1.You can copy me, but can’t be me
A young man kept trying to copy an actor. He tried to dress like the actor did. He learned to talk like the actor. He learned everything about the actor’s walking, expressions, and habits.
A few years went by like this. He spent a lot of money copying the actor and showed off his happiness to everyone.
One day, he met the actor. The actor felt pleased and thanked him for imitating him.
The man said, “I love you so much. I’m happier than anything to be able to imitate you. People have praised me so much.”
The actor said with a smile, ‘You can imitate me, but you can’t be like me. You might have enjoyed copying me, but you’ve lost your own authenticity. You can copy someone else, but losing your true self isn’t good. There’s no greater loss than losing your own authenticity.’
The man realized he had really lost himself by idolizing the hero. Now, by imitating someone else, he doesn’t really have an identity of his own.
2.There’s no written record of what will happen to you in life.
A teacher asked all the students in the class about what they thought would happen in life. Every student shared their intentions. But one student didn’t give an answer.
He was really confused in his thinking, so he couldn’t give a clear answer. He didn’t know what kind of response would be right.
The teacher asked him again, “Everyone else has shared their purpose, but you haven’t. Tell us what you want to be in life.”
Finally, the student said, “Sir, I don’t know what God has written for me. People just say that what God wills happens. I just follow what God does to me. Whatever God has in store for me in life will happen.”
The teacher said, “People talk a lot about God. God creates us, gives us a place to live on earth, and then just takes us back. To survive, you have to find your own path to become what you’re going to be. There’s no set plan for what you’ll be in life. You have to make yourself into what you want to be. Your purpose shapes who you’ll become in the future.”
3.It’s not easy to wait
A man was waiting for one of his friends on the road. His friend didn’t show up on time, so he had to wait and was really anxious. He couldn’t decide if he should keep waiting for his friend.
Another man on the street came up to him and asked, “Why are you standing here? You seem really anxious and unsure.”
The man waiting for his friend replied, “I’ve been waiting for a long time. He still hasn’t arrived. I don’t know if he’s coming or not, and I can’t decide whether to keep waiting for him.”
The man on the street asked, ‘How loyal is he to you?’
The man waiting for his friend replied, ‘We’ve always trusted each other. He doesn’t cheat on me, and I haven’t betrayed him either.’
The man on the street said, ‘Waiting isn’t easy. Sometimes we get tired and give up. We might even lose hope. But we have to keep going, because only you know the right moment. God helps us stay strong in our faith while we wait. Always believe in yourself.’
4.All success depends on discipline
After finishing university, a student went to see his old primary school teacher. He greeted his teacher, who was thrilled to see him after so many years.
The teacher asked, “So, what brings you back to see me?”
The student smiled and said, “I just got my final exam results today. I topped the exam. That’s why I thought of you and came to you, remembering what you told me long ago.”
The teacher couldn’t remember and asked, “I don’t remember what I said.”
The student said, “Sir, you said that all success depends on discipline. I kept up my discipline while studying, and that’s how I achieved academic success.”
The teacher was really happy and asked, “Tell me, what kind of discipline are you talking about?”
The student replied to his teacher, “I always studied hard. I never stopped studying or thought about giving up. I never skipped my study time. I always made good choices to succeed. I kept encouraging and motivating myself to stay focused on my studies.”
5.Success comes from doing small tasks consistently every day
A man started waking up every morning and running ten kilometers. This routine turned into a habit, and he kept it up for years.
People on the road often stared at him. Many thought he was just wasting his time. Some believed that running like this wouldn’t get him anywhere in life.
One day, a man stopped him and asked, “What have you achieved by running down the street every day? Can’t you do something else instead?”
He replied, “I’m preparing myself for what I want to achieve in life. Success is a big goal for me, and it will ensure my survival.”
The man asked again, “But you’re just doing small things. How is that supposed to lead to success?”
He answered, “Success comes from doing small tasks consistently every day.”
6.It takes real courage to let go of the shame of doing your work
A woman from a poor family was forced to quit school and get married because of family pressure. Within two years of marriage, she became a mother, but unfortunately, her husband suddenly died from an illness.
To raise her son, she worked as a cleaner at a bank. Friends laughed at her, and the villagers spoke badly of her. But she endured everything and kept doing her job.
She cleaned up dirty trash in and around the bank on time. She took care of her son, and amazingly, she also studied for a job exam.
Seeing how hard she worked and how brave she was, the bank manager once said, “It takes real courage to let go of the shame of doing your work. So don’t be ashamed to do the right things for yourself and for everyone else.”
This lady managed her time really well between all the bank work, her studies, and taking care of her son. At one point, she even passed the bank exam and became an assistant bank manager at the same bank.
7.Dream big, start small, do it now.
A successful farmer was once invited as a guest at an event. When he gave his speech, everyone listened to him with great interest.
Many people wanted to become farmers after hearing him speak.
After the program ended, a student approached him and said, “Thank you, sir, I’m so glad to hear your speech. Now I want to change my mind.”
The farmer asked the student, “Why do you want to change your goal? Can you tell me what your goal is?”
The student replied, “I had decided to become a university teacher, but now I really look forward to becoming a farmer.”
The farmer said, “In life, you can’t have everything you want. To become something, you have to follow certain rules: dream big, start small, and start now.”
8.A young tree can’t be grown in a single day just by watering it
One day, a young man bought a young tree from a tree seller. He planted it near his house and watered it every day. With love and care, the tree grew slowly.
Next door, there was another farmer who had planted trees in his garden years ago. Now, they had blossomed and were bearing fruit. The farmer was making a lot of money by selling the fruits from his trees.
The young man saw the farmer earning money from his trees and felt upset about his own small trees. He wanted his trees to grow and bear fruit quickly, so he gave them more water and fertilizer than before.
He couldn’t wait for the tree to grow, and one day, in frustration, he wanted to cut it down.
Then, the village farmer came up to him and asked, “Can you tell me why you want to cut down the tree?”
The young man said, “I’ve watered, loved, and fertilized this tree so much up until today. But it still hasn’t helped me. It hasn’t grown or produced any fruit yet.”
The farmer said, “You can’t make a young tree grow in one day just by watering it. You have to give it time to grow. You need to be patient. If you don’t wait, you’ll never see the fruits on the tree you planted.”
The young man realized his mistake he had started losing patience. Without waiting for the tree to bear fruit, he tried to destroy it, dismissing all the effort he had put in.
9.The Water, Milk and Venom
There was a very clear stream in the middle of a big forest. Every day, a cow and a snake would drink from this stream at different times. A bird was always watching them.
One day, the bird met the cow and asked, “You drink this water every day. What does drinking it do for you?”
The cow answered, “By drinking the water, I make milk, and my children can live on this milk. It helps them grow strong and healthy.”
The next day, the bird asked the snake, “What does drinking water do for you?”
The snake replied, “By drinking water, I make poison. I use this poison to protect myself.”
At first, the bird was puzzled and struggled to understand. He thought deeply about how the same water could turn into milk for one and poison for another, and finally, he got it.
A cow produces milk by drinking water. A snake also produces poison by drinking the same water. Water is water, and it has whatever quality it can give on its own.