One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the framer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided¹ the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn't worth to retrieve² the donkey. So, he decided to bury it!

He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel³ and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing! He would shake it off and take a step up!

As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted⁴ off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred⁵.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3. Trust in God.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.