Aesop’s story of The North Wind and the Sun has resonated with me since I first heard it in elementary school.

Considered a Greek folk hero, he wrote stories often using animals and nature to make a larger point about humankind.

Here, the North Wind and the Sun disagreed about who was more powerful, and were looking for a way to prove it. Spotting an approaching traveler, they decided that whoever could make him remove his cloak would be the most powerful.

So the Wind went first. Forcefully, he blew. Loud and blustery, harder and harder. But the traveler only pulled his cloak closer to him. Finally, the Wind stepped down, and it was the Sun’s turn.

The Sun was, well, the Sun. Shining brightly, and giving off great warmth, the traveler removed his cloak.

SO many takeaways! Want to get things done? Coercion rarely works long-term. Another-so important to just be who you are, and let others see it. Be bright and shiny so like-minded others can find you! And last, being your best self to, and for the rest of the world.

There are a lot of people out there for whom sunshine has been fleeting, or even non-existent.  So if you’ve got it in you, be the Sun!  Embrace it and share that light. And may 2024 be your best year EVER!!