If tomatoes wanted to be melons,
they would look completely ridiculous.
I am always amazed
that so many people are concerned
with wanting to be what they are not;
what’s the point of making yourself look ridiculous?
You don’t always have to pretend to be strong,
there’s no need to prove all the time that everything is going well,
you shouldn’t be concerned about what other people are thinking,
cry if you need to,
it’s good to cry out all your tears
(because only then will you be able to smile again).
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Awesome and to the point!
thats so true, dont u ever listen to people when they say that u have to change ………….. because u are what u are…………… and also it is very exhausting to try to change ur self……… and u will let so much beautiful things in ur life go …………….. u dont wanna to do that
Be true to thyself, all fear is released.
yes,,,i AM NOW oving myselff more,,,,i’ll continue chasing my dreams and be the best of what i am,,,, yes a lot are putting on masks because they are afraid of what other people would say if they show their true self,,, be not afraid,,,we are free people…..
Why does everyone not have the same level of common sense as Paulo Coelho? I wish my parents thought the way you think! I lived many years trying to please others, not standing up for myself and being criticized. I am overwhelmed by the work you are doing of educating the world with your messages. You are a true light warrior. My angel has made me come to know you and i feel bliss to know that there is somebody else who thinks like me.
Thanks Dear Paulo
It is true that each and every figure in the universe is unique and every body has freedom to explore themselves up to the utmost level . The Nature / creature has taken every care to accept all these and adds its colour and the test in it , to make them closure to the Nature / creature. Now it is up to every individual how it takes.
with love you all.
Every thing created is unique and for a purpose. There is always scope for improvements. Therefore, tomatoes can be better tomatoes and even still better tomatoes. Likewise melons can be better melons. But tomatoes can never be melons and vice versa.
Very often people pretend to be tomatoes or melons.We prefer to wear masks to hide our real face, cause if we show our real face , other people can use our weak sides against us. That’s why we like to hide our real feelings.Maybe I wrong . But many times in my life I faced with this problem
there are quite a number of comments here i agree with especially with Jean and Heimo .. if we all would stay in the box we are born in and never tried to be bigger than we can imagine, we would never grow and develop our true potential and learn our borders. It helps to have a mentor or a good/big example, to grow up to, it only becomes painful if we loose hope and identity in the process , then tears will run, energy will run out too, the secret in all is a balance…tears of joy will run as soon life made you figure out that you have grown into a nice big Tomato or Melon and you are ready to accept your true inner being, balance potential and purpose…..life is about experience and it is not always a sweet on, at first,. So, this tomato who keeps pushing to be a melon, might meet the right formula to become one. In life nothing is impossible, the question is, is it meant for the tomato to become a melon? f the way is to painful, the “smart” tomato will change the walk eventually and will happily settle for being a tomato, unless the way comes easy and the formula might change it into a melon or even something bigger..
very well put … I often pitty people who almost kill themselves just be someone theyre not !
The best thing one can do is to be the most beautiful image that he CAN be .
”No one can be perfect !” ?!?!
In my opinion no one can be perfect with respect to society,family,friends… … …
But each person is capable of being perfect towards himself.
Everyone can obtain the perfect image that is set for him .
I hope everyone will abide by these simple steps , because then , alot of problems will be solved !
P.S. Thank you paulo , your words have guided me through many troubles and discomforts . :)
saying it ridiculousis not at all fair…
if tomato wants to look like melon means he want to change ,u can say grow more.growing morw is much much positive …….
and at same time if someone want to change for betterment ..than no issue if it want to become jackfruit also , :P_
i also follow this thing yet m stick to some very bad habbits but still i keep adhereing some new very good habbits
Yo no quiero ser un melon o una sandia pero si me gustaria tener un poco de la sabiduria que tiene Paulo
How would we know if we are tomatoe’s if we don’t try to be melon’s everynow and again? Transforming yourself into being you requires you to be melon in order to truly understand and feel comfortable with being a tomatoe? As only you can so eloquently put it…. life is a transformation into becoming who you are truly meant to be therefore you would only know this after trying to be someone you are not?
Thank you Jean. I know what you mean. I actually see it from that angle. I’m not a tomato, I’m not a melon. I am a human. I can be whatever I want. That’s the problem. Every human is a born master. The only question if you accept that. Whether you believes it. It’s all there, I do not know whether a transformation is necessary. You can learn everything, remember everything what you have forgotten. These are my thoughts.
I wish you a wonderful evening
Dear Paulo:
Pretending to be strong all the time, requires a tremendous force. Do not you think?
With love…
Tank you for remind me.
Something that I did just today! Thank you Paulo, for saying it aloud for all of us.
It is so important to acknowledge and over-write sadness, so we can be ready for the smiles. :)
This poem is cited in Like the Flowing River, by Mitsuo Aida, I remembered reading it, I like the beginning in which he says
“The white lily, blooming unseen in the valley,
Does not need to explain itself to anyone;
It lives merely for beauty.
Men, however, cannot accept that ‘merely’ ”
Thank you for introducing us to this incredible poets work. As a synchronicity, today I harvested (my first and only) tomato that I had grown, and was amazed at how beautiful it smelt and how vibrant… and now I am waiting for the occasion to eat it, with some guilt I might add as it is so perfect, but if I don’t it will rot.
how ironic! The “merely-ness” of things make it so much special! A melon can never taste like a good trusted tomato!
Wow so true..we seldom get to be ourselves ..just be human …the world compels us to pretend what we are not and ridicules anyone who shows their weakness.
So very True !!! :)
It always amazed me too those people who jealous one’s life even though they would not actually truly want that life or make the necessary efforts and sacrifces to have it; yet they “wish” they were that person… Ridiculous !
They don’t realise they’re cutting themselves off from being Truly Happy by being themselves fully !
I am not sure that all of us can cry so easily, being labeled emotional doesnot always mean you can cry.
“You don’t always have to pretend to be strong…”
Thank God!!! And thank you Paulo for this gracious reminder…
love from karen
And whats funny is that those same people seem to always think you are actually jealous of them.
I am living with my tears as a constant companion while I watch my mother consumed by cancer, just after burying my father from the same terrible disease. My heart is breaking and I am angry beyond words. But Im having a hard time coping because the world can’t cope with my tomatoness and wants me to take medication in order to be more like a melon – so that my connection to my sorrow isn’t too painful or confronting for them. It’s hard work, but I believe that I owe it to my parents to fully embrace the agony of losing them. To honor my love for them, to fully experience the fear of having to finally grow up! But, man, sometimes it’s hard to be a tomatoe!!!
linda my sorrow is just like yours i just lost my mother who was a cancer patient. I love your words “it’s hard to be a tomato
Dear Linda, I think you are honoring them but having the courage to show the sorrow of their loss via tears or anger. The world may prefer you to hide those tears or medicate them away so that others aren’t made uncomfortable by your distress and sorrow. No one can tell you when the time to grieve and honor them is complete. It is likely going to come and go like the seasons. I lost my mother over 10 yrs ago and there are days still when the tears flow as I am thinking of her and my loss. It does help me to consider how she would reflect on my actions and attitudes and to ponder what she would say to me if she was still watching my struggles through life and if she could be in the moments now with me. Crying as I type this to you now.
very true. and very beautifully put… be what u r and b e yourself…. :)
What about ideals and inspirations . Should we not get inspired by someone because in that case we wish to be like someone ? Please guide dear Mr. Coelho
Tears are tears, sign of an e-motion, and yes something is moving our whole being and moves outwards for the motion is too strong to just stay inside. Tears of joy or tears of pain? We should always welcome them, whether they are ours or others’, without shame or restriction, without embarrassement or fear, cos they are a moment of truth, our soul’s energy condensed in drops, made of the same stuff that generates life is helping us to find a balance between suffering and enjoying , a step towards equanimity.
Estou muito triste e já expliquei no seu mural as minhas razões e não me vou repetir.Mas vim aqui ao blog do Paulo para sentir esta imensa satisfação de comunicar,, ,de expressar a minha opinião.Esta história é encantadora na sua simplicidade :alguém pretender ser aquilo que não é! Cada ser humano é único com as suas fraquezas também,mas com capacidade para as aceitar.Viver em função do que os outros pensam dá origem a um ser confuso,que terá dificuldade em se conhecer!Se sofro ,choro.Se estou feliz rio! Procuro manter a auto -estima e esforço-me para me conhecer e dessa forma ter mais Força para mostrar a minha verdadeira face e não ter receio de expressar as minhas emoções!Olhe Paulo, agora apetecia-me chorar,pois sei que ao voltar ao FB não o vou encontrar por lá e essa tristeza não me envergonha,porque mostra a um AMIGO o quanto o estimo e admiro!Espero ansiosa que o Paulo encontre uma forma de voltar ao meu FB.ESPERO ANSIOSAMENTE A SUA REVISITA!
Dear Mr. Coelho: I have just finished reading The Devil and Miss Prym (started at the end of the trilogy, so now I will read the others). I have been a contented “tomato” for decades, having long since given up the desire to be a melon. I take the advice of the last 2 lines regularly and have a good cry whenever I need it. I look forward to reading the rest of your books. An author such as yourself, who can write such a gripping and profound story in a mere 205 pages (English translation), is a global treasure!
Paulo, tú no lo sabes, pero tú eres un gran amigo mio. Hemos hecho una gran amistad por tweeter. Eres de mis mejores amigos porque tres veces al dia me doices palabras que me resfrescan el dia! Muy agradecida!
So many of us are so confused. It takes a while to know whether you are melons or tomatoes. Being ridiculous is part of the process. Does a melon always know it is a melon?
advice more interesting reallity. Sometimes want seem strongs and this isn`t good because our heart suffer
Es dificil intentar ser los que no somos… por cuestiones de trabajo, por evitar situaciones del pasado, mostramos otra cara… esa de fortaleza que tenemos bien guardada… de decir si todo va bien… aunq al girar un segundo la mirada, se nos venga el mundo encima.. y caemos en el río del desahogo… Creo q es necesario hacerlo cuando es necesario y las razones nos lo permitan…
I need cry now, cause sometimes i’m like a tomatoes……….
ya no quedan lagrimas, q es mas grave
It is ‘human’ to crave for “external validation”. But as one matures spiritually, one does not need praise or approval. One becomes true to the self and does not care what others say or think. Be your own person, love yourself too, be happy. Happy people make other people happy too.
buenas noches Sr.Coelho;
Lo felicito por el exito obtenido en su nuevo libro y la nueva agenda la de carpeta azul preciosa, azul como el cielo y el mar. Maravilloso pensamiento de los tomates y melones .Yo hoy pude comprender que no le debo permitir a nadie que robe mi paz interior ,no hay nadie igual a mi todos somos diferentestiene toda la razon es mejor llorar en vez de gritar por que las lagrimas limpian el alma y a veces son palabaras mudas que por miedo no nos atrevemos a decir. Ser maestra de estudiantes ivel intermedio no es facil muchas veces callamos nuestras frustaciones pero de ahora en adelante voy lo altuchar por mis suenos aunque esten demasiado lejos o
altos de alcanzar por ultimo me guataria saber como conseguir el nuevo libro y decirle que le admiro mucho he leido todos sus libros y me encantan
me gustaria algun dia conocerlo cuidese mucho y disfrute su exito usted se lo merece Dios le bendiga .
y
a tratar de luchar por mis sueños aunque estan un poco lejanos
a
- I have to disagree on this one. Why is it ridiculous- when changing your image, improving yourself, becoming, even copying someone you admire, is one of life’s most exciting moments- seeing the visions you set out to obtain take place right before your eyes…because you changed your habits, imitated someone else’s behavior- and at last youre rewarded with the person you wanted to be> by the power of your mind, your determination and efforts.. pay off… not so ridiculous. The tears are fine, after all they will probably be Happy Tears-
With much respect and admiration for you Paulo, Patricia.
I have to reply. Becoming a better you is okay, but don<t try to be someone else though. If you know who you are at the base, no matter who or what happens, your reactions, feelings and all stays the same. However, you will have more consciousness to self-improve and sometimes looking at how others do it, you figure yourself out too…