notices how much more his grandfather has done than himself.

“How come grandfather you have achieved more than me when your so much older?” He asks

The reply wasn’t what he expected

“The Thinking about it, that’s the HARD bit, doing it, that the EASY bit”

The grandson is taken aback a little so the grandfather continues

“When you spend your time thinking, how hard this is, how much more to go, my back aches, that’s the hard bit. It’s far harder thinking about all these things, getting caught up in a whirlwind of your own thoughts, than it is to actual do the physical work in the first place”

“While you stand after ever fork load and allow your mind to dwell on the negative, I have done another three more fork loads than you have. I only look at what I have done which is always pleasing and positive”

Author: Dhamma Tāpasā

Moral of the Story:

As with a lot of things we don’t want to do in our lives, the thinking about it is so much harder than just getting on and doing it.

Some of us will procrastinate, others use some form of distraction. However the easy bit is always in the doing, our complaining and whining won’t make the problem go away. Do what ever it takes to move forward even if it just one small bit, those one small bits make up a lot in a week.

Remember you got this!

Much of what we struggle with in life is not caused by circumstances themselves, but by how those circumstances are experienced through thought. When understanding deepens, the mind naturally settles and clarity returns and often without effort.

This quiet shift in perspective sits at the heart of everything shared here. Not fixing what is broken, but rediscovering what has always been present beneath the noise.

If something in this story resonated, you’re very welcome to stay a little longer. This site is a calm place for gentle reflections on mental well-being, and you’re warmly invited to step into The Quiet Space — a place to pause, reflect, and stay connected.

More stories, if you feel drawn

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Positive Mind Training

My life has been shaped by trauma, deep inquiry, and years spent living simply in nature. Through deep insight gained into how the mind truly creates our experience, I developed the PACT-RICA Framework. Because when understanding deepens, the mind naturally settles and clarity will return.