The story of the pencil
February 17, 2007A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
‘I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’
‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’
‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’
Source: Like the Flowing River by Paulo Coelho
Leave a comment and help me make this world a Greener place. Read more
hello!
While surfing in the net I discovered your profile and I also love
the work of Paulo Coelho!!!! Do you know that he is launching his new
book, The Witch of Portobello, through his blog
www.paulocoelhoblog.com?
I found it out because i’m inscibed to his newsletter
http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html
it’s simply wonderful!
have a nice day!
Comment by Aart — February 19, 2007 @ 9:26 am
the only reason why that post was dedicated to perception.,
cuz for the first time i was clearly able to describe my idea of perception..
n dude the story of the pencil n other things r nice.,
but there is one thng abt paulo cohelo.,
he writes nicely.,
conveyes all he has to in a very understandin manner.,
meanin U get everythin he wants to tell U.,
but the hassle is., I feel he makes one dependent on destiny way too much..,
he jus wants U to believe that things r happenin cuz they wre meant to be.,
n in all ways possible U have to rely on things.,
moreover he is very sharp cuz in the middle of it.,
wen U mite get a hint tht he is makin U dependent.,
he wil pitch in words of how ur the only actor in all dramas of life and
its ur karma that makes ur destiny the way it is.,
to me he is a smart., spiritual.,simple n commercial writer.,
his best quality is tht he writes what U want to read?
or U can say .,
he wil tell U things that most religions tell U to.,
or anything that U miss out for ur peace of mind in religion.,
he gives U the right dose..
Comment by vikram — February 19, 2007 @ 12:49 pm