The Pencil.

Yes, this is a pencil.

Ever heard that pencils have special qualities?

If a person manages to hang on to them, it will make him or her a person who is always at peace with the world.

#1. You are capable of doing 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.

#2. Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. 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.

#3. 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.

#4. 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.

#5. 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 everyday action.

Not mine. Taken from "Like the Flowing River" by Paulo Coelho.

:)

Found this really inspiring.