One of my favorite Chinese stories is about an old farmer whose horse ran away.
His neighbors came by and said, “What terrible luck.”
The old man simply replied, “Maybe.”
A few days later, the horse returned, bringing several wild horses with it.
“What wonderful luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.
“Maybe,” the old man answered.
His son tried to tame one of the wild horses, was thrown off, and broke his leg.
“How unfortunate.”
“Maybe.”
Soon after, the army came through the village to recruit young men for war. Because of his broken leg, the son was left behind.
“What incredible luck.”
“Maybe.”
The story continues, but the lesson remains the same. We rarely know whether something is truly good or bad while we’re living through it.
I’ve found myself thinking about that proverb more and more as I’ve gotten older.
People sometimes assume I’m emotionless because I don’t react dramatically to either good news or bad news. If something wonderful happens, I’m grateful, but I don’t get carried away. If something difficult happens, I certainly feel it, but I don’t immediately assume the sky is falling.
It’s not because I don’t care.
It’s because life has taught me that today’s disappointment can become tomorrow’s opportunity, and today’s success can quietly introduce tomorrow’s challenge.
Burnout felt like the worst thing that had ever happened to me.
Without it, I may never have traveled.
I may never have rediscovered my creativity.
I may never have written a Fringe play or found the courage to share my story with strangers.
At the time, none of that was visible.
All I could see was the loss. Looking back, I can see the beginning of something entirely new.
The same has been true throughout my life. Relationships, jobs, unexpected setbacks, and surprising opportunities have all arrived wearing disguises. What first appeared to be an ending often became the start of a chapter I never would have chosen, but eventually came to appreciate.
That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate good news or grieve difficult moments.
We’re human.
We should feel both.
But I’ve learned not to rush to label life’s events too quickly.
Sometimes the story needs another chapter before we understand the one we’re in.
So these days, when life surprises me, I find myself borrowing the wisdom of that old farmer.
Good news?
Maybe.
Bad news?
Maybe.
Time has a way of revealing what we cannot yet see.
Until then, I’ll simply keep riding the ebb and flow, trusting that every wave is taking me somewhere I need to go.