Twinn Swan

The donkey is a popular farm animal. It was domesticated by humans due to its strength, its stubbornness, its determination and its ability to work relentlessly hard. Out of the many animals in the animal kingdom, only a select number of animals were deemed worthy of domestication.

There is a reason why the donkey was domesticated. It was an animal which had the potential to help us to carry our burdens. When I was living in Jerusalem, I used to see donkeys roaming around in the Old City. They are still very much in use, even in semi-urban environments.

Due to their widespread use, they have a strong relationship with the growth of civilisation, travel, trade and general service. When the Donkey appears, get ready to be part of a community (see Hyena). You are no longer meant to be alone and have to find a way to be a part of a movement. If you have been a hermit for a period of time, know that the time has come to emerge from the cave of your meditations into the hustle and bustle of the city.

LEARN TO TEACH

It is very easy to tell someone something. It is not easy to teach someone something. The latter is especially the case when the individual in question is extremely stubborn. The more stubborn and fixated a person’s mind is, the more difficult it will be to teach that person anything; even if it is the simplest thing in the world. They will simply refuse to learn.

I find that the donkey, as a spiritual messenger, tends to appear during a period when one has a lot of learning to do. Sometimes, the only way to learn is by teaching others.

Imagine if you had to wake up one morning and have to teach a class on mechanical engineering and you know absolutely nothing about it. If you have to teach a stubborn person, it will be no problem at all as they’re not there to learn, anyway!

The real question is: are you willing to teach what you have learnt to others? The answer may be YES, but the answer may well be NO. If you do not want to be in a position where you have to teach, you can always decline the role. Sometimes, the only way to learn is by doing. By doing and practising mechanical engineering, you will naturally learn mechanical engineering. There is no need to enrol in the course at all.

When the donkey appears, it tells us to limit our learning to what we can learn by doing. We do not need to go for classes as much of what we learn, we will not be able to use, anyway.

RESPONSIBILITY

When the Donkey appears, it cautions us not to take on too much all at once. Others may simply be trying to use you to do their own work for them. When the donkey appears, it reminds us to be careful with how much we decide to outsource. If we are choosing to outsource, we must ask ourselves why.

If, in the past, you outsourced a lot of your work load, the donkey is reminding you that you perhaps have to do more functions in house moving forward. If, on the other hand, you did a lot of work ‘in house’, the donkey is reminding you that you can, indeed, outsource a lot of your tasks, especially if it is more efficient to do so.

Only ever take responsibility for the tasks that you are truly qualified to take responsibility for.

SAY NO

Sometimes we have to be very stubborn in saying NO to another human being. Stand your ground. You do not have to give in to another person’s way of thinking.

When the Donkey appears, it may signify that one has taken on too many responsibilities. Even if you want to help others, know that you may not be able to. If you carry more than your fair share of weight, you will naturally fail at what you are trying to do. You have to learn to say NO to others and mean it.

Sometimes, a person or an opportunity comes into our life for a reason and a season. When it ends and we do not want that in our lives anymore, we can just let it go. We do not have to continue or stay in any relationship that we do not want to stay in.

ADVISE

Sometimes we meet people who keep their opinions to themselves because they don’t want to hurt the other person. They don’t want to say what they truly feel. At other times, we meet people who say what immediately on their mind, not knowing how hurtful it is to the other person.

Sensitivity and insensitivity are strong themes that comes up when donkey appears. Is there a way to convey your message more gently in a way that the receiver is capable of receiving it without shutting you out?

Sometimes, we have said the wrong thing in the wrong circumstances. This can lead others to push us away. If you want to keep your friendships and relationships, we have to learn to exercise diplomacy instead of simply saying what is on our mind.

Are you giving your opinion–and your advice–when you have not been asked? When the donkey appears, you are being asked to restrain yourself because you will most likely say something you should not say. In the end, this will cost you.