The Sandpiper's Secret

The man contemplated the sandpiper beneath a blue sky. A single, drifting cloud blocked the sun.

"Sea bird," he thought, "my attainments fail to bring the satisfactions I expected. What is your secret? How do you choose your steps so as to bring joy in the dance of life?"

And the sandpiper's ceaseless motions spoke to the man and communicated to him that they are only visible expressions of broader, invisible urgings.

And the man realized that goals are not ends in themselves, but means toward overlying values. At that moment the sun burst free.

Thank you, the man whispered toward the little bird.

And he left, resolving to cease the pursuit of goals for their own sake and to begin the search for values on which to base his life.