A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and

always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the

house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a whole two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for what it had been made for. The poor cracked pot, however, was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream…“I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to

decorate the table. “Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty

to grace the house.”

Although each of us may have our own unique flaws, it is in our uniqueness that we find our special talents. We are all individuals who have the potential to do great things with our lives.