All of Willie’s life he wanted to get to Raspberry Island and live there. He was a beaver and more than anything else, beavers love raspberries. Willie could see the island across Mighty Stream but he couldn’t get there. The raspberries were bigger and juicier than the ones in his forest. Willie knew this because he could see them across Mighty Stream. But the stream was too strong, too fast and too wide to cross. So Willie could only look at the juicy raspberries.

When Willie grew up he decided to build a dam to Raspberry Island so he could walk across Mighty Stream and live there. He worked for many years on the dam. He chewed on trees until they fell. He dragged them to the water. He put them together with mud. Willie worked hard. Slowly the dam began to grow out into the swift water and across the stream toward Raspberry Island.

As Willie was working on the dam one day, a little boy walked up to him and starting talking to Willie. The boy tried to talk Willie into going home with him. He told Willie that he lived on Berry Farm which was just over the hill. Berry Farm had lots of berries of all kinds, not just raspberries but also strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. The boy told Willie he could have all the berries he wanted, including raspberries. But Willie wasn’t sure the boy was telling the truth. It was too risky. What if the boy was trying to trick him? Willie refused to go with him. “No!” said Willie, “I have a goal. I’m going to build a dam to Raspberry Island, walk across and live there.” Every day the boy would visit Willie and talk to him about coming to live with him on Berry Farm. Everyday Willie said, “No, I have a goal. I’m going to Raspberry Island.”

The boy gave up. He stopped coming to see Willie. Finally, one day Willie’s dam was long enough and strong enough. It reached his goal, Raspberry Island. He was so excited as he scampered across the dam and ran toward the raspberry bushes. Suddenly, a pack of wolves came out of the Raspberry bushes and chased Willie up a tall tree. The wolves stayed under the tree so Willie couldn’t come down. From high atop the tree, Willie looked back over Mighty Stream. He could see Berry Farm with all the raspberries and lots of other berries, too. But the wolves wouldn’t let Willie down out of the tree.

You have to be willing to change your direction and strategy.

If you like this article, you will love Roger’s new book Jumping the Track