Power of Controlling Mind

Many years ago, there lived a young man named Jack in a small town. His life was full of sorrow and struggle. Every day, he would go out to look for work, earn a little money, then return home, cook a simple meal, and go to sleep. One day, after wandering around all day and finding nothing, Jack was returning home with a heavy heart. Just then, he heard someone calling out behind him, “Is there anyone here who can help me carry something?” Jack turned around and saw an old man standing there. He was carrying three large, heavy suitcases. Jack said, “Yes, I can help.” The old man said, “I have to go to the next village, it’s quite a distance. I can carry two bags myself, but the third one is too heavy. Can you carry it for me? I’ll give you three gold coins.” Jack agreed. But as he picked up the bag, he felt its weight. “Oh dear,” he said, “it really feels heavy.” “Yes,” the old man replied calmly, “because it’s full of bronze coins.” Despite the weight, Jack put the bag on his shoulder and started walking with the old man. As he walked, Jack noticed that the old man was watching him. “Maybe he’s afraid I’ll run away with the bags,” Jack thought. But he reminded himself, “I’m not a thief. I’d never cheat anyone. I just want to work hard and earn money honestly.” As they walked, they reached the bank of a river. Jack didn’t wait. He drowned in the water and tried to cross. But the old man stayed on the other side. The man said, "I am an old man. I cannot cross this river with these two bags. If I try, I may drown. Can you carry another bag for me? Don't worry. I will give you three more gold coins." Jack agreed. But when he reached to take the bag, the old man stopped him. "Promise me you will not run away." Jack was surprised. "Why would I run away?" the old man said. "It is difficult to trust people these days. There are silver coins in this bag." Jack was a little angry. "Do I seem like a thief to you?" he said. "I do not cheat for money." "Give me the bag." He picked up the second bag and crossed the river. Even the silver coins did not stop him from his promise. After that, they reached a hill. Jack slowly started to climb, but the old man remained below. "Come on," Jack called out. "Why are you still standing there?" "I am very old," the man said. "I can't climb with this bag." "Then give it to me and I'll take it," said Jack. The old man stopped. "But there are gold coins in this bag. If you run away, I won't catch you." Jack was a little disappointed now. "I told you before. I'm not that kind of person. I'm an honest man. I used to work for a small loan company. I was in charge of record keeping, but I quit when they asked me to lie about a customer's debt." The old man still didn't believe it, but finally he said, "I don't know if you're telling the truth or not, but take this, take the bag, I'll walk slowly." "Wait for me on the other side of the hill." Jack picked up the bag and started walking, leaving the old man behind. As he walked, an idea occurred to him. If I ran away with these three bags, the old man wouldn't be able to catch me. I'd be rich forever. Another idea came to mind. He's an old man. He probably doesn't have much time. What will he do with all this money? But I am young. If I take this money, I can become rich, marry a beautiful woman and live a luxurious life. These thoughts tempted him, and Jack took the three sacks and ran away. He reached his house panting and opened the sacks to his surprise. There was no gold or silver in them, only small stones. Why did the old man lie? Jack wondered. Why did he do all this? At that moment he saw a message inside the sack. He picked it up and read: "I am the king of this country. I have no family or heirs, and I am getting old. Therefore, I was looking for an honest man who would be my son and future king. If you had not run away, you would have been that man." As soon as Jack read these words, he felt a deep regret. He had been honest all his life. He never wanted to deceive anyone. But one small greedy thought had changed everything. If he had controlled himself for a moment, he could have become the heir to the throne. But a moment of weakness cost him the greatest opportunity of his life. This story teaches us how powerful our thoughts can be. Jack was a truly honest man, but a moment of greed forced him to do something completely contrary to his principles. The thought crossed his mind: If I ran away, the old man wouldn't be able to catch me. This could be the end of him.