The Mirror Within....

The Mirror Within

Elara  grew up in a small town, surrounded by people with big dreams and louder voices. Elara was quiet, observant, and always found herself comparing her life to others. She didn’t think she was as talented , as brave, or as clever. In her mind, she was just… ordinary.

Routine wise, she would pass  a park on her way to the bakery where she worked & her gaze would linger on the grand fountain at the center of the park. The fountain for her was an image of perfection. 

Elara would wonder if she, too, could be like that—meaningful enough to be noticed.

One day, as she was walking home from work, a thunderstorm - rain  broke out. She dashed for cover under a large oak tree. Elara noticed a small, weathered stone in the ground near her feet. Something about it drew her in. When the rain touched it, the stone began to glow faintly, reflecting the dim light of the storm. 

Elara crouched down to inspect it more closely and found  a carve in it  which said, "In every storm, find your light."

She took the stone home, placed it on her windowsill & would look at it daily. 

Days passed, something within her began to shift. She realized that the stone, though weathered and imperfect, had a beauty of the journey it had endured. 

Not fountain perfect but it had its own kind of brilliance, patience & resilience 

A year later,  Elara was invited to a local gathering. People from the town would come to share their skills, their stories, and their dreams.

Elara had always avoided the spotlight, but something inside her stirred. What if, just like the stone, she had a beauty in her own imperfections?

At the event, as she stepped forward to speak, she hesitated. She wasn’t a singer, or an artist, or a speaker. 

But she remembered the stone on her windowsill and the lesson it had taught her. She took a deep breath and began.

"I’m not extraordinary," she started. "I don’t have a loud voice, and I’m not always the first one to speak up. 

But I’ve learned something important. Sometimes, it’s not about shining the brightest or standing out the most.

 It’s about recognizing your own worth, even when you feel small, quiet, or unnoticed. 

Like a stone in a storm, you have something valuable just by being who you are.

Every step you take, every challenge you face, is part of what makes you… you." The room fell silent. 

And then, slowly, people began to nod. It wasn’t the loudest words that touched them, but the honesty and simplicity of the message.

Elara realized that, just like the stone, her worth wasn’t determined by how much attention she received or how “perfect” her life appeared. 

Her true value was in the way she had weathered her storms, how she had quietly grown, and how, despite her self doubts, she had something meaningful to offer.

Finally self worth isn’t something you find through externals, nor is it a measure of how much recognition you receive.

 It’s recognizing your own value, even when the world around you is loud and overwhelming.