Life
Is Like A Sponge…
It
has often been said that a person’s life is the sum total of his/her
experiences. On the surface that seems like a simple enough statement, but
if one accepts this premise, then why do so many of us engage in practices
and activities which are negative and actually hurt us.
Consider
the family of five who decided one day to each clean a different area of
the home. They each took a sponge, did the cleaning, and then placed the
sponges back on the kitchen counter top. The sponges all looked the same.
Later
that day a
visitor came along who was curious as to what was cleaned in the home, but
couldn’t tell by looking since the sponges all looked the same. So, in
order to satisfy his curiosity, he decided to squeeze each sponge to see
what came out.
When
the first sponge was squeezed, some cola came out, so
the visitor decided that someone cleaned the kitchen
with that one.
Upon
squeezing the second sponge, he found tub and tile
cleaner and concluded that this sponge was used to clean
the bathtub.
The
third sponge produced motor oil when squeezed, so
obviously, someone was cleaning the garage.
In
the fourth sponge, baby powder came puffing out when it
was squeezed, which meant that the baby’s nursery was
done with that one.
And
finally, in the last one was floor wax, which was used
on the hall floor.
As
the visitor lay the last sponge down, he again remarked
at their similarity. Once again he pointed out that they
all look the same until
they’re squeezed. It is only when they are squeezed
that you can find out where they’ve been and what is
inside of them.
People
are the same way.
As
we encounter the wide variety of events in our journey
through life, we too are squeezed, just like the sponge
and different things come out. Some people get angry;
some seek revenge; some shed tears; some laugh; some
look upon life as wonderful; others have a negative view
of everything; some show their love for one another;
others think only of themselves.
The main lesson here is that as individuals we
must all remember that we are no different from a
sponge. We can only squeeze out what is put in. As
babies, we are born into this world empty. We are like a
new sponge. As we go through life, our ‘sponge’ is
filled with things that we absorb through experience.
If
we look for the good in others and try to carry a
positive attitude around with us wherever we go, then as
life squeezes us we will have a better chance of coping.
If we are constantly finding fault with others and
forever look for excuses for our behaviour, when life
squeezes us we may not like what comes out.
This
is a lesson to which all young parents should pay
particular attention. The experiences your children have
while they are growing up will determine how they
respond to challenges as adults.
Children
are like sponges, taking in everything you provide. If
you instil positive family values in a child from the
time he/she is born, then those values will form part of
the child’s personality later on in life. If you show
your child how to love, he/she has a better chance of
being a loving person. If you demonstrate that you
respect all forms of life, so too will your children.
However,
if you are disrespectful of authority; show that you
don’t care about the quality of your work; and
disregard the rights of others, don’t expect your
children to be any different.
When
you line people up side by side, they all look similar.
Just as it is with the sponges on the kitchen counter,
you don’t know where they’ve been until you squeeze
them. Once squeezed, the secret is out, and you can rest
assured that on the journey of life we will all be
squeezed many times. All we can do is make sure that
what we put into our life is what we want to come out
whenever we are squeezed.
