One day a teacher entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. The students looked worried and waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The teacher handed out the question paper with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn over the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the centre of the page.

The teacher noticed the puzzled expression on the faces of his students and told them the following, “You have 45-minutes to write about what you see there.”

The confused students got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the 45-minutes, the teacher took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of the answers without exception described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, the implications and what it all meant.

After all had been read, the classroom was silent. The teacher began to explain, “I am not going to give you a grade on you this test, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot and the same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift. We always have reasons to celebrate…nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we witness.”

“However, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots…the health issues that afflict us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend etc. The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Instead, look for the white paper and enjoy each one of your blessings, each precious moment that life gives you. Be happy and live your life positively!”

Are you focused on the black dot or the white part of the paper in your life?

Your opportunity to chat…
I’m passionate about inspiring people to tap into their unique talents and strengths – to be the best they can be – to fulfill the potential they always knew they had.

If you are interested in performance coaching, try my free 20-minute introductory session. Just respond to this email with your name and what challenges you are having – I’ll then arrange a time and date for us to chat by phone or face-to-face.

Get in touch TODAY by email or call my office on +44 (0)20 8798 3433.

Mark Russell Inspired Performance Coaching – Dedicated to Your Success.


Leave a Reply