Revise your view of pride

An elderly African woman had two, large clay pots.  Each hung on the ends of a wooden beam which she carried across her neck.  One of the pots had a crack in it while the other was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.  Each day she walked the same path and when she reached the house, the cracked pot would be half empty.

The poor cracked pot was ashamed of its flaw, and unhappy it could only do half of what it had been made to do.  One day, it said to the woman, "Why do you bother carrying me?, I have a crack and I leak.  You are really wasting your time and energy on me."

The woman smiled and said to the cracked pot, "Tomorrow, I will use you again and collect water and as we make our way back up from the stream, I want you to look on both sides of the road."  The cracked pot did that and was astonished to see that on one side of the road there were beautiful flowers.

The woman said to the cracked pot, "I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.  For the last couple of years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.  Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace my house."

Every human being has unique imperfections.  It is our perceived cracks and flaws that make our lives and interactions worthwhile.  They give unlimited opportunities to learn.  You can evolve to accept people as they are.  Consciously choose to see the good.

Thus, if you are carrying a full clay pot of water, do so with pride.  If you are a pot with a crack, carry what you can and enrich the world in your own special way.  Do not give up.  You always have something to give. You may simply overlook it or forget what matters.

This old folk tale reminded me of the intrinsic value of people I know and have known.  I think especially of loved ones who have suffered illness and mood swings which make it seem like they are not themselves.  Life experience teaches me to see through the fog.  Love everyone as they are, even yourself.  The quickest way to receive love is to give.

Comments

[Miruh]

Liara,thank you for this beautiful story and a reminder that we all have something to contribute to this world no matter how flawed we may perceive ourselves to be.
May your light and love plant flowers of joy along the way to brighten up the lives of those you encounter!

[davina]

Hi Liara. I'm a crack pot :-) Thanks for sharing this. I've seen it before, but had forgotten it. My favourite line is, "It is our perceived cracks and flaws that make our lives and interactions worthwhile."

Loving yourself can be difficult and is a statement that is commonly misunderstood. My grandmother thought it meant that she was better than everyone else if she loved herself.

[Liara Covert]

Miruh, human beings are unaware of all the good they do. They are regularly conditioned to focus on what they are not, on what they have not, and what they should be doing to rectify all their supposed insecurities. Unconditional self-acceptance is what all humans have at birth, and from that point there are told what is right or wrong based on other people's perceptions. It is possible to follow the thread back through events in your life to where you had complete peace of mind and self love. That is the spiritual journey you can take when you're ready. It is the process of dissolving self-created illusions and loving yourself for all you are. The stages vary for everyone, but the key is choosing to feel.

[Liara Covert]

Davina, this African folk tale was originally shared through voice among peoples befire it was written. You share a meaningful example that offers a lesson about human perception. People are conditioned to believe what is good or bad. Many individuals accept what they hear without question. How many people forget or choose not to listen to their inner voice? In truth, views of superiority and inferiority are an imagined power dynamic that does not replace the reality of equality. Spirit has no color, race, negativity, ego or external texture. It is immeasurable, imperceptible and ever-present.