Got Up and Went | Mullah Nasruddin Books by Ron J. Suresha

Got Up and Went

Nasruddin found his little donkey, Karakacan, soaking in the river, and after loading the remaining charred wood, they rode back home, Nasruddin seated backward, of course.

The donkey was moving at her usual plodding pace and Nasruddin’s cajoling and prodding got no results. Eventually the old grey beast slowed, then came to a complete stop on the road. He tried taking the load off the animal, he coaxed it with soft words and a carrot, he tried pulling, he tried pushing.

Although he made minimal progress forward, Karakacan was aged and tired and stubborn and needed a long break, if not an early retirement. The donkey and its rider were going nowhere fast.

After some time his friend Hussein came by and said, “I see, Nasruddin, that your ass is dragging — if not already completely broken down.”

“Yes, sadly it’s true, Hussein — her get-up-and-go has gotten up and gone. But what can I do?”

Your Daily Nasruddin

The stubbornness of donkeys and mules is matched only by that of their two-legged masters.

“Get up and go” is a modern expression denoting personal willpower. Sometimes it’s also called esprit, perkiness, spunkiness, spark. It is a spiritual quality.

If you have neither will to move, nor inclination to offer service, nor ability to transform yourself or at least your environment, you become stagnant, shallow, miserable, and stubborn

Get unstuck. Step up. Move forward. Keep serving more.