Tolstoy’s The Three Questions: A Timeless Parable About Slowing Down

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We’re all moving so fast — planning ahead, rushing toward the next thing, trying to get it all right. But what if the clarity we’re searching for only arrives when we slow down long enough to notice what’s right in front of us?

In this episode, Lisa narrates Leo Tolstoy’s beloved parable “The Three Questions” — a timeless story that reveals the power of presence, the wisdom of tending to this moment, and the truth that the “right time” is rarely somewhere in the future…it’s now.

After the story, Lisa offers a reflective breakdown exploring:
 ✨ Why slowing down is a strategy, not a setback
 ✨ How presence sharpens clarity
 ✨ Why the right people are often the ones who are already here
 ✨ What it means to tend to the moment you’re actually in
 ✨ How energetic choice influences every decision we make

This is a grounding, spacious listen — perfect for a walk, a cup of tea, or any moment you need to reconnect with yourself.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:24):
Hey there.
Today I want to share one of myfavorite classic stories.
It's a parable written by LeoTolstoy, and it's a reminder to
slow down, to return topresence, and reconnect with
what actually matters beneaththe noise when you let go of the

(00:50):
pressure and stop rushing.
So wherever you are, whetheryou're walking or folding
laundry, riding the subway, ortaking a quiet moment, let this
be a small invitation to softenyour pace.

(01:12):
Here's the story.
There once was a king whobelieved that if he could find
the answers to three questions,he would never make a mistake
again.
The questions were simple yetimpossible.

(01:37):
First question What is the righttime to begin any task?
The second question was Who arethe right people to listen to?
The third question he asks whatis the most important thing to

(02:01):
do?
So again, what is the right timeto begin any task?
Who are the right people tolisten to?
And what is the most importantthing to do?
He asked scholars and priestsand wise men, and their answers

(02:22):
were thoughtful, but they alldisagreed.
One told him the right time isalways tomorrow, plan ahead.
While another insisted, theright time is right now.
Act immediately.

(02:45):
And another said The mostimportant thing is science or
prayer or courage or strategy.
The king grew tired of thenoise, so he decided to visit a
hermit who lived deep in theforest, a man known less for his
brilliance and more for hispresence.

(03:10):
When the king arrived, thehermit was digging in the earth
with a simple spade.
He was frail and old, and thework looked exhausting.
The king approached him.
I've come to ask you threequestions, he said.
The hermit did not answer,instead he kept digging slow,

(03:33):
deliberate strokes.
So the king took the spade fromhim and began to dig himself,
helping the man complete thework.
Hours passed.
Suddenly a man staggered out ofthe woods, clutching his
stomach, bleeding badly.
The king and the hermit rushedto him.

(03:55):
They cleaned the wound, stoppedthe bleeding, and carried the
man inside.
The king cared for him throughthe night.
By morning the wounded manopened his eyes and whispered
Forgive me.
The king was confused.
The man explained that he hadonce been his enemy and had

(04:19):
planned to ambush him on hisjourney.
But when the king didn't return,the man went searching, was
wounded by the king's guards,and stumbled toward the hermit's
hut, where the king himselfsaved his life.
The man wept.

(04:40):
The king forgave him andpromised to send him home healed
and cared for.
When the visitor left, the kingfinally turned back to the
hermit.
I must know the answers to myquestions, he said.
The hermit looked up from hiswork and smiled.

(05:03):
You have already been shown theanswers, he said.
The right time is the only timethat exists, the moment that you
are in.
Had you not stayed and helped medig, you wouldn't have met the
wounded man.
Yesterday, today, tomorrow, noneof it matters more than now.

(05:31):
The right people are the oneswho are with you in the present
moment.
Had you not attended to thewounded man, you might still be
enemies.
And the most important thing isto do good for the person in

(05:52):
front of you, for this alone iswhat life requires in the
moment.
The king stood still.
The forest was quiet.
The sun slipped through thetrees in thin golden lines, and

(06:15):
for the first time in a longwhile he felt peaceful.
Tolstoy wrote this in the 1800s,but its wisdom feels almost
tailor-made for the world thatwe live in right now, doesn't
it?

(06:36):
We're always strategizing andplanning and projecting into
what's next, but this storyreminds us that life only ever
unfolds one moment at a time.
The right time isn't in yourcalendar, and the right people
aren't the ones that you'rechasing.

(06:59):
And that most important thing,well, it isn't the thing you're
trying to get to.
It's the thing and the personright in front of you.
We rush because we're afraid offalling behind.
And we speed up because we thinkour worth is measured by output.

(07:21):
But when we slow down, we canactually see what wants tending.
Maybe that's the real secret.
Slowing down isn't about doingless.
It's about doing what matters.

(07:45):
I hope that this story broughtyou some breath, or maybe you
had pause or a flicker ofclarity.
And I'd love to hear whatresonated if you feel like
leaving a a response on whereveryou listen.
And if you feel if you feelcalled, share this episode with
someone who might need areminder to slow down and return

(08:06):
to themselves.
Until next time, may yourmoments be spacious and grounded
and full of possibility.
I'm Lisa Hopkins.
Thanks so much for listening.
Stay safe and healthy.
And remember to live in themoment.