ARE YOU FOLLOWING A ‘DEAD HORSE THEORY’?

How many times our lives and times are wasted because we have clung on to the things that are not fruitful anymore and are we are experiencing all the frustration and trouble all the time.

Sadly, such is the story of many I know.

Also sadly, in our country many thousands of crores are spent on resurrecting dead plans, dead projects, and dead constructions. Their foundations are not tested and tried. So eventually they collapse and destroy people as well as other property.

Some have caused national embarrassment so much as that people have died and families devastated.

For instance, a roof at Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 had collapsed after heavy rain, killing at least one person and injuring four others. Huge pillars supporting the roof smashed into cars parked at the airport. (28 Jun 2024. Watch: Delhi airport roof collapses due to heavy rain – BBC)

Who were the people who checked designs and materials and eventual construction? Who were those who ‘knew’ something was not right?

We cannot say. But all these are perfect examples of the Dead Horse Theory.

What Is the Dead Horse Theory?

The Dead Horse Theory I will state below.

But first let me say something about failed plans and purposes. In the context of so many people, especially those in leadership, this refers to something which has botched up, but nonetheless kept alive through stubbornness and false resolve.

This is taken from the tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians in America and passed on from generation to generation.

This Tribal wisdom says that, “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”

However, in modern day environments, far more advanced strategies are often employed.

I mention some.

    1. Buying a stronger whip.

    2. Changing riders.

    3. Threatening the horse with termination.

    4. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

    5. Arranging to visit other countries to see how others ride dead horses.

    6. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

    7. Re-classifying the dead horse as ‘living-impaired’.

    8. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

    9. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase the speed.

    10. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase the dead horse’s performance.

    11. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance.

    12. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and, therefore, contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses.

    13. Re-writing the expected performance requirements for all horses.

    14. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position of hiring another horse.

Do you have your own ‘Dead Horse Theory’? This has given you frustration, disappointments and obstruction to your faith and believing for the best that Heaven has for you. Stop it! You cannot resurrect and save the ‘dead horse’.

It doesn’t have to be an airport disaster.

Willful blindness and wishful thinking will not get you anywhere.

Here is a prayer I learnt a long time ago.

God grant me the serenity…

    To accept the things, I cannot change.

    The courage to change the things I can.

    And the wisdom to know the difference.

And hey! the ‘dead horse’ will always remain in the same place.

You better realise this and get moving!!