Designed to shine
Article Written by Mr. Shemimon Yousef, Partner Consultant, ATBC
Deep below the ground, two stones covered in black dirt were once conversing with each other.
Stone 1: What a pathetic life we are living, good-for-nothing fellows! What do you say, buddy?
Stone 2: I am not sure about what my purpose is, but once I know it, I won’t be a good-for-nothing stone anymore.
Stone 1: Oh! So, you believe that we are meant for something.
Stone 2: Yes, I do. Each and everything in this Universe are meant for something and is unique in its own way.
Stone 1: If that’s the case then how do you know what you are meant for?
Stone 2: Sometimes we have to find our purpose and sometimes we discover it through others. Finding our purpose is the most significant and difficult thing in life. Once we know it, life changes for the better.
Stone 1: Are you certain that everything has a purpose in life?
Stone 2: Yes, I am! We all share a common purpose, which is to grow. We have to keep growing, leading, and making life better for ourselves and others.
Stone 1: Okay. Then let’s see what happens in the future.
Stone 2: Keep up the spirited hope!
Both stones were extracted from deep underground after many days of digging. All their dirt was cleaned and then polished rigorously until it got shining. Lots of people gathered around them, shouting while looking at them, ‘What a piece of diamond it is! Marvellous!’
Watching and hearing all these statements, Stone 1 asked Stone 2,
Stone 1: Hey, we are shining brightly and beautifully. What happened to us and why are they calling us ‘diamonds’?
Stone 2: They are calling us diamonds because that’s what we are.
Stone 1: But we were completely covered in dirt. I thought we were just some dirty stones. How do we get shining? How do we become diamonds?
Stone 2: Friend, we were always diamonds. Though we were covered with dark and black dirt, we still were diamonds. It’s just that we were not aware of it. These people knew about it, more than we knew about ourselves. They removed all our dirt, cleaned us, and polished us thoroughly. In the end, it revealed our true selves. We are precious jewels and will be used to make ornaments. We will be used as a symbol of pride and beauty.
It’s not just us, but all of us are precious gems, covered with dirt of some sort. Our image of ourselves is negatively impacted by this dirt. Each of us is a pure gem, just like the rest of us, and we are all meant to shine brightly. But we are not aware of what we are and most of us don’t even try. We live in a belief that we are dirty, good-for-nothing fellows and that belief creates our self-image, which in turn creates our life.
But in reality, we all serve a specific purpose. It should be our main obligation to find out what our purpose is and do what we are meant to do. Our beliefs hold lots of importance in our lives and through our beliefs, we create everything in and around us. Believe in yourself and create a better life for yourself and the people around you.
Both diamonds were shaped and designed into beautiful ornaments.
Remember friends, we are all precious gems. Know yourself, Believe in yourself, Shape yourself, Create yourself, and Design yourself to shine forever!
