The Seven Cs by JLK

Once there was a boy who didn't know what to do with a problem. He noticed everyday there were multiple problems and this made him sometimes think that life was just a big problem. He did not like problems, but the weird thing is, whenever he had a problem, he made it a bigger problem by not knowing how to solve it. Sometimes, when a problem arrived, he would feel like the people he knew were giving him the problem on purpose, which made him feel like he was all alone in the world. Sometimes, when he got like this, he felt like he didn’t even like himself. Or his toys. He wanted everything to get hurt just like he was hurting. So he would sometimes throw a toy or say mean things. He knew from experience that this wasn’t a very successful way to solve problems but he’d done it so many times, it'd become a habit, a habit he regretted every time.

Then one day, he was really upset, and someone walking by asked him a question. They said, "Hey, where’s your emotional toolbelt?" and the boy yelled back, "That sounds dumb." And the man said, "Everyone without an emotional toolbelt says the same thing. Here, borrow mine." The man threw his emotional toolbelt to the boy, and in it, he explained, were The Seven Cs. "Each of these Cs will help you solve your problems. If one doesn’t work, try the next one. And if none work, then you're either hungry, over-tired, or need to get outside."

The little boy wore the toolbelt and right away, his life began to change. At first, he didn’t want to use the stupid toolbelt, but when he forced himself to try it, he realized that with the tools, it wasn't the problems themselves that needed to be completely solved, but his feelings about the problems. And once he began using the tools to face the problems that came his way, he realized that solving them could be more like a sport, or even an art, rather than something to only get mad and upset about. And he learned something even more important: When problems get solved instead of multiplied, there’s much more time and energy for things that are fun and fulfilling, and many more opportunities to share these things with others.

The Hero that Nobody Needed

Once there was a man who really wanted to be a hero, so he set out looking for who to help first. “Ah ha! Here is a fine person in need of my assistance!” Several feet away, an old woman was preparing to cross the street but before she could, he grabbed her tight. “Don’t worry, Madam,” he exclaimed, carrying her in his arms, “I’m here to help!”

The woman yelled for him to let go, but the man only heard what he wanted. “No need to thank me,” he replied, holding on tighter. “It’s my purpose to help others!”

As the woman explained her emergency to 911, the man assumed she was sharing his bravery with the local news station. And moments later, as the police arrived, the man gave his best smile in case any television cameras happened to be rolling. 

When the police explained they were taking him to the station, he chuckled, never imagining such a grand escort to the television station.

And it wasn’t until they placed him in jail that he became confused. “What am I doing here?” he cried. “I thought I was a hero!” “Nobody asked for a hero,” the officer replied. “Everyone was doing fine.” And after that, the man decided to come up with a new purpose.

The End.