We have more in common with the humble pencil than we think. Before we start whining and pondering why we are not likened to the more glamorous fountain pen, here’s a video that tells us why.

Some lessons I’ve learnt from this video:

You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in someone’s hand.

Everyone has their own strengths and weakness. No man is an island, even though some may claim to be a “Jack of all trades”. The point of this piece of advice, is that for success, one needs to be willing to receive help, training and guidance.

You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

This will unfortunately link us back to the much over-used saying, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. The road to success is not an easy journey. Many successful entrepreneurs, for example, would have roughed out periods of financial, emotional and physical trials and tribulations. What is most important, is not the aftermath, but instead the wisdom and experience gleaned from these periods of sandpapering.

You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

There are two lessons we can draw from this. Firstly, other than, perhaps, manslaughter where the death penalty will be awarded, any mistakes done in good faith will have a solution to it. Secondly, this encourages us to take risks, because many successes have been obtained by those who have taken the road less travelled (cross reference: Blue Ocean Strategy).

The most important part of you will always be what’s inside

To me, this is simply to be true to ourselves. We will honestly never regard a success as one, if on the path to achieving it, we have lost ourselves and betrayed our personal beliefs and values. 

On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition you must continue to write.

Regardless of the situation we are stuck in, the key to success is to persevere, and to make a difference in the lives of others, in the workings of an organization, etc. To me, success and solitude are completely disjoint sets. One can never enjoy success without others recognize, enjoy and endorse it. Be remembered – for the right reasons.

-stella