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s.jacobson@hotmail.com wrote...
Do you wish to be listed anonymously? No
Which area is your meta4 useful in? To reframe
a persons real or imagined 'flaws'... into more positive
attributes
Which country? UK
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Cracked Pots!!
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each
hung on each end of a pole..... which he carried across
his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while
the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full
portion of water at the end of the long walk from
the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot
arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the
bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of
water in his master's house. Of course, the perfect
pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the
end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot
was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable
that it was able to accomplish only half of what it
had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter
failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the
stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize
to you.".
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver
only half my load because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your master's
house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of
this work, and you wouldn't get full value from your
efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot,
and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the
master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful
flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked
pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild
flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered
it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt
bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so
again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that
there were flowers only on your side of your path,
but not on the other pot's side? That's because I
have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage
of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the
path, and every day while we walk back from the stream,
you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful
flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you
being just the way you are, he would not have this
beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked
pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that
make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person for what they
are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot
of good out there. There is a lot of good in you!
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent
out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different
people in your life! Or as I like to think of it-if
it hadn't been for the crackpots in my life, it would
have been pretty boring and life certainly would have
been much less interesting...
Ed's note: Thanks Susan!
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