A life without a struggle?

Nothing worthwhile comes in life without a

struggle
The pa th to succe ss is full of obsta cle s tha t ne e d to be ove rcom e . It
is the se tria ls tha t pre pa re us for the ga ins in life . Trium phs dont
com e without e ffort a nd succe ss is not m e a sure d by our position in
life but by the obsta cle s we ove rcom e to ge t the re . It is m e a sure d
not only by how high we go up in life , but by how m a ny tim e s we
bounce ba ck whe n we fa ll down. It is our re silie nce tha t se ts us
a pa rt.
An English prove rb sa ys, A sm ooth se a ne ve r m a de a sk ilful
m a rine r. Life

is a continuous struggle , whe re

e a ch e x pe rie nce

m a k e s us ga in in stre ngth a nd grow wise r. A be a utiful story The

tria ls of a Te a C up, by a n unk nown write r, ha s be e n a n unfa iling
source of inspira tion for m e whe ne ve r I ha ve fa ce d a storm in life . It
ha s m a de m e se t m y e ye s on the sa fe shore s a nd ove rcom e the
thre a te ning wa ve s coura ge ously.
This is how the story goes:
I ha ve nt a lwa ys be e n a te a cup. The re wa s a tim e in m y life whe n I
wa s just a lum p of cla y. The n m y m a ste r took m e a nd be ga n to pa t
a nd m ould a nd sha pe m e . It wa s ve ry pa inful a nd I be gge d him to stop, but He only sm ile d a nd sa id, Not ye t. The n
he pla ce d m e on a spinning whe e l a nd I we nt round a nd round. I got so sick tha t I thought I wa snt going to m a k e it,
but the n he fina lly le t m e off. Just a s I thought I wa s going to be a ll right, m y m a ste r put m e in a n ove n. I didnt
unde rsta nd why he wa nte d to burn m e . I ye lle d a nd be gge d for him to stop. He only sm ile d, shook his he a d a nd sa id,
Not ye t.
Fina lly, whe n he took m e out of the ove n I sighe d with re lie f. But, a ll of a sudde n, m y m a ste r pick e d m e up a nd sta rte d
sa nding a nd brushing m e . He took a pa intbrush a nd sta rte d pa inting colours a ll ove r m e . The fum e s we re strong. I
thought I would pa ss out. I ple a de d with him to stop, but he sm ile d a nd sa id, Not ye t! The n he pla ce d m e in a nothe r
ove n. This wa s twice a s hot a s the first. I k ne w I would suffoca te . I be gge d a nd ple a de d a nd crie d, but he only sm ile d
a nd sa id, Not ye t! I lost hope . I couldnt ta k e it a nym ore . It wa s a ll ove r for m e . The n the door swung ope n a nd m y
Ma ste r sa id, Now! He pla ce d m e on a she lf a nd brought a m irror a nd told m e to look . I could not be lie ve m y e ye s. I
wa s a be a utiful te a cup.
The n the m a ste r e x pla ine d, I wa nt you to unde rsta nd tha t I k ne w it hurt whe n I pa tte d a nd m oulde d you. I k ne w the
spinning whe e l m a de you sick . But if I ha d le ft you a lone , you would be just a lum p of cla y. You would not ha ve ha d a
pe rsona lity in your life . If I ha d not ba k e d you, you would ha ve crum ble d. I k ne w it re a lly bothe re d you to be brushe d
a nd pa inte d, but if I ha dnt, you wouldnt ha ve ha d a ny colour in your life . O h how I k ne w the se cond ove n wa s ha rd for
you! But you se e if I ha d not put you the re , you would not ha ve la ste d, so you would not ha ve survive d ve ry long. So
you se e , whe n you thought it wa s a ll so ha rd, I still ha d you in m y ca re . I k ne w a ll a long wha t you would be toda y. I ha d
the finishe d product in m y m ind from the da y I first touche d you.
Tha ts how we a ll ha ve be e n cre a te d - to struggle a nd a chie ve . R ight from the be ginning a child ha s to struggle to cra wl,
to sta nd, to wa lk , to ta lk by him se lf. Eve n the m ost doting pa re nts, a t be st, ca n only a ssist the child. He a lone ca n

m a ste r the se . The se a re the first le ssons of life tha t cle a rly indica te tha t nothing worthwhile in life com e s without a
struggle .