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’
source: “Like the Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho
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A história do lápis
O menino olhava a avó escrevendo uma carta. A certa altura, perguntou:
- Você está escrevendo uma história que aconteceu conosco? E por acaso, é uma história sobre mim?
A avó parou a carta, sorriu, e comentou com o neto:
- Estou escrevendo sobre você, é verdade.Entretanto, mais importante do que as palavras, é o lápis que estou usando. Gostaria que você fosse como ele, quando crescesse.
O menino olhou para o lápis, intrigado, e não viu nada de especial.
- Mas ele é igual a todos os lápis que vi em minha vida!
-Tudo depende do modo como você olha as coisas. Há cinco qualidades nele que, se você conseguir mantê-las, será sempre uma pessoa em paz com o mundo:
“Primeira qualidade: você pode fazer grandes coisas, mas não deve esquecer nunca que existe uma Mão que guia seus passos. Esta mão nós chamamos de Deus, e Ele deve sempre conduzi-lo em direção à Sua vontade.
“Segunda qualidade: de vez em quando eu preciso parar o que estou escrevendo, e usar o apontador. Isso faz com que o lápis sofra um pouco, mas no final, ele está mais afiado. Portanto, saiba suportar algumas dores, porque elas o farão ser uma pessoa melhor.
“Terceira qualidade: o lápis sempre permite que usemos uma borracha para apagar aquilo que estava errado. Entenda que corrigir uma coisa que fizemos não é, necessariamente algo mau, mas algo importante para nos manter no caminho da justiça.
“Quarta qualidade: o que realmente importa no lápis não é a madeira ou sua forma exterior, mas o grafite que está dentro. Portanto, sempre cuide daquilo que acontece dentro de você.
“Finalmente, a quinta qualidade do lápis: ele sempre deixa uma marca. Da mesma maneira, saiba que tudo que você fizer na vida, irá deixar traços, e procure ser consciente de cada ação”.
fonte: Ser como um rio que flui, Paulo Coelho
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La historia del lapiz
<
(gracias a la persona que hizo este clip)
trecho del libro “Ser como un rio que fluye”
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I have always admired the way you put reality across.. Each work is so unique and I would term them your masterpieces that describe the ultimate essence of life. You are an ace. Hats off to your writings!
simplemente describe nuestra vida pero por mas que dios nos envia estos mensajitos los pasamos por alto al poco tiempo de reflexionar , solo espero dejar a buena marca
a todos los que me rodean.
i’m so impressed. there’s one and only Paulo Coelho, and that’s you.
wow its amazing i real like it as always paulo coelho writes the best
Thank you for sharing this beautiful analogy. I believe it it is so important to remember that the ‘sharpening of the pencil’ makes us sharper. Beautiful!
The beautifull truths of life that we can find everywhere around us in the most simple things ….it is a pity that our society so eveloped, so advanced , so complicated has forgotten so many things…but little by little we are waking up and remebering .Thank u pablo for helping people towards a new awakening of the human soul.
Wow! never thought ‘A Pencil’ could render such simple but truly valuable essentials of life….
Unfortunately we not always learn the positive lessons of pains and sorrows. Today they often do not make people better persons but quite the contrary. The reason is that we do not deal rightly with pains and sorrows. The conventional way is distraction and numbing.
In some respects we always learn. And we learn from good experiences, too! We learn good things from truly good experiences.
Obrigada por mostrar ao mundo que Brasil não é só mulher pelada e futebol.
Whenever I now see or use a pencil – it will have a greater attention and appreciation. Thank you.
And reminds me, NASA spent millions of dollars developing a special pen and ink that could write in zero gravity, under water and in freezing conditions.
The Russians astronauts used a pencil.
Paulo, I will share this story with 10 other participants taking place in the ‘circle of meaningful encounters’ that I am organizing this evening at my place.
The subject of our (monthly) meeting to day is: sharing words and sounds touching our hearts.
Thank you for touching my heart and for sharing this story with us. I am sure that this story will touch the heart of the other participants too.
Viviane (Bruges, Belgium)
I have been translating this story in Dutch for the participants to night.
(eigen) Nederlandse vertaling
Een jongen keek naar zijn oma die een brief aan het schrijven was. Op een gegeven moment vroeg hij :
‘Bent u een verhaal aan het schrijven over wat we gedaan hebben ? Is het een verhaal over mij ? ‘
Zijn grootmoeder hield op met het schrijven van haar brief en zei tegen haar kleinzoon:
Ik schrijf eigenlijk over jou, maar nog belangrijker dan de woorden is het potlood dat ik gebruik. Ik hoop dat jij als dit potlood zal zijn als je groot bent . ‘
Geïntrigeerd keek de jongen naar het potlood . Het leek niet heel bijzonder.
‘ Maar het is net als alle andere potloden die ik ooit heb gezien ! ‘
‘ Dat hangt af van hoe je naar dingen kijkt . Het heeft vijf kwaliteiten die, als jij erin slaagt om op dit potlood te lijken, jou zal helpen om altijd in vrede te leven met de wereld. ”
‘ Eerste kwaliteit : je bent in staat tot grote dingen , maar je moet nooit vergeten dat er een hand is die jou leidt. We noemen dat de hand van God , en Hij leidt ons altijd volgens Zijn wil . ”
‘ Tweede kwaliteit : nu en dan dien ik te stoppen met schrijven en een scherper te gebruiken. Het potlood lijdt dan wel een beetje, maar is daarna veel scherper. Ook jij dient te leren om pijn en verdriet te dragen , want ze zullen je een beter mens maken.
‘ Derde kwaliteit : schrijven met een potlood laat ons altijd toe om een gommetje te gebruiken om eventuele fouten uit te wissen . Dit betekent dat iets corrigeren niet noodzakelijk een slechte zaak is , het helpt ons op de weg naar rechtvaardigheid. ‘
“Vierde kwaliteit: wat echt belangrijk is in een potlood is niet het hout aan de buitenkant, maar het grafiet binnenin. Besteed dus altijd aandacht aan wat er gebeurt binnen in je . ‘
“Vijfde kwaliteit ten slotte: het potlood laat altijd een spoor na. Weet dat alles wat je doet in het leven, op precies dezelfde manier een spoor zal nalaten. Probeer dus hiervan bewust te zijn bij alles wat je doet ‘
bron: “Net als de stromende rivier”
Door Paulo Coelho
You have a great vision, thank you :O)
A, give me the pencil!
A good parallel between a human’s life and a pencil’s “life”.
Yet there’s the most significant difference possible – the choice. Whether a pencil’s potential is used at it’s fullest depends only on the handler. Yet with us – people, the one who makes the decision whether we give our best or not is ourselves. We chose whether to believe there’s God, whether to believe we matter,that we can leave a trace and make a change.
Douceur et intelligence, c’est une très belle histoire!
I adore this! The funniest thing that I’m working with pencils all the time but I never thought about them that way. We’re used to compare a human being to different things but I never heard someone comparing it to a pencil.
Mr. Coelho you are trully magnificient!!!
Thank you!
A great way for a child to learn and for each person to realize from a very simple way, how our lives matter in this world. Thanks Paulo!
I love this book! :)
I wish I could also teach my children this way. This is so inspiring.
Повесть Временных Лет,Написанная Вечными Чернилами
Everybody has sad something i simplly want to say by writing this you are very very near to god wish i too can be the same way.God bless the people he has created for there own task in this world.
God, god, god… god everywhere! arg!
Very simple analogy. Enjoyed reading it. smile.
Es verdaderamente hermoso !… Hoy ha regalado a mi noche una razón más…
Good one. But tell me what if a person shoot another and then realize the mistake. How can he correct his mistake?
by paying for the deed he has done.
bfffff como siempre…grande…siempre dejando mensajes, de los que aprender, me fascinan sus libros..siga escribiendo y destilando ese caudal de sabiduria. Es un maestro..un guerrero para mí. Gracias por escribir tan magnificamente y compartirlo con el mundo
I like this story and always relate myself to a pencil.
I agree with Anand. I am very touched by the things you write, everytime. It’s a gift. Thank you for sharing your stories with us.
This is truly inspirational… I have read it a number of times ..but every time I read it, it inspires me further more
Tiene mucha razón en lo q dice, es la manera correcta de describir lo q somos y sentimos a través de un objeto q quizás nunca nadie se dio cuenta de esta reflexión sobre nosotros mismo. Gracias por hacernos consiente!
We cannot always correct our mistakes, but we can learn from them in order to not make them again (if we are intelligent enough). The past can’t be corrected!, we can only learn from the past.
Like you said “That depends on how you look at things.”
Quero ser como um lápis nas mãos daquele que sabe usar o melhor de mim: Deus. Paulo, obrigado por sempre ter algo construtivo para dizer-nos.
Great story! Thank you!
reminds me on early elementary school. probably 1./2. grade.
there was never an eraser on my pencils. my mother was practical: I got a big, separate one. and I remember when I learned to write the letters and words … afterward the table was full of those little eraser crumbs.
and then there was a time that at class we all collected pencils that had a specific length, just about an inch. goal was to get this pencil down to this size and collect as many as possible so that you could exchange them while writing a lot and do not have to sharpen them too often.
may be this is one explanation that we now have so may people getting so old :o)
“what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior”,
this wood is a container for the core. this core is fragile, it needs a strong support; it is as sacred as the graphite.
cool story.
é nessa segunda qualidade que eu me apego mais :)
gosto muito de metáforas, tão eficazes e lúdicas.
obrigada, querido Paulo!
Beijo, abraço <3
Wow,
Somos guiados por la Mano de Dios desde el nacimiento, el dolor nos ayuda a crecer, madurar, ser fuertes, mientras a lo largo de el paso por esta vida debemos procurar el origen (adentro) para no olvidar quienes somos y asi fortalecer nuestro yo; dejando como legado, una marca importante en la vida de todos aquellos seres a quienes conocemos. Hermosa analogia de un guerrero de luz!
Olá,
sempre usei lápis, mais não sabia de tudo isso. vou olhar mais, obrigado Paulo.
The analogy is truly amazing. Complexity is obscured by simplicity in this world. Every thing that surrounds us has a meaning that needs to be deciphered and applied to make this life happy. Paulo .. you are the best to interpret and disentangle the puzzle with your words that are enchanting and enduring. It is an overwhelming experience to read your books!!!
É impressionante como Deus usa de artifícios diversos através de sábias e singelas mensagens,sons, imagens, e o melhor, a sua inspiração, para fazer com que os ser humano,possa passar ao longo da sua jornada,ensinamentos instrutivos e preciosos como este para nossa elevação.
Esta es mas o menos la explicación que le tuve que dar a mi cajita de preguntas ( hija ) como le digo yo, cuando pregunto por que era tan estricta con ella. Le dije mira: Es como si yo estuviera haciendo un dibujo el dibujo eres tu y cada cosa que te enseñe es como una linea que le estoy poniendo al dibujo para que se vea y sea mas bonito, eso quiere decir que yo estoy haciendo mi mejor esfuerzo para que mi dibujo salga bien, pero eso no lo vamos a saber pronto asi es de que vamos a trabajar juntas para que mi dibujo salga bien. Creo que la convenci, y seguimos trabajando y las preguntas siguen fluyendo. . .
Ciao Paulo, bellissima storia questa tua della matita, della nonna e del bambino. Per prima cosa insegna che non si è mai vecchi per niente e nell’ era dell’ edonismo fine a se stesso sfugge la grande verità che l’ età ed il tempo che passa sono un dono e non una condanna. Poi questa tua storia insegna l’ utilità del dolore e delle difficoltà. In un’ era che vuole evitare o negare la sofferenza, ricordarne l’ utilità e la necessità significa rivelare una grande verità. Poi racconti la curiosità e la semplicità del bambino. Ed infine ricordi che l’ uomo è solo un uomo e nell’ era del massimo egocentrismo da parte dell’ uomo , nei confronti della vita e del mondo, raccontare questa giusta proporzione è raccontare un’ altra grande verità. Raccontare tutto ciò con grande semplicità rivela una grande abilità sia riflessiva che narrativa. Bravo ! Ciao Rosetta
Excellent!!!!
Just superb!!!
Really, love what you write.
May Allah Bless you.
What if the Pencil tip, the graphite breaks down every now and then while writing??Harsh destiny or pencil’s fault?
excelente y hermoso gracias
Amigo Coelho, mostrei o conto do lápis para meu filho e sabe o que ele disse: “Jóia,mãe!!! Nunca mais verei um lápis do mesmo jeito! Pois eu serei ele, assim como tu és, estou amando este escritor! Ele é muito sábio!” Então, Somos e seremos todos Lápis! Obrigada por me ajudar com teus escritos a educar um menino cheio de potencial como o meu! Abraços da sua amiga simone…
Realmente precioso, tiene mucha verdad acerca de la vida, de como Dios esta presente, y de que tenemos oportunidades para corregir nuestros errores
Te va a encantar el libro: ser como el río que fluye, te lo súper recomiendo
1- Guided by the hand of God. (thank God ;)
2- pain sharpens us
3- we can correct our mistakes
4- pay attention to what is happening inside you
5- everything you do in life will leave a mark.
What a great analogy to the pencil. I love it!
Love and kisses
xxoo
I wonder if we evolve from pencils into pens?
God still guides the hand.
No more sharpening: (pens aren’t sharpened) we either are or aren’t with it.
We can’t correct our mistakes(ink doesn’t erase) only lament them and live with the consequences.
We may be a little more concerned with the shape and size and outward appearance of that pen ie. gold , silver, plastic, thin, fat.
The quality of ink, what’s inside us, will bear on the mark we make, and we need to be careful how and how often to express and manage that quality because when there is no more ink,when we have used it all, that’s it?
Thank you for this inspiring story.
“…everything you do in life will leave a mark…”
We leave many marks behind us on our journey through life. I think the most important marks are the ones we leave in the hearts of others. We have the power to hurt and the power to heal, and we will be remembered and judged by the trail of love we have left behind.
Each one of us leaves a unique mark on Paulo’s Blog. Thank you to everyone for all the thoughts and ideas you share. I really learn a lot on here!
God bless you all.
Recuerdo que desde mi más tierna infancia, cuando quería escribir con el corazón, siempre recurría a lapices que afilaba una y otra vez y gomas que iban muriendo poco a poco… creo que mi inconsciente sabia algo de esto que nos ha sabido explicar Paulo…
http://www.lafactoriadelexito.blogspot.com
it is one piece i adore reading over and over again…
it is a simple way of explaining life …. and be content ab whatever it holds
Some people touch the heart some of the time…..amazing how you do it all the time….Paulo … you are the Master…a true warrior of light.
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