Pearls are usually found in the deepest bottoms of waters in lakes and rivers. Pearls are considered very precious because they are rare and beautiful. Pearls are smooth and crystalline and they glitter and shine. As such, there is something undeniably magical and angelic about them. But ironically, it is only humans who consider pearls as precious and valuable. Animals do not regard pearls as something of value simply because anything that cannot be eaten is of no value to animals.
Swines are filthy animals and they live without any purpose or vision in life. Swines never look up and they are always just concentrating on the things beneath them and this is how they go around just sniffing and smelling everything that lies in their way. And they do not care even if they inhale or consume some dirty or unworthy things. Swines can never see or appreciate the beautiful things that surround them simply because they are not interested in anything that cannot be eaten and also because they don’t have the habit of looking around and above them.
To realize the beauty of the world, the only thing they would need to do is to just look up or look around them once in a while. But the irony is that they are only interested in the things beneath them. Therefore, for such a creature, beauty, aesthetic or art has no meaning. Even if we place a swine in a garden with the most beautiful flowers and trees or in a majestically carpeted room filled with the aroma of the most alluring perfumes, it will not have any impact. Therefore, it is no wonder that we don’t expect anything worthy to come out of such creatures.
However, swines do have an interest in two things and they do have an insatiable appetite for these two. The two things for which swines are always ready are food and copulation. Yes, the minds of swines are focused only on these two things. Food and sex are the two things top-most in the minds of swines. They make sounds only because they want food or because they want to mate. And throughout his whole lifetime, a swine usually never even looks up because he does not think that there is anything worthwhile up above him. And this is why it is probably said that a swine usually sees the sky only on the day he dies.
If some most beautiful pearls are thrown amongst some swines, will the swines be interested in the pearls? Will the swines admire the beauty and sparkles of the pearls? Will the swines fight over the pearls? Certainly not. Why? It is because pearls cannot be eaten and so it has no meaning and value to a swine. And so only a fool would think about throwing pearls amongst swines.
In the same way, we should never share anything with people who would not value or appreciate it. God had endowed each and every one of us with certain talents. But there is no much point in sharing our gifts or talents with people who are never going to value it.
Even if I pick up my guitar and go to a herd of pigs and sing the most melodious song I could ever sing, what difference would it make to the pigs? I will never receive any appreciation or applause from the swines. It would only be a waste of time and energy and I would end up as a laughing stock. In the same way, even if I write a most beautiful poem or article and share it with swines, it would be meaningless because senseless creatures would have no regards for these kinds of arts and crafts.
So, one should be kind and generous with one’s gifts, talents or belongings. But there is no point in sharing these with people who would never appreciate your gifts, talents, sacrifices, struggles or generosity. So, be wise and share it with only people who would value it.
Some people are very stingy with their compliments, encouragements and applauses. Even if they are impressed after hearing a song, story or sermon, they usually do not wish to express their appreciation and compliment freely because they feel that such behaviors will make them inferior or subordinate to others. So, even if they are impressed, they would react as if it was no big deal or accomplishment and that everybody can easily do it. So they will usually play the game of playing down an accomplishment or ignoring an impressive performance even if they know that it would require special talent, extra effort and great commitment and sacrifice to do such things. They behave like this because in their hearts they know that they themselves can never perform such deeds.
The best way to deal with this kind of stingy people is to simply stop throwing our pearls amongst them. When we know that they are not going to value our pearls, why should we share with them in the first place? Instead, we should share it with people who value and understand our worth, talents, struggles, sacrifices and stories. Yes, being amongst people who value you and know how to appreciate your gifts and talents can bring about greater things because you will always be uplifted, encouraged, energized and inspired when we choose to be amongst people who value us.
This is the reason why it is extremely important to let only the right kind of people into our inner circle. Our inner circle is extremely important and it is of paramount importance that we surround ourselves with people who uplift and inspire us constantly. Having even one wrong person in our inner circle would be like driving a car with three good tyres and a flat one.
There are four major phenomena at work in flying airplanes. These are weighs, drags, lifts and thrusts. And it is said that we can classify people according to these four phenomena. Firstly, there are people who always weigh us down and whenever we are amongst or near such people we would always be under pressure and heavily weighed down. Secondly, there are people who constantly drag us down and as such, it is always a struggle roaming around or going places with such kinds of people accompanying us because we feel like we are moving with heavy weights tight to our feet. And if we continue to move around with them, we would never be able to reach our destination in time or fulfill our purposes.
Thirdly, there are people who lift us constantly. These people are very generous with their compliments, encouragements and positive feedbacks. And as such, whenever we are with them we feel uplifted and boosted. Such people always put us in good mood and in high spirits and make us feel worthy, appreciated and admired.
Lastly, there are people who are like thrusters and propellers. This kind of people not only acknowledges and compliments our talents, gifts and accomplishments but they also see the potential and possibilities in us. And thus, they thrust and propel us to places and heights we never thought we could reach. These thrusters not only encourage and compliment us but also motivate and inspire us to reach our greatest and highest potential.
So, if we are to reach our highest potential, it is extremely important that we surround ourselves with lifters and thrusters. It is said that birds of the same feather flock together. In the same way, when we surround ourselves with people who lift and thrust us ahead, we can even reach and realize things we never thought were possible.
Likewise, we should also be wise enough to identify the weights and drags in our lives and do our best to loosen ourselves from such bondages. Why should we lie low with people who just tolerate and endure us or who never compliment or encourage us or motivate and inspire us?
And one of the wisest things we could ever do is to stop expecting compliments, encouragements or validation from people who are never going to give us their approval no matter what or how well we do something. Yes, we should stop expecting worthy things from swines who are only interested in eating and mating and would never raise their heads up to appreciate and admire our pearls.
My pearls are my gifts, my talents and my dreams and aspirations and I would share them only with people who would understand and value these things which are extremely precious to me. For it would be an insult and abomination to my Creator Himself who dropped these in my lap to enrich and enhance this world and make it a better and more beautiful place for the ultimate glory of His kingdom.
