Mindset story: Are you going to do something about it or will you just talk

Many years ago, in a peaceful valley on the edge of a beautiful old forest, there lived two neighboring farmers, Fred and Luke. They had known each other for years, though they were quite different in temperament. Fred was quick to anger and vocal about his opinions, while Luke was quiet, thoughtful, and preferred action over words. One morning, the two farmers woke up to find something devastating, many of the towering trees in the forest had been chopped down overnight. Where there had once been lush greenery and the songs of birds, there were now only stumps and silence. Fred was furious. He stomped over to Luke’s house, his face red with anger. “Can you believe this has happened?” he shouted. “Who could have done this?” Luke, standing calmly on his porch, observed the damage. “I have no idea,” he said, his voice even. Fred clenched his fists. “Well, I’m going to let everyone know about this travesty! Are you coming with me?” “No thanks,” Luke replied, shaking his head. Fred was incredulous. “Aren’t you going to do something?” Luke nodded. “I will.” Without another word, Fred stormed off into the local village. He stopped everyone he saw, telling them about the destruction. “Can you believe it? Dozens of trees, just cut down and stolen! It’s outrageous!” The villagers shook their heads in sympathy, agreeing that it was indeed a terrible loss. But Fred wasn’t done. “Do you know what the worst part is?” he exclaimed. “Luke won’t do anything about it! If he were as angry as I am, he’d be here with me, telling everyone too!”

That evening, still fuming, Fred sat down and wrote a letter to the mayor, demanding action. The mayor needed to know what had happened, someone had to be held accountable! But deep inside, Fred felt restless. He had done everything he could, hadn’t he? The next morning, Fred marched back to Luke’s house. He knocked loudly, but there was no answer. His frustration growing, he walked around the property, searching for his neighbor. Eventually, he spotted Luke in the clearing where the trees had been cut down. But instead of standing there, mourning the loss, Luke was kneeling on the ground, planting saplings in the soil. Fred frowned. “What are you doing? There are still people who haven’t heard about the trees being cut down! We need to spread the word!” Luke looked up from his work, his hands covered in earth. “I’m planting new trees,” he said simply. Fred stared, confused. “Why? The damage has already been done.” Luke patted the soil around a small sapling and smiled. “Because complaining won’t bring them back.” Fred stood in silence. He had spent all his energy talking, pointing fingers, and looking for someone to blame. But in all his anger, he had done nothing to fix the problem. Meanwhile, Luke had quietly begun the process of healing the land, one tree at a time. For the first time, Fred saw things differently. Instead of arguing, he grabbed a shovel and knelt beside Luke. He had spent enough time being angry. It was time to start planting.