Mindset story: Would you be looking for flaws in a dog that walked on water

There once was a young boy who lived on a farm with his beautiful dog. Every day during the spring and summer the young boy would take his dog down to the pond on his farm and every day they would practice retrieving different items for hours. The boy wanted to be prepared for every situation that might arise when the duck season came. He knew the people around him and that they are only looking for flaws in everything and everyone so that they can gossip. He didn’t want that to happen to him so he had vigorous trainings day in and day out with his dog which in the end wouldn’t do anything unless the boy told him to do.

As the fall and winter months slowly came so too did the duck season. And sure enough on the first day of the duck season, the young boy and his dog were the first to find their spot at the pond near their farmhouse. After only a short time of sitting in the duck blind, the two heard the first string of ducks flying overhead. Taking action the boy slowly raised his shotgun, shooting three times at the flying herd with his third shot killing a duck, landing flat in the center of the pond. When the boy gave his dog the permission it sought, the dog left charging through the blind and brush to the pond, where instead of swimming in the water, as in practice sessions before, the dog walked on the surface of the water, picked up the duck and then trotted back to the boy.

As you can imagine the young boy was absolutely amazed and bewildered that his dog had such an amazing ability, walking on water. Yet the young boy knew that no one would ever believe his dog could do such an amazing feat. Knowing this and realizing that the only way he could tell this story is if another person was able to witness it for themselves the boy decided to travel over to the neighboring farmer’s house that same day and asked if he would join him on a hunt the following morning. The farmer was happy to get an invitation and accepted it. The boy quickly ran home to feed his dog, train with him and then get to bed as soon as possible so that he and the dog would be well-rested.

The next morning the boy determined to be well prepared for every situation and wanting nothing to leave to chance took all of his hunting equipment and all the treats for his dog. They quickly went to get the neighboring farmer and just as the day before, he took them to the same spot next to the pond and patiently waited in their duck blind. And just as the day before the trio heard a string of ducks flying overhead, and this time the boy allowed his neighbor the courtesy to take the shot. The neighboring farmer raised up his shotgun and took a couple of shots, with the last shot bringing down a duck. And just as the day before the boy gave his dog the permission fetch the duck. The dog again walked on water to retrieve the duck as the day before.

Amazed, proud and barely able to contain himself the boy looked at the man and the man looked at the boy. To which the boy asked, “So what do you think?” To which the farmer responded, “Well I didn’t want to say anything but your dog doesn’t know how to swim.” The boy was in disbelief that still with what he has seen his neighbor was only looking for flaws.