Monday, May 18, 2009

DO YOU GIVE IN EASILY?

There was once a young ballerina who had taken ballet lesson all through her childhood. She wanted to be a prima ballet dancer but she wanted to be sure that she had the talent. When a ballet company came to town, she went backstage after the performance and spoke to the ballet master.

“I want to be a great ballet dancer but I don’t know if I had the talent” she said.

“Dance for me” the master said. After a minute or two, he shook his head and said “No, no, no, you don’t have what it takes to be a great ballerina.”

The young woman went home heartbroken. She tossed the ballet slippers into the closet and never wore them again. Instead she got married, had children. when the kids are old enough, she took a part time job manning a cash register at a corner shop.

Years later, the same ballet company came into town. She attended it and on the way out, she ran into the same old ballet master who was then in his eighties. She reminded him that they had spoken before. She showed him photos of her children and told him about the corner shop job that she is doing now. And then she asked “There is just one thing that really bothered me. How could you tell me that I don have what it takes to be a great ballerina?”

“Oh, I barely look at you when you danced, that’s what I told all of them who came to me” he said.

“But…but, that’s unforgivable! You have ruined my life, I could have been a great ballet dancer!” she cried.

-Author Unknown-
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So whose fault was it? The old ballet master or the budding ballerina or both of them?

Please leave a comment..I would love to hear your views. Thanks.

4 comments:

Tiger said...

Hi MWS,
It's all too easy to just say it's either party's fault.
There are certain paths already lined up for everyone. It's been decided by Him.
If the ballerina really wanted to be a professional dancer, she would've persevered despite whatever the old master said.
If it was meant for him to pick her for his troupe, he would have noticed her talent (if she really had one) in 2 seconds of observation.
At the end of it all, they would have been on the path they were meant to be.
That's what I believe.

Unknown said...

Hi Tiger,

Sorry for the late publication of your comment. I was out of town and just got home.

You are right...I believe that things could have worked out either way and our lives are predestined by God.

Sometimes, we never know what might have happened and it is better not to sweat over the what ifs and to accept our lot..but it is not so easy...

Take care and thanks so much for sharing.

Cheers

uncle james said...

Hi MWS,

Great story.

But i strongly disagree with what most people called " Fate" and "Destiny".

The two much-maligned words of "Fate" and "Destiny" are , should i say, are most often used on hindsight, no?

I always tell people, especially young people : Go follow your heart! Just DO it!

Fate & Destiny is a "future" word,
and the future is in our hands.

Even if we had not become very accomplished in your chosen desire or field, we would have achieved a sense of self-fulfilment along the journey.

And that is MORE important than anything - by having done something that our heart desires.

Not listening to so-called experts who say we cannot do it.

Like i have said on many occasions, who is to "judge the so-called judges ? "

Peace.

Unknown said...

Dear brother James,

I agree with your maxim = follow your heart...

Once upon a time, I lost a very precious opportunity that changed my life completely, simply because I conformed and did not follow my heart. And I lived to regret it for over thirty years!!!

I only came to terms with it last year and I am still filled with much sadness. Thirty years is a very long time to realize that I was dumb, fearful and I could be at a different place today if not for that major blunder.

That is why I also advise younger people to follow their heart or live to regret it for a long time...

Hey - why didn't I know you thirty years ago LOL???I am sure it would have been a different story had you given me that advice!

Cheers!