RALFI, however, kept to the business at hand. “Do you want to see the way it could be or the
way you want it to be in twelve months?” he asked.
“Let’s miss the could be and go to how I want it to be in twelve months,” Steve instructed RALFI.
He was taller and wearing long pants to school instead of shorts. He was getting a certificate at
school but couldn’t quite read what it was for—schoolwork, sports, community service, maybe. Mom
and Dad were both there to see it. They were happier in their separate lives and proud of their son.
He still looked at the photograph of King in his bedroom from time to time, and remembered the
fun they’d had together. And what was this? A new puppy called Scruffy was licking his hand. He
and Danny were sending fewer e-mails but he had several other really good friends at school.
As the scene faded, Steve thought RALFI’s dial was smiling again. He didn’t need to explore any
more and stepped out of the capsule to find Captain Empowerment waiting for him. Captain Empower-
ment handed him a space suit and a glass bubble helmet that Steve put on. He then looked in a mirror and
saw the name on the suit: Steve the Supreme. “Steve the Supreme?” he asked Captain Empowerment.
“Yes,” said the captain, “I decided to name you Steve the Supreme Creator of His Own Future
Destiny, but that was too long to fit on your suit. Even though sometimes some terrible things may
still happen to you in life, you know there are things you can do to make the future the way you want
it to be, so henceforth you will be known as Steve the Supreme.”
STORY 65
ACCEPTING WHAT YOU HAVE
Therapeutic Characteristics
Problems Addressed
■ Wanting bigger and better
■ Wanting what you cannot have
■ Setting unattainable goals
■ Failure to accept what you have
Resources Developed
■ Learning to accept what you have
■ Ta king the opportunity while it’s there
■ Learning to set realistic goals
Outcomes Offered
■ Acceptance
■ Realistic appraisal of goals
■ Attainable goals
Feeling hungry, a fox set out in search of a meal. He hadn’t gone very far before he found a mouse
sleeping under a tree—an easy and certain catch. What good luck, thought the fox, a nice, tasty little
meal just lying and waiting for me, already. That will make a nice breakfast.
The fox was just about to pounce on the mouse and gobble it up when a rabbit came hopping
162 Healing Stories, Teaching Stories