source: “Like the Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho
A 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’
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UNA BELLA HISTORIA QUE NOS ENSEÑA CON SU SENCILLEZ A SER CORRECTOS EN LA VIDA.
UN BESO PAULO Y QUE SANES PRONTO, CUÍDATE.
nice Story…love it…Thnx
Beautiful analogy. Thank you!
Very nice..
Paulo sir..u r great.. :) ..
Keep up the great work..
take care..!!
magnifique.. tellement simple, tellement vrai
what a lovely story.
i love 2 write with a pencil.
i love the way it smells
and the way it glides
across the paper
when it’s sharp.
i can still hear my grandfather
saying
‘sharp pencil, sharp mind’.
I don’t know you always leave a big imapct in my life. whatever you write is so meaningful, so amazing that you always leave one pondering on making life better much better. :D Please always write like this never change!
it’s a very beautiful & meaningful story .. love it waiting for the next one .. :D
wow!!!
wonderfully portrayed…small things in life teaches us a lot…
its just for you to give an eye and notice the qualities and implement them in your lyf… beautiful Mr. cohelo i just enjoyed reading every word of it will sleep with dis thought in mind…. :) :)
Dear Demy,
Every story and lesson can be applied to our lives…. The right Perception is what makes it Possible…
People who do not believe in God need not simply stand and state that they cannot apply the Pencil in their lives….
If its not God, then Destiny…. If not Destiny, then Chance…. If not Chance then the Basic Design of Nature will Guide you…
It is not God that we should wait for… It is the Guidance that will Lead us on Our respective Paths…
Look out for Signs and Follow them and you will realise that though you don’t believe in God, you are Guided….
When you trust that Unseen Guidance, you will know the Hand that Guides you to your Calling…
All the Best and keep Trusting your Guide….
-Awaiz.
‘…you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’.
Thank you, Paulo Coelho, for the beautiful story of the Pencil!!
May we all leave a mark that will make us feel … proud: The mark of the Warrior of the LIGHT.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
excellent!
Fico encantada com esse tipo de texto, mostra que devo ficar atenta comigo mesma.
thank you Mr. Coelho, i loved it…
Wonderful!!!
What a wonderful story! I will carry it with me forever!
Are you the one who wrote that? I already read that when I was litte boy…
è fantastica, una storia fantastica…mi sentivo molto giù…e mi sono ripresa…! grazie paulo!
It’s fantastic, I was sad, and now I’m calm…!thanks paulo!
so beautifull and so true …
i have heard this story before only it had a few alterations but not knowing who wrote it and the way it was told to me, it didn’t really sink in. Now, after reading it again, the way you wrote it, the way it was supposed to be told, the message is very clear. thanks for another inspirational entry that would keep anybody, who’s read it, grounded.
it is a story from the Indian oral tradition that I addapted
i have my pencil
I did not read this book, and i will. it is the first time i read “The story of the pencil” and i found it Great!!!
I will share it with every one i know
but nothing mentioned about the end of the pencil, one day it will be end and it will be useless just like humans so what is the lesson from that??
You have a very sharp sensibility for relating things to real concept of human life…that’s a very beautiful gift GOD have place in your heart…I like a miricle like that happen to me but to each its own. Thanks for sharing. I like this story.
Dear Paulo,
Would you share what are the 5 most important of the qualities that one should have to be always at peace with the world?
Thank you, regards from Indonesia.
it’s absolutely true, embeded meanings are more impressing than words used, i find it such an inspiring moment to read your short stories. Thank you Paolo for pormoting the common good
Absolutely deep and beautiful. Thank you Paulo. Your story is gonna make a difference in my life tonight.
Nice illustration of a pencil..probably if I can add just one more thing: the paper itself. Pencil describe a quality person we wanna be, and paper is the life and environment we live in. Thus, pencil and paper can not be separate because both tell us story about the journey of life. And don’t forget to read it again and again (occasionally) so we can just simply learn from our own life experience. And please also add about other’s life in it, because we can not live alone in this world.
Thank you, Mr.Coelho..you really inspiring me.. :)
people of INDIA loves your work sir paul.
this is one of my favorite stories in your book Like the Flowing River… =)
Amaizing! meaning full story!! You never stop to Amaize me with your storry. Thank you Paulo!!!
Beautiful… so simple but still so touching…. i just love your short stories… thank you so much…
beautiful
what a lesson
gratitude, Paulo Coelho.
love prayers n peace
wow! this is amazing… The five qualities of the pencil is something that we should always put in our mind and in our heart.. Thanks so much Paulo for always creating an inspiration to many people.. Especially us, Filipinos..
As always, wonderful and meaningful !
Wow, what an inspiring story.
brilliant and very instructive story
Thank you for this. Just a few hours ago I wrote a message to friends and all the qualities of the pencil were included. This is just so much more beautiful way of saying it all than through our daily life, incidents and mistakes. But overall, that’s pretty much what is needed for to grow up and become wiser. Much love.
the resemblance with human life is splendid.
Another brilliant installment. How can people who don’t believe in God apply this to their life?
How can you say things so beautifully and simply , I am really touched and will remember this story for a long long time
Simply..amazing…
lovely………….beauty of wisdom….ever fresh ever exiting ever promising….thank You Maestro!:)
Thank you Mr Coelho.
Jaaaa :-))) Nice! :-)))
Thank you sir for your wonderful story. I have 3 lady friends whom I treasure so much, and they gave me a pencil for my 19th birthday. I didn’t understand it at first, but after reading this I was deeply moved. Thank you!
BRILLIANT!
I love it… Thank you, Paulo.
Love,
Rossana Curri
Lovely =-) and so very true
superb!
Absolutely exactly what I needed to read right now. Your words always find a way to get me back to the middle. Thank you!
funny, I have an Opinel right in front of me, between the keyboard and the screen
My reply about pencils, Opinels and grandfathers should appear here of course!
Was the intoxication because of uncooked fish? I like fish very much, but it is really dangerous if it is not really fresh.
Change it now and it is right again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmNPwcpHCcY&feature=player_embedded
Let snow..
I am happy, you are well now, dear Paulo Coelho.
Have a nice evening without … Japanese sushi! ;-]
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
My father (he is 80) still sharpens pencils with an opinel today. Not so as he has no sharpener, but like many old people he prefers to do things as he used to do in his youth.
… and of course it looks much more adventuresome and impresses the grandchildren!
What do you do with the opinel on your desk, Paulo? Sharpening the wisdom of your stories?
Is there a chance you will become a grandfather one day? The story shows you would be talented!
Oh. thanks for clarifying… still, without you, the message wouldn’t be passed on to us none Indians…
IS A BEAUTIFUL HISTORY PAULO. THANK YOU FOR SHARIN
I am not going to eat Japanese for the next three weeks…
THREE WEKS ONLY?. YOU MUST EAT MEAT FROM GALICIA YOU KNOW “CALDO GALLEGO”
KISSES FOR YOU AND BECAREFUL OF YOU.
That’s funny. I made sushi last night to my family.
My mother has this obsession that she always keeps cheese, milk, butter or other products of this “family” away from fish. She says that some people are kind of allergic to this combination and they get kind of poisoned.
I keep this in my mind, cause you never know.
Love
Olta
The Mediterranean diet is the best!
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
You were not feeling well? Oh, and I thought you had had too much saki. I hope you are feeling better now!
Thank you for this lovely story.
Love and kisses
C.
I love your English Miha :)
Giggles.
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