The Farmer and the Horse

```xml Make yourself comfortable. Let your shoulders drop. Take one deep breath in. And out again. Once more. Good. Today I'll tell you an old story about a farmer and his horse. A story about how quickly we judge our lives. In a small village at the edge of the mountains lived an old farmer with his son. They didn't own much. A small house, a piece of land, and a strong, black horse. The horse was their most valuable possession. It helped with plowing, carried heavy loads, and without it the work was hardly manageable. One morning the horse had disappeared. The gate stood open, the horse had run away. The neighbors came running immediately. Oh no, they cried, what a disaster. How terrible for you. You poor man. The farmer looked at them calmly and simply said: Who knows what it's good for. A few days later the horse returned. And it was not alone. It led an entire herd of wild horses. Beautiful, strong animals. The neighbors were beside themselves with joy. How wonderful, they cried. What good fortune. Now you are rich. The farmer smiled and said: Who knows what it's good for. The farmer's son began to tame the wild horses. He was young and brave. But while riding a particularly wild stallion, he fell hard. His leg broke. Again the neighbors came. Oh, they lamented, what bad luck. Your son is crippled. How terrible. The farmer cared for his son and said: Who knows what it's good for. A few weeks later, soldiers marched through the village. The king was at war. All young men were to go into battle. They went from house to house. But when they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they left him behind. The neighbors wept for their sons who had to go to war. They came to the farmer and said: You have such good fortune. Your son stays with you. The farmer nodded and said softly: Who knows what it's good for. Breathe with me for a moment. Feel how your breath comes and goes on its own. Like the farmer in the story. He resists the urge to judge. He remains open to what life brings. Think of your own life. Of an event you initially judged as bad. What did it bring you later. Breathe in and let the question work within you. Breathe out and let go of what you don't know. Life writes stories that we understand only later. Sometimes never. And that is okay. Life does not judge. Only we do. Life does not judge. Only we do. Perhaps the secret of serenity is precisely that. To judge less, to trust more. Take this thought with you into your day. Breathe in deeply once more. Open your eyes slowly. Thank you for these shared minutes. Thank you for using Calm Sessions. ```