Dead or alive?

The wise old man travelled from village to village and from town to town and along the way, people would line up to ask him their most difficult questions. One day he noticed a young boy and he approached the boy and asked,"Son, what question do you have for the old man?"

"Sir, if indeed you are as wise as everyone believes you to be, please tell me whether the butterfly in my hand is dead or alive," the boy challenged the wise man. The small boy thought he had finally cornered the wise old man. If the wise man said the butterfly was alive, the boy would squeeze his fingers and squash the butterfly to death. If the wise man said the butterfly was dead, he would slowly open his hand and the butterfly would happily fly away. The old man stared straight into the boy's wide expectant eyes then glanced at the little closed hand and slowly shook his head from side to side. Then he said,"Son, whether the butterfly is dead or alive, it depends on you." Every morning of every day, is your golden chance to either kill or promote your dream or independence!