InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 387 - June 2023 - Viewed from a different perspective 
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

Three Apples.jpg

Viewed from a different perspective 

A teacher asked a nine-year-old student . . .’If I give you one apple and then another apple and then another apple, how many apples will you have?’

Within a few seconds the student replied confidently . . . ‘Four Apples’

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer of three.

‘Maybe this student did not listen properly’ . . . she thought so she repeated please listen carefully, it is very simple and you will be able to answer it correctly if you listen carefully.

’If I give you one apple and then another apple and then another apple, how many apples will you have?’

The student had seen the disappointment on the teacher’s face.

He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that would make his teacher happy.

This time hesitatingly he replied . . . ‘Four Apples’.

The disappointment remained on teacher’s face and she remembered that the student loved strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn’t like apples and that is making him lose focus.

This time with exaggerated excitement and twinkling eyes she asked . . . ‘If I give you one strawberry, then another strawberry and then another strawberry, then how many will you have?’

Seeing that the teacher appeared happy, the student calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted to see if her new approach succeed.
With a hesitating smile, the young student replied . . . ‘Three’.

The teacher now had a victorious smile on her face, her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself, but one last thing remained.

Once again, she asked the student . . . ’If I give you one apple and then another apple and then another apple, how many apples will you have?’

Promptly the answer was . . . ‘Four’.

The teacher was aghast.

‘How tell me, how?’ she demanded with a stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young student replied . . . ‘Because I already have one apple in my bag’.

Moral of the Story

When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you are expecting, it is not necessarily that they are wrong. We all need to learn to appreciate and understand different perspectives.

Quite often, we try and impose our perspectives on others and then wonder what went wrong.

The next time someone gives you a different perspective than yours, just gently ask . . . ‘can you please help me understand why you said that’

Author Unknown

June's Featured Positive Inspirational Story

Energy Vibes: Are You an Energiser or a Drainer?

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately sensed a shift in energy? It could be a colleague's beaming smile or an uplifting conversation that leaves you feeling invigorated and motivated. Alternatively, it could be a negative comment or a draining . . .  read more >>>


Inspirational Quote

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view
Harper Lee 

View more Inspirational Personal Growth Quotes >>>

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InspirEmail

A monthly positive inspirational story and quote to refresh your spirit and boost the emotional bank account. InspirEmail was first published in November 2005 and each issue can be viewed in the Archived InspirEmail Directory located below the latest issue of InspirEmail


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