A rich, healthy, and happy life comes when you express your true self.

Written by Nancy Mitchell, Life Stories, are short inspirational stories that are a quick read to brighten your day. You’ll find the complete list of stories on the Products Page.

The Yes Man—

Jackson is a yes man. At an early age, he learns to agree with his overbearing mother, who makes him do tedious chores, like clean the window sills with a toothpick, dust and wash the blinds and wax the floor under the beds daily. These chores are his mother’s way of keeping him busy, so he doesn't get into trouble. Jackson hates these chores, but he soon learns that if he doesn’t go along with his mother, his father will beat him with a belt. He hates that more than anything. After the last wallop that left sores for several days, he always says “yes” to whatever he is asked. He no longer questions or gives thought to his feelings. Given what is expected of him at home, he concludes his feelings are not important, pleasing others is. That’s why he does what he is told and doesn’t give his feelings a second thought.

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll do that.”

“Yes, Sir. I’ll get it done.”

“Whatever you need, I’ll do it.”

Regardless of the task, Jackson is the one his employer calls on to do the dirtiest and sometimes dangerous jobs at the lowest pay because he always says, “Yes.” They know they can rely on Jackson, whose slouched shoulders show a man appearing older than his years. His hair is uncombed with a shadow of whiskers across an unshaven face, wrinkled clothes, stained and frayed at the seams. The one grooming habit that keeps Jackson socially acceptable is he faithfully bathes. He also arrives to work earlier than anyone else, never missing a day, and often working past the hours he is paid for. Yet, he never complains. This is life as he knows it, until one day before his 40th birthday things change.

On this day, Jackson is climbing a ladder that doesn't have the proper safety equipment. This becomes apparent as the ladder buckles under his weight, causing Jackson to fall onto the cement floor. He is knocked unconscious. While unconscious, he finds himself in a place filled with light. Is this heaven? Surprisingly, he isn't afraid as he continues to look around, hoping to see another human. After several minutes, he stops looking, rationalizing that this must be all there is for him to see. If I’m dead, this could get boring. What am I to do with myself day after day? His thoughts are interrupted by a voice.

“You won’t get bored! There's more life here than you've ever known!”

The voice is coming from inside his head!

“How can I be hearing you inside my head? I must be mad!”

“Where do you think we are? We are inside your head!"

“So, this is what the inside of my head looks like?” Jackson asks incredulously.

The voice is silent.

“I must be mad!”

“No, you are now listening."

“Listening? There isn’t anything else for me to do but listen!”

“Isn’t it wonderful?

 “Wonderful? I’m talking to a voice inside my head! That’s crazy!”

“No, you’re talking to the still, small voice that you never listen to!”

“The still, small voice!” Jackson asks incredulously

“Yes! I'm always here. You just haven’t listened.

“I get a head injury and I hear a voice!” Jackson quips, rubbing his head.

“Hitting your head is the best thing that could have happened to you—figuratively 

speaking. Now, you are listening!” The voice tells Jackson jubilantly.

“Of course, I’m listening!” Jackson repeats sarcastically. "Before the head injury, I didn't know you existed?”

“I know. I tried many times to get your attention. I kept nudging you to see things in a different way, but  you didn't listen!”

“This is nuts!” Jackson declares. “I’m talking to a voice inside my head!”

“You’re not nuts. You’re finally

“No. You think you wake up everyday, but all you’re doing is reliving yesterday.“

“Reliving yesterday! This is insane!

“Reliving yesterday is insane because you’re barely scratching the surface of life!"

“How do you know? You're just a voice in my head!”

“I am your still, small voice that connects you to your divine self, if you listen!”

“The divine! Now this is crazy. I’m a janitor. There is nothing divine about me.”

“That’s where you are wrong. You are a child of God. That makes you divine.

“Ok. I’m a child of God, but I work as a janitor. That’s who I am

“That’s the work you do, but that is not who you are. You are much more than that.”

“How can I be more than that? This is what I know. If God wants me to be more why doesn’t he give it to me?

“He did. He gave you me!”

“Ho! Ho! Ho! Very funny! He gave me you!”

"That's right!

“But, I never knew you existed–untiil now.”

“You would have known had you listened, but you were too busy pleasing everyone else.”

“Pleasing everyone else? I’m doing my job

“You’re doing a job, but you are not expressing the most important person.”

“Who?

”You!”

“Me!”

“Yes. You

Jackson shakes his head, confused about what he has heard.

“When you hit your head, something amazing happened. It helped you wake up to who you are.”

Jackson is perplexed
“Now you are listening.” The voice concludes.Jackson is quiet, thinking about what he has heard

“I know you said I’m a child of God, but I don't understand what that has to do with anything?” Jackson asks

“It’s got everything to do with everything! You’ve got talents –unused talents that you have not expressed —yet! You have a treasure inside you!"

“I have?” Jackson asks, suddenly feeling like a small child, hearing there's a Santa Claus.

“Yes!”

Jackson shakes his head in disbelief, uncertain what he is hearing

“Now that you are awake, you can express your talent and be more.”

“I can?” Jackson responds, wondering if what he has heard is the truth.

“It’s the truth!” The voice quips hearing his thoughts.

Jackson pauses, absorbing what he has heard.

“I have a treasure inside me?”

“Yes! And now you can express

“I don't have any treasure –or talent. There’s nothing special about me.”

“Yes there is! Let me ask you what is something that you love?”

“I don't love anything–really.”

“Yes, you do! You've forgotten. Remember when you were a child you used to whittle?

“That was years ago!”

“Remember how you felt when you whittled that whistle?”

“Oh gosh –I remember!” His eyes look like a jack o'lantern. 

“That’s talent." The voice replies.

“Whittling wood and making whistles?” Jackson asks.

“Yes! You can make other things too out of wood. That takes talent

“It’s such a simple thing—or was. Nothing special about it.”

“Not everyone can make things out of wood. You can. That's a craft to be proud of.”

“Yeah, well that was when I was a kid. That's not something I can do now.”

“Why not?”

“I haven’t whittled wood in a long time. I may have lost that skill.”

“It can come back to you, if you apply yourself. How about getting some wood and giving it a go?”

At that moment, the white room fades to the face of a nurse, taking his vitals. 

“Good to see you’ve returned to us. You got quite a knock, but you’ll live.” The nurse tells him, as the doctor checks his chart.

“Jackson, it's my understanding that you've never missed a day of work.”

Jackson nods.

"You won’t be working for several days, but will remain here for observation. Head injuries can be tricky, and why I want to be sure you have fully recovered before you leave. Your employer is covering the bill,so no worries there. I’ll be back to see how you're doing. Meanwhile, get lots of rest.”

After the hospital staff leave, Jackson closes his eyes, remembering the conversation he had earlier. Wood carving. I wonder if I can still do that?  Once asleep, Jackson sees himself whittling a wooden horse. When he wakes up, he wonders if he can get a piece of wood. 

When the nurse comes in, he asks her if the hospital has art supplies, telling her he needs a knife to whittle a stick of wood. 

“I'm sorry, sir, but I can’t give you a knife to carve this wood. It's against hospital policy.”

Jackson nods understanding. Night after night, he dreams of whittling this horse, determined that once he gets home he will make it. On the day he is released from the hospital, Jackson buys the supplies. Having practiced in his dreams, his hands take to carving the wood immediately. When he’s finished, he looks at his creation. It’s good. Now, what am I going to do with this creation? He asks himself, listening for an intuitive nudge from the voice within. He gets the urge to paint the horse gold and place it in a wooden green and red berry wreath. Christmas is coming and it would make a nice tree ornament. Once complete, he continues to make more wooden ornaments. Once he has a dozen or so ornaments, he takes them to a local shop that sells Christmas decorations, hoping the shopkeeper will sell them.

“Did you make these?” The shop keeper asks Jackson.

“Yes.” Jackson replies nervously, wondering if he is wasting his time trying to sell them.

“These are excellent! I haven’t seen this level of craftsmanship in years. Customers may not want these anymore with all the new stuff on the market today, but I'm game.. Let's give them a go and see what happens.”  

Jackson is elated when the two men shake on

When Jacskon returns a few days later to see how things are going, the shopkeeper is overjoyed with the response. The inventory is down to three remaining horses hanging on a Chrstmas tree. 

The shopkeeper wants more ornaments!

Jackson tells him he doesn't have horses in his sack, but he does have angels. The shopkeeper is delighted. The angels are hung on the Christmas tree. When he returns a few days later, Jackson is delighted to see that his whittled wood decorations are selling well. Now, he is inspired to make a variety of ornaments. They all sell quickly. This new business brings greater prosperity to Jackson, who has become a local celebrity. He is known as a woodworking artist, who whittles beautiful ornaments. With this new enterprise, Jackson no longer works extra hours at his job. Initially, his employer is not happy with Jackson’s prosperity because he is no longer the “Yes” man he once was. However, his employer realizes that the community loves Jackson’s wood carvings, which is good for business. Jackson is now recognized by the company as “The Janitor Who Whittles.” Jackson is no longer asked to do mundane or dangerous jobs. In fact, he now has an assistant! Without realizing it, Jackson has brought a lost art to the community with his craftsmanship. The still, small voice told him the truth. He is special. He has a talent. A talent that has given him a great gift: the ability to say “Yes to himself."