In the heart of a lush, tropical jungle,
where the trees stretched high into the sky and colorful flowers bloomed
everywhere, lived a bright green parrot named Polly. Polly was beautiful, with
shimmering feathers and a voice that could mimic any sound in the jungle. But
there was one thing Polly struggled with—she always wanted more.
“I wish my feathers were even brighter,”
Polly would sigh. “And I wish I could fly faster than the other parrots.”
She always looked at what other animals had
and wished for something different. When she saw the monkeys swinging joyfully
from tree to tree, she wished she had long arms like them. When she watched the
jaguar sprint effortlessly through the jungle, she wished she could run just as
fast. No matter what Polly had, it never seemed enough.
One afternoon, as Polly perched on a high
branch, she noticed an old turtle slowly making his way through the jungle. It
was Grandpa Turtle, the wisest creature in the forest. He always had a calm
smile on his face, even though he moved slower than everyone else.
“Hello, Grandpa Turtle,” Polly called. “How
are you always so happy? Don’t you ever wish you were faster?”
Grandpa Turtle chuckled. “Oh, Polly, I used
to wish for many things. But one day, I learned the magic of gratitude.”
“Gratitude?” Polly repeated. “What’s that?”
Grandpa Turtle smiled. “Gratitude means being
thankful for what you have, instead of always wanting more. It helps you see
how lucky you already are.”
Polly tilted her head. “But if I don’t wish
for more, how will I ever get better?”
Grandpa Turtle nodded wisely. “Wanting to
grow is wonderful, Polly. But if you don’t appreciate what you have now, you’ll
never truly be happy—even when you get what you want.”
Polly thought about this as she flew back to
her tree. That evening, instead of thinking about what she didn’t have, she
looked around her and noticed things she had never paid attention to before.
The cool breeze that ruffled her feathers, the sweet fruits hanging from the
trees, the laughter of her friends—it was all so wonderful.
The next morning, Polly decided to try
something new. Instead of complaining, she started listing all the things she
was grateful for. “I’m grateful for my strong wings that let me fly high. I’m
grateful for my friends who make me laugh. I’m grateful for the juicy mangoes
that grow in our jungle.”
And do you know what happened? The more Polly
focused on what she had, the happier she felt. She still had dreams and goals,
but now she enjoyed every step along the way.
One day, the other parrots gathered around
Polly. “You seem different,” one of them said. “Happier.”
Polly smiled. “That’s because I’ve learned
the magic of gratitude. A thankful heart finds joy in every moment.”
From that day on, Polly still worked hard and
dreamed big, but she never forgot to be thankful for the present. And because
of that, she became one of the happiest parrots in the jungle.
Moral of the Story: A thankful heart finds joy in every moment.
Appreciate what you have while working toward what you want, and happiness will
follow you wherever you go.
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