We all have peaks and valleys in our lives. Let's make the most of our journey!

This story was inspired by https://steemit.com/steem-freetreasures/@stellabelle/minnows-win-the-worlds-first-and-only-steem-dollar-made-of-clay-best-answer-wins

@stellabelle asked for us to write something hilarious/honest/heart-wrenching/absurd about why we want the world's first clay Steem Dollar which she lovingly created and is kindly giving away via a Steemit contest.

I'm not sure if this story qualifies as an entry in her contest or not. But I set my subconscious on the task of writing something, after reading about her contest and watching her clay Steem Dollar video, and this is what surfaced.

The Thought Experiment

An Original Story, by Kenny Crane from YouTubeStars

Once upon a time there was a man who was living the good life. He was happily married, able to pay his bills, and spent his time enjoying all sorts of fun and entertaining pastimes. He was invited to many parties where he would amuse the guests with jokes, like the following...

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
What is the difference between a chicken and a turkey? Chickens celebrate Thanksgiving!!
Patient: How much longer do I have?, Doctor: Ten, Patient: Ten What?, Doctor: Nine....

Life goes in cycles; there are peaks and valleys. The man thought he was at the peak of his existence.

One day his wife began to complain of severe acute symptoms, so he rushed her to the emergency room. Ironically, things played out exactly as in one of his favorite jokes, and his wife never left the hospital alive.

On the way home from the funeral, his car was hit by a drunk driver, causing him to suffer severe back and leg pain. He was no longer able to partake in the fun activities of the past, and only felt relief when he remained in bed. Friends and family came at first to assist, but once it became clear that he could function at least minimally on his own, they came less and less often.

Giving in to the pain, the man moved as little as possible. In fact, movement of every sort decreased. He made no move to work out the issues in his mind, or move to improve his soul. He spent his time online, in meaningless anonymous chatter, avoiding any connection that could lead to further pain if it ceased.

On one particularly sunny morning, he found a small package at his door. Inside was a hand made clay tablet whose background was painted with a scene from a scientist's lab; bubbling steeming flasks connected via coiled tubes eventually dripping various shades of blue liquids into test tubes. Inscribed over this scene was the following:

Thought Experiment!
Whenever negativity comes into your mind, think the exact opposite!

The man took this strange gift send from someone who provided no return address to his bed. What a useless idea; this could never help someone! As he lie there, his words echoed in his mind, but like in a child's game of telephone, the message changed in each iteration. Is this a useless idea that would never help anyone? Might it be a useful idea that could help someone? Is this a useful idea that would always help everyone? Probably not.

As the man continued in his thoughts, he was feeling the same physical, mental and emotional pain he had come to know since his life descended into this valley. He reminded himself, "I am in pain, I can't move, and there is nothing I can do about it."

Suddenly his eyes opened wide. Something inside him was sick and tired of being sick and tired. The spark ignited and he shouted to no one in the room, "I am NOT in pain, I CAN move, and I will do EVERYTHING I can about EVERYTHING!"

There were no ears in the room but his own, and he seemed to be listening. Something inside had changed. It was a small change, but for the first time in a long time, it seemed like a step in the right direction. He stood up, he stretched his body, he made small circular movements with his arms and twisted slightly back and forth at the torso. He was still in pain but seemed to notice it a little less.

Proud of himself, the man liked this new thought experiment and decided to follow along a little further. He continued in gentle motion and quieted his mind to see what might surface.

A thousand mile journey begins with the first step, but you have to stay focused on the destination, the goal, to continually move forward. The man felt alone. No one was there to help him to proceed. The road ahead was too long, too difficult and too unclear as to where it led. "I must receive help and there is no one to help me!"

The man wrapped his arms around himself and slowly swayed back and forth. The cradling action gently rocked his words. Telephone took its toll on the original arrangement. Receive... transmit! My words... your words. Nobody... everybody! A seed of a new thought took hold and sprouted. "Perhaps I will listen to other people's words instead of dwelling on my own, and offer help to whoever I encounter."

The man thought that maybe by thinking outward rather than inward, by thinking about what he could do to help others rather than wishing that others help him, he might help himself walk out of the valley and reach the next peak in the process. It occurred to him that this thought may have been built upon something in his subconscious, embedded there by a famous speech he heard in school, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!"

As the man lied back on his bed to reflect on the results so far of this thought experiment, a new somber thought surfaced. "I'm sad that my wife is dead, and can't be here with me on this journey."

He was in a groove now and his mind automatically conducted the experiment, "I'm Happy my wife is dead and is Not here with me!"

BOOM!

Dual explosions instantly ignited in his head and heart. His skull seethed with searing swirling sensations that made him dizzy, as his chest was stabbed as if by a sharp knife. All thoughts ceased; the pain was too much to bear.

After an unknown amount of time had passed, the man became aware of the world again, and his place in it. He was reminded of the pain in his body, mind and soul. Not long after he came to recall his plight, he heard a feint echo of his previous thoughts. He remembered the slight feeling of satisfaction he got from overcoming his pain, at least in a small way for a small time, as he had risen and moved. He thought of how he had decided to redirect his thoughts toward other's needs and away from his own.

Then he caught a glimpse of the phrase that had messed with his mind and wounded his heart. What should he do with this! What did it mean! No answer came to him.

What became of this man?

He found a stand designed to hold collectors plates and realized it would be perfect to display the clay tablet that reminded him to try the thought experiment. Every day he made the decision to move! He moved his body, increasing its strength and flexibility, and this made him feel a little better. He moved on his new journey towards helping others. First he reconnected with friends online, choosing to listen and only offer advice when asked. People were happy to talk to him.

On other days, in other ways, he found new ways to help others. This gave him the strength to help himself. He saw new doctors but also researched things on his own, and soon his physical troubles had diminished. He took classes at a nearby school and read lots online to expand his mind. But he knew his soul still had issues. He had not yet come to terms with the loss of his wife. He did not know how to move forward with the grieving process.

Friends who were happy to talk with him eventually sensed that under the bright happy melody were chords of discord. He was assured by them that his feelings were normal and part of the healing process. They also mentioned that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness but rather something that all people do at one time or another.

The man was finally able to make progress on the issues inside his troubled soul. He continued on his long life journey, full of further peaks and valleys. He often recalled with gratitude how the first step was prompted by the thought experiment sent to him by an unknown friend.