The professor's test!

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The professor's test

Here's a short thought for everyone today...


There was once a wise professor who wanted to test his students on their understanding of the world.

One grey morning, his class filed into his classroom in their usual surly manner, grumbling and moaning about having another 'test'.

The professor, who had already set their question papers on the desk in front of them, explained that there would be only one question in the test that day, which elicited smiles from around the room. The professor said, that all the students needed to do was to describe what they saw once they turned the paper over.

Pens poised, the students quickly turned over the question paper to be confronted by something that confused and amused them. To their surprise, the only thing written on the paper appeared to be a black dot, somewhere towards the middle of the paper.

"You may begin", said the professor and immediately, 30 pens set about writing about the strange black dot. Some measured it, some worked out a formula for its exact location on the paper, and some simply stared at it incredulously!

When the test was over, the professor collected in the papers one by one, and as he sat and read the efforts of his students, his heart seemed to sink.

"Indeed, you have all been very eloquent" he said, with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "Some of you have taken the pains to measure and describe the black dot on the paper in great detail, at great length. It's been called a dot, a spot, a blemish, a smudge" he continued, "and has been the focus of all of your attention for the last half an hour.......but you have all missed something..."

Cries of "what?" and "impossible!" erupted around the room, but the professor stood his ground and shook his head.

"You have all been so focused on the black dot on the paper, that not one of you even mentioned the remaining 99% of the paper, or the pristine nature of its colour, or the smoothness of its texture. You have focused only on one spot, and in doing so, have ignored al the other wonderful things that this paper could be."

The students fell silent for they knew the professor was right.

"This is what you do with your life" he said calmly. "Most of you are so blinded by the small blots, that you do not appreciate the other 99% that is your truly, wonderful life. How about you change that before the next lesson?"


Is this you? Do you recognise yourself as someone who always finds the problems?

As we get ready to journey from one year to the next, with Christmas gone ask yourself if you are not doing the same as the students in this exam? And if you are, are you trying to do the same to the people around you too? Do you ignore all their good points and focus only on the minor things that annoy you?

If so, I invite you today to stop it, and bring your focus back onto all the positive and good things in your life, and I guarantee you will start enjoying everything just that little bit more.

Wishing everyone a wonderful evening.

All the best

Gail

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Recent Comments

19

Thanks for sharing Gail. I think I will go and buy me a white canvas and paint a black dot in the middle. Hang it on the wall and call it art. It surely will be a conversation piece. It will remind me to pay attention to the big picture, not some small, not so shiny object.

Making a living, making a difference.
Mark

Now I love that idea. Let me know how it goes.
Happy New Year to you.
All the best in 2020.
Gail

Lovely post. I would like to say this is not me as I am what is known as an eternal optimist.

But as a realist, I also know it is incredibly easy to pick fault with what we have done and what others do.

I strive to be positive as I believe that we control our own thoughts and actions and are responsible for our own state of mind. I know this does not work for everyone, but for the most part it works for me.

I choose to be happy because the alternative is just sad, or depressing or(you fill in the blank).

It does not always work, but it can be infectious.

Thank you for you post.

Alex

Sounds like a good plan Alex.
Happy 2020 to you.
Gail

Awesome post Gail, thank you.
Ray

Thank you Ray. Thanks for your comment. Have a great 2020.
Gail

Wow, Gail, poignant post! I would've been suckered in by that dot too! Hope all is well with you, and Happy 2020!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. You too. Gail

๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

I always focus on the positive although I see possible obstacles sometimes as well. But I'm extremely grateful for everything I have and believe we should follow our dreams!
All the best, Gail in 2020, Gail!
Lenka

Thanks Lenka. And to you.
:)

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