Our culture confuses burnout with achievement and success. It seems at times that society endorses and admires living in a way that creates burnout. Crazily working 60 hour weeks, driving the luxury car, and running from meeting to meeting in Manolo’s has become synonymous with making your way to the top and having it all.
Well there is one cultural icon that embodies a burnout lifestyle, you know the one…pink, fuzzy, 6-inches tall, musical, and just doesn’t know when to give it a rest! Without further adieu, we introduce you to the B-Bunny and our slightly quirky little fable,
How The B-Bunny Got To The Other Side Of The Road!
B-Bunny #1 makes a mad dash, dodging cars, jumping curbs arriving out of breath, huffing and puffing but exhilarated with the rush and flush of success. B-Bunny #1 uses this strategy even when there is no traffic. Hey, it works.
B-Bunny #2 approaches every crossing with in-depth planning. After all, she tells herself, timing is everything. Well almost everything. B-Bunny #2 also has to pick the perfect route; check the weather forecast; calculate how many tries it may take; and perhaps most importantly consider what all the other bunnies will think about how B-Bunny makes the trip. With so much to consider, worry about and decide on B-Bunny #2 completely misses her opportunity to cross the road so heads back home promising to try it again tomorrow…if, of course, everything is just right.
B-Bunny #3 plans a route across, sizes up the road, looks both ways, checks for danger, does warm up stretches, then heads across. She stops at the centre curb to recharge and reassess the situation then heads for the other side. B-Bunny #3 arrives safely with a great feeling of accomplishment and indulges in a tiny celebratory dance. Success! You try crossing a 3-lane motorway when only 6 inches tall!
B-Bunny #4 stands by the side of the road, then sits by the side of the road. She is trying to summon the energy to dash once more. B-Bunny #4 remembers being just like B-Bunny #1 full of zip, never droopy, and never stopping. Then one day B-Bunny #4 lost her zip, hit the wall so to speak…it wasn’t pretty. B-Bunny #4 doesn’t know a different way to cross the road, so she sits and waits and waits hoping to feel that old energy and pep. Finally B-Bunny #4 turns back, disappointed in her effort, and giving up on reaching the other side of the road this one last time. B-Bunny #4 is finally out of juice.
Where does that leave our bevy of bunnies?
B-Bunny #1 continues her mad dash. Most times it still feels pretty exciting to make it to the other side. One day though her dash and dodge technique is going to get, well dodgy. It doesn’t bare thinking about…Eeeww.
B-Bunny #2 is stuck in worry-mode. Sooner or later, probably later, B-Bunny #2 will make a decision but until then it’s easier to not cross the road. She’s on the fast track to losing her zip!
B-Bunny #4 lost the plot. Too many mad breathless dashes left B-Bunny #4 at the side of the road, too pooped to pop…or hop.
Wait, what about B-bunny #3? Well she read that other fable, you know the one about the tortoise and the hare, and she got it! Although the allure of the hare was enticing, the tortoise made it to the finish line. B-Bunny #3 has dreams and goals and plans a long life of crossing many different roads.
So, what’s the moral of our little story? Frankly I was never that great at interpreting those famous fable lessons, but I do know this one for sure…
There is nothing sadder than a burned out bunny!
Before we go it begs the question…who are you like?
B-Bunny #1 Mad Dasher
B-Bunny #2 the Perfectionist
B-Bunny #4, Burnout Bunny
or…
B-Bunny #3 most likely to Succeed
