A certain man was hiking in a forest when he suddenly realized that he was lost. He began to panic and wandered around, frantically trying to find his way out. Darkness came and as he stumbled around, he fell into a deep hole and was unable to pull himself out. Many hours passed and he was exhausted, frustrated and scared. He was about to abandon hope when a stranger appeared, pulled him out of the hole and gave him food and drink.
“Don’t worry, friend. I’ve been caught here before but I know the way out. Follow me.”
As the two men made their way toward the exit, they came upon another man who was walking unwittingly toward the same dangerous hole.
“You don’t want to go that way,” said the men. “We know firsthand that this forest is dangerous and you will surely meet with trouble if you continue on this path.”
We’ve all been “there” before. Be like the man who turned his past misfortune into empathy that he used to help the other out of his dark place. And when you see someone heading in a dangerous direction, use your unique experience to help warn them of what could happen should they continue on their way.
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