“I Want What I Want When I Want It.” So goes an old song title. At times, not getting what we ask for saddens and depresses us. But, the wise person knows that some of life’s bitterest moments are the result of getting what we want. Take the case of the farmer who ordered a dozen chickens from his livestock dealer. “I’ll be away all day,” he advised the merchant, “so just leave them on my front porch.” When he returned home that evening, the farmer found only an empty crate on his porch. It seems the crate had a faulty latch and the chickens had escaped. Immediately, the man set out on a frantic search of the countryside. Next morning, he called the dealer to complain. “Look here,” he said, “because of your negligence I spent half the night going over my farm and my neighbors’ farms looking for those lost chickens. It took me four hours to find all twelve.” After a brief…
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