In the middle of a beautiful city, there is a museum. The floor in the museum was laid with marble tiles and right in the center of the foyer was a huge marble statue as a part of the display. Many people from all over the world visited the museum every day and admired the beautifully crafted statue.
One night, one of the marble tiles on the floor started talking to the marble statue, "Hey statue, we are originally from the same town. We were picked up from the same mine, transported on the same lorry, and brought to the very same sculptor. Why then do people from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while they admire and praise you so much? This is so unfair."
The marble statue replied, "My dear friend, do you remember how both of us sat there side by side in the sculptor's workshop in our original form, this marble block? And do you recollect how the sculptor chose to work on you first? He started using his tools on you simply to turn you into a masterpiece, but he resisted. You started falling apart."
"Of course, I remember," said the marble tile, "I hate that guy. How could he use chop tools on me? It hurts so badly."
The marble statue continued, "That's right. When you couldn't take the pain of his tools, he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead. I knew at once that if I had to be something different, I would have to bear the pain. Thinking so, instead of resisting, I bore all the pain of the sharp tools he used on me. My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up, half me, you cannot blame anybody who steps on you now."
"Life as a sculptor wants to make a masterpiece out of you. The question is whether you are ready to handle every test, every hard knock, every trouble, every failure, all the pain that comes from these sculpting duels, and become a masterpiece, or do you crumble and crumble down to simply become a tile? That is what decides where the people step on you or admire you as you become a role model for someone to emulate. Thank you."
