An Aesop-style fable reminding us that letting go of the past may be the key to moving forward The post Trapped Once, Stuck Forever appeared first on .
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a wrong decision?
Been treated unfairly?
Lost when you should have won?
Had a mistake made at your expense?
Found yourself the victim of unfortunate circumstances?
If you’re human, the answer is yes — to all of the above. We’ve all felt the sadness, disappointment, anger, and frustration that come when life tilts unfairly against us.
But here’s the thing: life is unfair.
The trick isn’t to deny that — it’s to avoid living there. The faster we move forward, the faster we heal.
Unfortunately, I see too many people using past victimhood as a lifetime permission slip — a reason to justify any and all behavior that follows.
The Squirrel and the Bear Trap
Bear was terrorizing the forest — overindulging in food, wrecking shelters, and frightening the woodland children. The animals gathered to teach him a lesson: they’d dig a pit to trap Bear for a couple of days.
But Squirrel never got the message. His invitation blew out of his treebox before he could read it. So when the animals decided where to dig, Squirrel wasn’t there to warn them that their trap was dangerously close to his home.
The next morning, while foraging for nuts, Squirrel stumbled right into the pit meant for Bear.
By nightfall, his frantic squeaking drew the others. They rushed over, pulled him out, and everyone apologized. An uncomfortable day for Squirrel — but just one day.
Over time, though, Squirrel changed. He stopped helping with the food stores, let his home fall into disrepair, and complained endlessly. When the other animals asked what was wrong, he would only say,
“Remember that day you trapped me in the pit.”
Eventually, Bear got hungry again.
Bear ate the Squirrel.
Okay, okay — maybe Bear didn’t really eat Squirrel. But the point stands: bad things happen to everyone. That doesn’t give you a lifelong excuse to be lazy, bitter, or inconsiderate.
Learn from how you were wronged — not to justify your flaws, but to spare others from injustice. Otherwise, someday, your own “bear” might come along.
(Aesop wasn’t afraid to get dark either — remember The Frog and the Ox, The Wolf and the Lamb, The Eagle and the Fox, The Horse and the Stag, or The Fox and the Hedgehog.)
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