Last update: January 26, 2015
Once an Eastern monk saw a scorpion about to drown. He decided to pull it out of the water, but in doing so the scorpion stung him. Because of the pain he let go of his grip, letting it fall, and the animal began to sink ... Then he tried to pull it out again, and the animal stung him again.
The scene was repeated several times: taking him out of the water, being stung and letting go.
A passer-by who had been watching him for a while said to him: “Why are you so stubborn? Doesn't he understand that every time he pulls him out of the water the scorpion will sting him? "
And the monk replied: "It is in the nature of the scorpion to sting. But that won't change my nature, which is to help".
To be able to have a well-defined character you have to overcome fears, because they don't allow us to take risks, and the only way to truly live is to take risks constantly, every time we make decisions.
A person has a definite character when in life manages to remain faithful to personal principles, when he is sure of his beliefs, and especially when he is capable of controlling himself and mastering his impulses. A person with character may have fears, but the difference is in the way he deals with them. He does not flee or become paralyzed, but accept risky situations with courage and determination, trying to solve them in the most appropriate way and without crumbling in the face of the first difficulty. Living is not easy. The world can be wonderful, but it can also be cruel.
Maintain a strong character it allows us to face things as they are, not as we would like them to be. It helps us to distance ourselves from weak people who never make commitments and whose ego compromises with everything and everyone, because they give everything a price or a value.
The goal is not to possess, but to give; it is not having, but being: not controlling, but sharing: not submitting, but getting along. (Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel)
