This charming folk tale helps illustrate how important it is to look within ourselves always.
A woman used two large pots slung on a pole to haul water to the village where she lived. One pot was in good condition and stored water faithfully while the other pot had a crack in it. As expected, the water in the cracked pot would seep through the cracks so that it was only half full by the time the woman reached her house.
The first pot was naturally proud of its accomplishments, but the cracked pot felt ashamed and miserable due to its imperfection. "I am ashamed of myself," the cracked pot told the woman one day, "because this crack causes water to leak out leaving me only half full."
The old woman smiled back at the poor pot. "Don't you see all those beautiful flowers sprouting on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"
"I have always known about your crack," she continued, "so two years ago, I decided to plant some seeds on your side of the path, so that everyday while we walk back, you could water them. That's why I always have beautiful flowers in my house."
Each of us has our own cracks and flaws, the same cracks and flaws that make our lives so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.
And the same goes for you! Give yourself a good self-evaluation and see what your good points are. You need to know yourself really well if you really want to shine. Now, again, look at the good points, not the not-so-good points, okay? Accentuate the positive!