Mindset story: The 10th apple effect and the lesson about being grateful

Once upon a time, there was a highly successful hunter known throughout the kingdom for his incredible skill. In this same kingdom, there existed a rare species of deer that no one had ever been able to catch. The king, eager to have one as a prized trophy, announced the greatest bounty ever offered to anyone who could bring one back, dead or alive. Hearing of this challenge, the hunter decided to take up the king’s offer. Before setting off on his quest, he stopped at the town square. With a loud and mocking voice, he declared to the gathered crowd that he was grateful for such an easy task. He laughed at the thought that no one else had managed to capture the beast, convinced that he would succeed where all had failed. Confident and determined, the hunter ventured into the wilderness, tracking the elusive deer. For two days, he followed every clue, every broken twig, every faint hoofprint. But suddenly, he realized he had lost his way deep inside the dense jungle. His keen navigation skills failed him, and no matter how hard he tried, he could neither find a way out nor locate any source of food.

Eight long, grueling days passed without the hunter finding any food. Hunger gnawed at him, making him weaker with every step. He was so starved that he felt he could eat an entire elephant in one bite. Despair crept into his heart, and for the first time, he began to lose hope. Just as he was about to give up, he spotted an apple tree standing tall amidst the thick foliage. His eyes widened with relief and gratitude. He rushed forward, gathering as many apples as his hands could carry, knowing that these apples were his lifeline. When he bit into the first apple, joy surged through him. He felt immensely grateful, thanking life, thanking the gods, and marveling at his fortune. But as he ate the second apple, his gratitude diminished slightly. By the time he reached the fifth apple, the excitement had waned significantly. The hunger remained, but the thrill of eating the apples lessened with each bite. When he started on the tenth apple, he felt nothing but disgust. Frustrated, he threw away the remaining apples and resumed his search for the uncatchable deer. The hunter never realized the lesson hidden within his experience. His joy and gratitude had faded, not because the apples had lost their value, but because he had taken them for granted. Had he cherished each bite as much as the first, he would have continued to feel the same sense of blessing and fulfillment.