Today I am encouraging you to try something different while embracing the best in yourselves and others.

1. The Pig on Harmony Farm
I trust that you had a wonderful day on Monday.
Embrace the best in yourself and the best in others.
I like the pig on Rebecca Grazulis’ Harmony Farm, a bedtime story I frequently read with my 5 year old
daughter. The story is about all animals on Harmony Farmthat had grown bored of their daily routines.
They desperately yearned to do something different. The cow wanted to lay an egg because it looked
exciting. The cat did not find chasing mice challenging anymore. The sheepdog felt bad bossing the
sheep all the time.
Harmony Farm is about the courage of the animals except the pigtrying something different. The donkey
was tired of plowing and went to herding sheep. The sheepdog went to pull the plow. Cow went to lay
an egg and the hen went to produce milk. The horse went to chase mice. They all exchanged jobs.
However, the pig was contented. He jollily kept rolling around in the mud.
After an hour the animals found they were no good at their new chores and they gave up. They were
disappointed and unhappy. As they shared their disappointments and unhappiness, the pigpointed out
to each not to focus on what it can’t do but rather to think about what each can do. The pig noted that
the donkey was the best plow puller and cat could catch more mice than the pig can count. Harmony
Farm is about accepting the best in ourselves and each other.
I remember few years ago when my eldest daughter was in grade nine she decided to enter an art
competition. The night before the contest my wife and I stayed up until 2AM the next morning keeping
our daughter’s company as she finished her art work. When she was finished we were extremely
impressed like any other doting parents. On the day of the competition I drove her to the community
centre in Oakville, Ontario to display her art work alongside work of hundreds of other students in the
region. Judges reviewed the work of the aspiring young artists.
As impressive as I thought my daughter’s piece was the judges saw it differently. At the end of day as I
began our one hour drive back home I looked across at my 13 year old daughter and I saw the tears
rolling down her eyes. She was disappointed and unhappy just like the animals in Harmony Farm but I
knew she would be just fine. Like the animals she had demonstrated tremendouscourage entering the
competition. I knew she had done her best and like the pig in Harmony Farm I told her she was the best.
Today she is an aspiring cake designer and pastry chef in world class culinary school.
Today I would like to encourage you to be like the animals on Harmony Farm having the courage to try
something different but above all being comfortable in yourselves while seeing the best in others.
I like the pig on Harmony Farm. Have a great Tuesday!

2. Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well
as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor. He can be contacted by
email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog
http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter
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