05/18/2026
The Lamb That Died
I speak frequently with entrepreneurs and see that some are out of their depth. Sometimes people become so accustomed to their state that they stop noticing it. They no longer call it anxiety, tension, or fear. The constant internal tension begins to be perceived not as a signal, not as overload, not as an abnormality, but simply as the normal background of life.
There's a parable attributed to Avicenna. Two lambs were placed in identical conditions: the same care, food, and space. But one of them constantly saw a wolf in a cage across from him. The wolf couldn't harm him. It was simply nearby, within sight, a constant reminder of danger. The other lamb lived without this sight. And it was the one who saw the threat every day that began to weaken, become ill, become exhausted, and ultimately died.
This story is terrifying because it's all too similar to the lives of many people. We think only a direct blow can destroy us: being yelled at, betrayed, humiliated, fired, or deceived. But sometimes it's not the event itself that breaks us, but the constant presence of it. Not the wolf itself, but the inability to stop seeing it. Not the tragedy itself, but the life we live in anticipation of it.
Someone lives for years with a person who makes it impossible to relax. It could be a boss who doesn't yell at them every day, but whose text makes their insides clench. It could be a spouse with whom you never know how the evening will end. And sometimes it's not a person at all, but an environment in which a sense of security has long been lost. Everything may appear normal on the outside, but the body still lives as if danger is nearby. And the body can't explain what's happening gracefully. It simply expends itself on survival—on insomnia, tension, vigilance, trying to control everything. Therefore, living in anxiety means spending your energy day after day not on living, but on internal defense.
And perhaps the most honest question today is: what emotional state do I live in every day? Do I truly like the state my life is in? Because sometimes the problem isn't laziness, poor discipline, or a lack of motivation. Sometimes a person simply lives with their wolf for too long. And the key is simply to get it out of sight!
