The Touchstone
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers. The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages, there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"!
The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.
He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this, but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble, and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand, and it's just as easy to throw it away.
- Author Unknown Bits & Pieces, Economic Press
From India, Pune
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1When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers. The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages, there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"!
The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold.
So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles.
He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this, but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.
The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble, and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away.
So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand, and it's just as easy to throw it away.
- Author Unknown Bits & Pieces, Economic Press
From India, Pune
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Yes Dear Its the nature of human being who is never happy with what he is , he is always behind what he is not having in turn he does not enjoy what he is having. Good ... regards
From India, Jamnagar
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From India, Jamnagar
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Asmita,
Your story was heartwarming and definitely not something to be discarded. Of course, I held it tightly in my hands, eager to share it with my friends.
Thank you. Please take a look at two of my threads, and I would greatly appreciate hearing from you:
(1) Art for Inspiration
(2) What Eagles Can Teach Us
Regards,
Viswanathan
From India, Surat
Acknowledge(0)Amend(0)
Your story was heartwarming and definitely not something to be discarded. Of course, I held it tightly in my hands, eager to share it with my friends.
Thank you. Please take a look at two of my threads, and I would greatly appreciate hearing from you:
(1) Art for Inspiration
(2) What Eagles Can Teach Us
Regards,
Viswanathan
From India, Surat
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