One day a crow is almost to the point of dying for lack of water. The bird’s keen sense of sight notices a pitcher sitting outside by a garden area and swoops into investigate. The bird sticks his beak into the pitcher and discovers that his beak is not long enough to reach the water inside the container. The bird would really like to drink the water at the bottom of this pitcher, but does not want to risk spilling the water into the ground which will soak it up quickly. What does the crow do?
The crow decides to go find a bunch of small little pebbles and one by one dumps them into the mouth of the pitcher. Slowly the water level rises and pretty soon the crow is able to drink from the water. So what is the point of that story?
The first an obvious point is the concept that “necessity is the mother of wisdom.” If you are trying to figure out a problem, it is probably best to talk to someone that is facing the actual crisis. They are more likely to figure out a solution as they are faced with defeat. This also means that you are not going to find a really great solution to a complicated problem unless you are actively engaged in the struggle. The closer you are to the true source of the struggle, the more likely it is that you will find a great path.
The second and less obvious concept is the idea that when we are faced with a problem, perhaps a shortcut is not the answer. Sure, the crow could have tipped the pitcher over and got a few quick sips of water, but not the same as being able to get most or all of the water. There are times when we just have to face the fact that you have way to solve your problem and it is going to take a bunch of small steps. There is no way around that. You can spend months and months waiting to figure out the best solution just to find out that you would have been better off just doing the required incremental work all along.
So if there is a goal that you are striving for, consider the Crow and the Pitcher. Welcome the opportunity to experience the real struggle that will cause you to figure out the best path to take. You are just better at problem solving when you have to. Consider finding the small reliable step that works and just start doing it on a regular basis, before you know it the water level will rise and you will have plenty.
Guy Reams
