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The metaphor of human life - pencil analogies examples

Writer's picture: Ryszard SkarbekRyszard Skarbek

Today, let's explore the metaphor of human life presented in the form of a beautiful story about a pencil about to become alive. The master's wise words inspired him to set out on his life's journey with a clearly defined goal.


This metaphor of human life beautifully explains the deeper meaning of the adversities that come our way and provides a wise way to approach mistakes and failures.

It also shows the true value of a human being.


The parable of the pencil

An old Pencil Maker put one pencil aside just before he put it in a box to send to a customer.


“Before I send you out into the world, I want to tell you five things you should know,” he told the pencil. "Always remember them and never forget them, and you will become the best pencil you can be."


  1. You can do many wonderful things, but only if you allow yourself to be held by Someone's hand.

  2. You'll experience some painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.

  3. You will be able to correct any mistakes you may make.

  4. The most important part of you will always be what's inside.

  5. You must leave a mark on every surface you use it on. No matter the conditions, you must continue writing.


The pencil listened, understood, and promised to remember the master's words. And thanks to this, he ended up in a box with a goal marked in his heart.


What the parable of the pencil teaches us

Let this parable be an inspiration to you. Never become discouraged and/or think your life is insignificant and cannot be changed. Know that you are a unique person and the only one who can fulfill the purpose for which you were born.


Please remember - your value is determined not by what you have, but by what is inside you.

Here is another pencil analogy example:


Think of life as a pencil, getting duller and duller, until it can no longer draw anything. Then death comes and, if you're lucky, you have enough time before the worst happens to think things over and put them in their right places. Just like sharpening a pencil to use it again.
- Jonathan Carroll


One day you will understand

And I think the following wise words written by motivational coach Mateusz Grzesiak will be a great punch line:


One day you will understand
That life is about collecting experiences, not things. That a few friends are more important than crowds of unknown people. That one partner on a permanent basis is better than many from time to time. That money doesn't bring happiness only when you have it. That most of your problems come from your culture and your parents. That the best investment is skills. That 99% of your worries only happen in your head. That what you feel is more important than rules. That awareness of thoughts, behaviors and emotions is needed in every area of life. That everyone goes through similar stages in life. That you weren't as smart as you thought. That you underestimated what you had and overvalued what you didn't have. That those who don't know you have the most to say about you. That the quality of life is better the more you are yourself. That with a good idea and hard work in favorable conditions, you can achieve anything. That you feel better when you give than when you take. That everything that happened in your life was necessary for you to be where you are today. That intuition is as important as knowledge. That without helping yourself you cannot help others. That conclusions can be drawn from every event, even the worst. That until you stop regretting, you will not be free from the past. That you meet people in moments of crisis, not when everything is going well. That you have a worse opinion of yourself than others think of you. That hardly anyone really knows you. That no one will solve your problems for you. That you can't run away from yourself. That some media is used for brainwashing and has nothing to do with the truth. That there's no point in pretending you don't feel something. That love is safer than feigned indifference. That you've wasted a lot of time on excuses. That you won more often because of your work than luck. That you have done things in life that make others better off. That you're OK.

See also other coaching parables and stories:

Diversity and Inclusion Coaching - How do you view the world? 



The Story of 3 Bricklayers - Building Cathedral Story 

Self-esteem coaching - How much are YOU worth?

Life Values Coaching - Do you know the value of your time? 


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