Another gem by Dr. Malunga on the power of concentration,

“Folktale: The monkey and two mangoes A very hungry monkey climbed a mango tree to pick some fruit. It was towards the end of the mango season so the mangoes in the tree were few and scattered. As he climbed, he saw two big, ripe mangoes on two different boughs. Because he was so hungry, he decided to pick both at the same time. He surmised that being a good acrobat he is, he could easily pick both mangoes, simultaneously. Unfortunately, when he tried, he fell from the tree and broke his back.

It is from this folktale that we get the proverb: the monkey who tried to pick two mangoes from two different branches in a tree simultaneously fell on his back.

Interpretation: The monkey was driven more by his situation than reason. The logical thing to do was to go and get one mango and then go to the other branch to get the other mango. It could be better to get one mango and have it and move to the second one rather than try to get both mangoes at the same time, and lose both and hurt oneself in the course. While pursuing one’s vision, it is important to have the big picture in mind but concentrate on taking one step at time in order to achieve. It is important to realize that no matter how hungry you are you can only eat your food one mouthful at a time. While moving towards the ultimate goal, focus on doing your best on the step at hand. This is the surest way of moving towards the grand goal. Treat well the cat in your hand and the one that is in the tree will come down on its own accord. The vision or destination usually remains at a conceptual level, that is, it is not tangible and it is outside your circle of influence; the step at hand, on the other hand, is concrete and it is within your circle of influence. If we do our best on the step at hand, we lay a strong foundation for realizing the ultimate goal.”