A hungry donkey comes to a barn one day to look for hay and sees two haystacks of the same size at the two opposite ends of the barn. The donkey stands in the middle of the barn between the two haystacks, not knowing which to select. Hours pass by, but it still can't make up its mind. Unable to decide, the donkey eventually dies of starvation.
Ann is lucky to have three men trying to win her affections. Their respective differences give them an advantage over each other. John has good looks, Jack is a person of wealth, and Joe receives a decent education. Ann doesn't have a ready answer for this dilemma, not knowing which to select. She wants to wait until one of them can possess good looks, considerable wealth, and profound wisdom all rolled into one. Years pass by, but she has to end up marrying an average guy because of her old age.
> We keep many doors open in life and at work.
We buy the expandable computer, just in case we need all those high-tech bells and whistles. We buy as many things as possible at a discount on Singles' Day or Black Friday, which presumably we never use, simply because we’re afraid that they won’t be sold at the same low price any more. We send our kids to all kinds of after-school classes for the simple reason that other parents are doing so and we don't want our kids to fall behind.
We cannot stand the idea of closing the door on our options and are under the illusion that something better is bound to happen sooner or later. Only after a slap in the face do we get to realize how harsh the reality is.
We are obsessed with having as many irons as possible in the fire, crossing nothing off and being open to everything. However, success can be easily destroyed by unrestrained openness.
Leave your doors open. The bad guys will come in. They may take away everything you have and send you into the depths of despair.
> We must learn to shut the doors.
When we write, we need a door to shut ourselves off from the outside world not to be interrupted. When we are in love, we need a door to keep off another romantic relationship.
Shutting doors will not only keep you from trouble but also save you lots of time and make you more productive. Most doors are not worth going through, even though the handle looks beautiful and is easy to turn.
