The Otter and the Lost Stone

In a clear blue bay lived a young sea otter who loved floating on her back on the water's surface. She had one favorite flat, smooth gray stone that she balanced on her belly every day to crack open clam shells for a meal. She always kept it tucked close to her chest.

One day, while diving and chasing a school of bright colorful fish for fun, a strong current swept the beloved stone right out of her tiny paws. The young otter dove again and again searching everywhere, but the stone was nowhere to be found.

The young otter floated sadly out at sea, worried that without her favorite stone she'd never be able to crack open clam shells again. Her stomach began to rumble with hunger, but she didn't dare try anything new.

Her mother swam over to comfort her and picked up a new smooth stone from the seafloor. The young otter tried, clumsily at first, striking the clam again and again — some shells slipped right out of her paws — but she refused to give up, and soon her paws found the right rhythm.

At last, the clam shell cracked open easily. The young otter beamed with pride — she understood now that any stone would do, because her true skill lived in her own paws and her own persistence. From then on, she happily tried new stones without ever worrying again.

True ability lives within you, not in the object you happen to be holding.