"The Cracked Pot"
Post on: April 5, 2019
Cracked pot — a motivational story which captures our hearts. It sets us thinking and creates a desire within us to act positively….
There was a housekeeper in a village whose daily chores included fetching water from a nearby stream for her master. Every day without fail, she would carry a pole, hung across her neck with two large pots attached at the end.
One of the pots was in perfect condition and could hold the full amount of water. The other had a flaw – it had a crack on it. Thus, it could only hold half the intended amount.
This routine went on for two years. The flawless pot was proud of its accomplishment. It served its purpose with great distinction and felt dignified. However, the cracked pot was ashamed of its blemish. It felt bad that the housekeeper was still using her despite providing only half the amount of water. Soon it became miserable and was wallowing in self-pity.
One day, while the housekeeper was filling the pots by the stream, the cracked pot mustered its courage and spoke to the housekeeper, “I am sorry Ma’am that I can only deliver half the amount of water because of the crack, causing water to leak all the way to your master’s house. I have deprived you of getting full satisfaction from your arduous effort.”
The housekeeper understood the pot’s feeling of inadequacy. She said: “While we are going back to my master’s house, I want you to look at the flowers along the way.”
The pot looked at the beautiful flowers blooming accentuated by the sun’s ray. The sight was breath-taking and it could not believe it had failed to take notice of such a lovely sight all the while.
It felt cheerful along the trail, mesmerised by the beauty of the flowers. But despondency set in once they reached the master’s house as it only managed to deliver half the pot of water.
Sensing the pot’s feeling of hopelessness, the housekeeper said, “I notice you were delighted by the flowers. Interestingly, there are flowers only on your side of the footpath.
“I had always been aware of your imperfection. I took advantage of it by planting seeds on your side. You watered it. The end result is the beautiful flowers.
“I am able to beautify my master’s house with these flowers because of you — being just the way you are….”
Moral: We all have our flaws – we can be likened to a cracked pot like in the story. Nobody is made perfect. Instead of focusing on our weaknesses, let us draw attention to our strengths. Our flaws can turn out to be a blessing in disguise – be discerning and get the most out of our imperfections.
#JollyGoodTimes #TheCrackedPot #ShajiThomasVarughese
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Photo: pixabay.com
