The Camel and the Soul Journey: Part 1: What is on your ID?

A Question That Stops You in Your Tracks

Have you ever felt like your life was being dictated by others, by your past mistakes, or by circumstances you couldn’t control?

That was the story of Dabisir, a slave in The Camel Trader of Babylon from George S. Clason’s timeless book, The Richest Man in Babylon. His life seemed determined by others, poor judgment or bad luck—until one question from his owner, Mrs. Sira, shook him to the core:

“Do you have the soul of a slave,

or the soul of a free man?”

It’s a jarring question. It prodded him to make up his mind about his true identity.

Why would a slave owner even ask that?

For more than a year he wrestled with it, until finally, he escaped—driven by the hope of one day returning to Babylon to redeem himself.

Identity Shapes Destiny

Dabisir’s story is more than ancient fiction; it’s a mirror for us. We all face moments where life seems to press us into corners: challenges, disappointments, unfair circumstances, bad decisions, ... And, just like Dabisir, we too must answer:

·       Am I waiting for freedom to be handed to me?

·       Or am I already living with the soul of a free person, no matter what my situation looks like?

When I first read this, I was in my own desert of challenges. Honestly, I felt chafed, frustrated and impotent. I was ready to just “go with the flow.” But the question wouldn’t let me. It made me pause: Was I reacting or responding to my struggles? Did I believe my story was doomed—or did I dare to expect a good ending?

If you haven’t read Clason’s book as yet, I highly recommend you do. Much like my own book, Sweet Sop See, each chapter is a short story packed with a powerful life lesson. It's a quick read and easy to find online or as an audiobook.

I won't give away all the twists and turns of the story, but I shall try to share the most captivating bits in this chapter.

We all face choices that determine our future.

The Desert Trek

Up to the point of his escape, I cheered Dabisir on. The story could have ended there perfectly, but nooooo! There was a masterful plot twist! Clason takes us into the desert, where Dabisir sees neither roads nor sign posts. He has neither map nor GPS. Dabisir and his camels become dehydrated, dejected, and weak. They are lost. If he were stopped, what would his ID say- runaway slave or free man?

I empathized. I felt gritty sand in my own eyes and mouth. I felt the fluctuating temperatures of the blistering heat and the chilly nights. I imagined cracked, calloused toes and sore, buckling legs. I too wanted to just lie down and quit “in the broken country covered with rock and sand and thorny things...”

But here wha’?- At the brink of death, Dabisir was forced to confront that haunting question once more:

 “Do you have the soul of a slave, or the soul of a free man?”

And this time, he answered with conviction. He chose to live as a free man. That inner decision gave him strength, hope, and direction—and eventually led him back to Babylon.

The genius of Clason’s writing lies in the way he seamlessly weaves in powerful, thought-provoking lines. For instance, in describing Dabisir's daring escape, the narrator says:

"It was such a journey from then on as few men live to tell of."

I couldn't help but write in the margin of my book: "Am I one of the few who will live to tell my own tale?"

Another phrase that struck me was this powerful metaphor for our true character:

“If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one,

no matter what his birth,

even as water seeks its level?”

This line connects the idea of our inner self to a natural law.

Have you ever noticed how water always finds its own level? It pools and settles, never rising above its natural point without an external force. In the same way, the phrase suggests that a person’s inner character—whether they have the soul of a slave or a free man—will ultimately determine their destiny.

So, whenever the daily frustrations threatened to overwhelm my focus or deplete my energy, I asked myself, "Gail, have I the soul of a slave or the soul of a free man?"

Somehow, it’s in those desert moments that clarity brings resolve.

Hhhhmmmm, I can faintly hear Jon Acuff say,

"Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers."

Now, Dabisir shows us why, don't it?

Here’s what I took from this part of Dabisir’s journey:

• Identity shapes destiny: Who you believe yourself to be will determine how you live.

• Inner resolve comes before outer change: The decision to live free happens before the circumstances shift.

• Ask yourself the question time and again: Answering the question is the injection we need repeatedly.

My Friend, what about you? Are you carrying the soul of a free person or the soul of a slave?

If this story is tugging at you, I encourage you to grab Clason’s The Richest Man in Babylon. Don’t just take my word for it—read Dabisir’s journey for yourself.

And in Part 2, we’ll see how resolve doesn’t just transform Dabisir, but everything around him.

Till we meet again, duh walk good! Walk good, yuh hear.

Mission 59-1