Nature is the greatest textbook. To a person who observes and studies nature carefully and minutely, nature gives a bunch of lessons. Flora and fauna of the earth, created and sustained by the Almighty, have a lot of lessons to teach us.
Sometimes, we say “O! He is a touch-me-not!” That means, he is a weak person, who is unable to withstand adverse situations. This term is often used in a negative connotation. It is true. Because touch-me-not plants will wither merely at touch of a fingertip. Now, let us consider the other side of it. Touch-me-not plants wither only for a few minutes. After some time, they will regain their previous state.
I think we should adopt this quality of touch-me-not plant in our life. Others may put us down in various ways. They may try to defeat us. Sometimes, we may succumb to external pressures and fall down. But, it should not be a perennial fall. We should get up from every fall like the touch-me-not plant. There are many reasons ahead of us to succumb to failure. But there is only one reason to rise up from defeat: the determination to succeed!
Leech and snail are two creatures that reflect the behavior of touch-me-not. Some kind of leeches curl inwards when someone touches it, just like touch-me-not. But, after some time, it will be back to its previous shape and continue its journey. Snails too, when some obstacle occurs on their way, pull back their tentacles and after some time they will resume their journey.
Human life is like this as well. We will have to face many obstacles in life that interrupt our journey. We might get upset before unexpected interferences. We may find it difficult to go ahead. Nevertheless, you should not get dismayed. Neither should you stop your journey. We have a goal in life. That goal should enchant us and lead us ahead.
What do we do when the handle of our spade gets broken or the sharpness of the blade has diminished? We change the handle and sharpen the blade. Then we will continue to use it. Have you seen how a blacksmith makes weapons? He will heat it in the fire and beat it flat to make a good weapon out of the shapeless iron. A weapon will be sharp only if it passes through fire.
We become strong only when we pass through adverse situations. Obstacles and impediments are opportunities to sharpen our caliber. We should continue our effort with renewed hope and sense of purpose.
Evaluate the lives of those who have reaped success in life. Once they were zeros, but they became heroes by their determination to succeed and work hard. They did not succeed because everything was favorable to them or everyone encouraged them. They did not wither away in adverse situations. Neither did they stop their journey halfway when faced by impediments. We will also be able to succeed in life if we give up our haughtiness and go ahead trusting in God and with self-confidence.
