Not My Duck

Words of wisdom from a friend:

A man went to a yogi in search of enlightenment saying, "I heard you have the key to serenity. Please teach me your secret."

The yogi smiled and offered the man a large bottle with a duck swimming in it.  He told the man, "If you want to learn the secret to serenity, figure out how to get the duck out of the bottle without breaking it." The man was confused but he took the bottle, vowing to come back in two weeks with a solution to the puzzle.

In two weeks, the man returned, looking tense and frazzled. “This is impossible!" he said."I’ve tried everything. There has to be some trick.”

The yogi simply smiled, then told him to come back in two more weeks.

The next time the man returned he had a crazed look in his eyes.  He told the yogi, “I am going to smash this bottle if you don’t tell me how to get the duck out!”

The yogi simply smiled, and told him once more to come back in two weeks.

After another two weeks the man returned. This time, he was the picture of calm.  “I figured out the secret to serenity,” he told the yogi. He handed the intact bottle to the yogi, with the duck still swimming inside, saying “It’s not my bottle. And it’s not my duck.”

Five years ago today: See This Big Smile On My Face?