When the Pencil was made for the first time, The pencil maker gave the pencil some very pertinent, crucial and important instructions which can actually give us very inspiring lessons to be applied in our own lives.
The First instruction that the pencil maker gave the pencil was
“Whats truly important actually lies within you”. The pencil has two aspects to it. The outside which is its beautiful, colourful, casing and the inside which is the lead. Its very substance, very purpose.
Similarly in your lives as well we have the outside. The outside is about our personality, about our looks, about our presence. “No one looks as good as his facebook profile picture and no one looks as ugly as his aadhar card picture.” The outside is about the personality and the inside is about being a genuine sincere person.
The Second instruction that the pencil maker gave the pencil was
“Unless what is within you comes out, (the lead) you cannot make an impact on the paper by writing something. It’s only when the lead, comes out an impact can be made.”
Similarly in our life as well unless what is within us comes out we will not be able to make an impact either on our life or those on the others. Thus the latin word Educare from which the English world Education is derived means to bring out. To bring out the virtues the qualities of our soul.
Yes, our personality can impress but being a genuine person can inspire. Yes, the charisma can inspire but our character can inspire others.
I will explain you this with a short story
One time Thomas Edison, when he was a little boy. Came back home from school and handed a letter to his mother that his teacher gave. And told him to give this letter only for your mother to read.
His mother opened the little piece of paper and as she read out the letter, she was crying. She said Thomas your teacher has written “Thomas is such an intelligent boy. He is a genius. The school is too small for him and doesn’t have good enough teachers to teach him. So it’s better he doesn’t come to school any longer and you train him at home.”
Years later when Thomas mother died and Thomas Edison was one of the greatest inventors of the century. He was at his mother’s home and clearing things out and in a small little drover, he found a little piece of folded paper. The letter that the teacher had given him years back.
Thomas Alva Edison opened the piece of paper to read the contents and broke down in tears and crying profusely. Because what was written on that paper was “Madam your son Thomas is a dunce, mentally ill. He does not fit into the school. I do not think he can make it there. So we are expelling him and throwing him out of the school today.”
Thoma Alva Edison wrote another line under it. Thomas was indeed a dunce, a mentally ill child and he was made into the greatest inventors of the century by his hero his mother. His mother didn’t have a dashing personality. She didn’t have a superb good charisma nor did she have too many valuables but she was a genuine person. With a great character and look at the impact she has made on the life of Thomas Alva Edison.
The Third instruction that the pencil maker gave the pencil was
“Unless you go through sharpening what is within you will not come out”.
The pencil has to go through painful sharpening before the sharp lead comes out. And makes an impact. Similarly in life, unless we go through painful sharpening, the best things within will never come out. As they say “No Pains No Gains.”
The Fourth instruction that the pencil maker gave the pencil was
“When you write you will most certainly end up making mistakes”.
What truly great is that right behind you is attach an eraser. And you can actually correct that mistake and once again write the right things. Even in our life, we make so many mistakes. And whats amazing is God has given us the opportunity, the chance to erase them to correct them and to rewrite our stories.
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