Last year, I was mentoring a boy for his upcoming Public Speaking Competition. We had a great time practicing and chatting during our breaks until…
The little boy: Miss Elise, I’m scared. Tbh, I don’t think I can do it. All the other kids seem to be doing better than me. Also, if I don’t win, my mom will be very disappointed in me… I really don’t think I am good enough.
I thought about it for a bit and quickly grabbed 3 pencils and laid it down in front of him.
Me: Okay, I have 3 pencils here. What are their differences?
Immediately, he started listing the following:
Deffos, they were all correct. All of them have their respective differences of course, until...
Me: Okay, great! Are there any more differences?
The little boy: Well, I need to sharpen 2 of them and the other, I just need to refill with lead.
Me: Okay, any more?
He thought for a brief moment and shook his head.
Me: Well, all of your answers are correct. Each of them have their own respective differences, but do you know what they all have in common?
He shook his head again.
Me: They are all still pencils. All of them are functioned to draw or write. Their appearances do not really matter. What matters is that they are still able to function properly and whether they can meet the task they were made to do. Now, which one of them do you think would perform better than the other?
The little boy: Well, I would say the mechanical pencil. You don't need to sharpen it, which may take some more effort than refilling it with lead.
Me: Okay, but what happens if you've run out of lead during an exam?
He was quiet for awhile and said,
"Then, I'll use the ordinary one."
Me: Precisely. But what happens if you’ve broken your pencil and didn’t have a sharpener with you?
He was quiet again.
Me: Exactly. Basically, none of them is better than the other because they have their own strengths and weaknesses. Now, apply this to us - we are like pencils. We all appear differently to others and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. But just because we lack certain traits others have, doesn't mean we aren't good enough. We are all destined for greatness. What’s amazing about us is that we are given endless opportunities to grow.
We are not bound by our weaknesses, but rather, it reminds us of our strengths.
And from that moment on, he became even more confident each time we practiced. Sadly, I wasn’t able to find out the result of his performance :// But I know that he’s still a winner to me.
Now it’s your turn: Be brave and confident. Don’t ever let your doubts or fears conquer you. I may not know your exact struggles or even know you as a whole, but what I do know is, we are all gifted no matter what. ♡ #selfworth #selfconfidence #remindersforyou #lifelessons