On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s a thought-provoking excerpt from Mary Morrissey’s recent release, Brave Thinking:

One of my favorite stories that demonstrates the power of paradigm is about an old man who was fishing off a dock, reeling in one fish after another. Next to him stood a bucket and a ruler that was snapped off at the ten-inch mark. The fisherman would throw out his line and every so often, he’d reel in a little fish. Then, he would carefully unhook his catch and lay it down alongside his ruler. He would toss any fish measuring eight or nine inches into his bucket. Pretty soon, there was a big tug on the line. The old guy fought hard with the fish and finally reeled in a beauty. It must have been over a foot long. He placed it alongside his ten-inch ruler, then promptly threw his fish back into the water.

A young man who was new to fishing had been watching the other fellow for hours. Did the older fellow know something he didn’t? Maybe there was an ordinance against catching bigger fish? Overcome with curiosity, he broke the silence. “Gosh, I’ve been watching you all afternoon, and that was the biggest fish you caught so far. It was a beauty. I don’t get it. Why did you throw it back?”

The old man looked up at him and shrugged. “I’ve only got a ten-inch frying pan.”

Our frying pan is the size of the life we know. The Infinite sends us fish, ideas, to nourish us, to build our dreams. When it sends an idea that is bigger than the frying pan, we discard it. We throw it back into the sea of ideas, saying, “No, that won’t fit.” Our paradigms tell us we don’t have the time, the money, or the wherewithal. You can allow an idea into your life, even if you do not know how to achieve it. The Infinite’s currency is ideas. The people who realize their dreams are the ones who are careful not to discard the ideas that can nourish them and lead them to a more abundant life. They realize their frying pan does not span a mere ten inches; rather, its breadth is infinite. When an inspired idea comes your way, let it nourish you.

Source: Brave Thinking, pp. 218-219