Working Life is just like a Pencil

Working life is just like a pencil.

If a newly manufactured pencil is remained in a box on a shelf, not sold, it will either always being remained like that shape for the rest of its life or rot to its death. If we always keep our attributes or personal skills hidden from the world outside, we will always sit at the corner, wondering why our lives are so pathetic. The one with fickle mind will always stay at the starting point and never makes the first move.

In order to make the pencil, itself useful, it has to make a decision and change itself. This is when a sharpener plays a part. The pencil has to be sharpened to show its usefulness. Similar to us, we have to make a decision. What we are today is the decision made by us, three years ago. What decision we make today is what we are in the future. When we make changes, we are saving ourselves.

However, the pencil is now depends on its user as to whether it will write a nice handwriting. Just like us, if we have the right employer to hone up and train our skills, we are on the right track. Make a right choice and focus on it.

Otherwise, eraser is needed to erase those errors or bad handwriting and to re-write again. This is why pencil is being used (and not pen) as we are able to erase our mistakes by learning from them. The only person who never makes mistakes is the person who never does anything.

Pictures credits to Discovery Education

These are what I had learnt today from a talk that I attended with my mom. The sentences in bold and italianised are the summary that I find fit.

Now I really need to sit down and think and make the right decision.

Note: The speaker spoke in Mandarin so I was just translating what I understood into English.