Inside, the picture is different. Are you and I any different?

Last week, Anne was at the grocery store and she sent me a one-word text: “rambutan.”

I sent her back a question mark because I had no clue what she meant. It sounded like some sort of a command in a foreign language.

“Look it up.”

Turns out, a rambutan is a tropical fruit. You can look it up on Wikipedia and see a picture of it, but that’s NOT what it looks like in real life. In real life, it is probably the most disgusting looking edible item I’ve ever seen. It looks like a red raw ping-pong ball, surrounded by thick dark greasy hair.

I know this is gross, but I’m probably being kind here. Imagine the thought of eating it!

Anne said she brought it home because our daughter was curious about it and since we always encourage our kids to be open-minded, we always do things like this. Here’s a hint, by the way, if you struggle with new ideas: if you can be open-minded and curious about things going on in your personal life, it’s very easy and natural to be open-minded and curious in business.

Well, here’s what happened with that rambutan. After you slice around that ugly shell with a thin sharp knife, what pops out is a soft bouncy pearly-white fruit that tastes like a grape. Not only was it an interesting experience, but the fruit was quite tasty.

See, sometimes it’s just not fair to judge something or someone, simply by looking at their exterior.

And other times, of course, it works the other way around: A beautiful flower is toxic to the touch. Or, a beautiful woman is toxic to your touch as well.

Either way, appearances can often be misleading as you know.

Here’s a wonderful story that illustrates this. It comes from my good friend Christian Godefroy, and if you like it, you can go to his site at http://www.positive-club.com and you’ll receive loads of good stories like this, or you can listen to an interview Christian did with me at http://www.kingofcopy.com/media/interview/christian

Here’s that story: It’s called “The Cracked Pot”

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across hls neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it, and 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 master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full 2 years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.

But the poor cracked pot 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 2 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, and I want to apologize to you.”

“Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on YOUR side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.

For 2 years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots in one way or another.

Some of us don’t grow old gracefully, some are not so smart, some are tall, large & big, some bald, some physically challenged, but it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You’ve just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there. There is a lot of good in you!

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life! Or as I like to think of it – if not for the crackpots in my life, it would be pretty boring.

Thank you for being my crackpot friend.

Nice, isn’t it? Again, to get wonderful stories like this, regularly — sent to you from a wonderful man, Christian Godefroy — then go to http://www.positive-club.com

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

P.S. Which one of your own hopes and dreams will soon come true?: http://www.kingofcopy.com/dreamscometrue

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