“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” Leonardo da Vinci. Adopted by Steve Jobs.
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It is said that the Peacock did not, at the beginning, have beautiful feathers. But, Juno granted his request for a magnificent train of feathers to laud over other birds.
But, then seeing the Eagle fly, wished to fly again as he had done in the past. But, lo and behold, the weight of his magnificent train held him fixed to Earth unable to fly any longer.
Moral of the Story: We should be very careful for what we wish. Everything has a price, and nothing is free.
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Introduction – The Essential Aesop – Epilogue
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Why We Loved It: This fable reminds us that life presents choices. Time is a finite resource, but needs and desires tend to be infinite. Therefore, as a general rule, we must prioritize, understanding that “if something takes, something’s got to give.“
In the fable, the Peacock desired beauty and sacrificed substance. Aesop exposes here comeuppance to magnify the point (a punishment for vanity), but the essential point is that there is a price to pay for everything, and nothing is free. The finite resource of time is the ultimate unyielding master constraint. Some billionaires use time to succeed in business and lose a spouse or family. To each his or her own, each to decide whether it was worth it. There is limited time, so we examine our priorities. We ask ourselves what we are willing to give in order to get; and, if we are rewarded to get, can we look back and say, “What I gave up was worth it.“
“All that glisters is not gold—Often have you heard that told. Many a man his life hath sold, But my outside to behold. Gilded tombs do worms enfold. Had you been as wise as bold, Young in limbs, in judgment old, Your answer had not been inscrolled. Fare you well. Your suit is cold—Cold, indeed, and labor lost.” William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
“Enough is an abundance to the wise.” Euripides
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© 2013 Arnold Zegarelli and Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Arnold Zegarelli can be contacted through Facebook.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/priorities-everything-has-price-37-peacock-aesop-zegarelli-esq-
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