The Story Of The Black Dot

One day a Professor went into the lecture hall and asked his students to get ready for a surprise test. The students were not expecting this. So, they all got anxious, waiting for the Test to begin.

The Professor handed out the test paper with the text facing down and asked everyone to wait for his instructions. After handing over the question paper to everyone, the Professor asked the students to turn over the question paper and begin.

To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions on the paper. There was just a Black Dot in the center of the page. All the kids were confused. Noticing their confusion, the Professor said, “I want you to write about what you see in the best way you can. You have 15 minutes to complete the test.”

The students got down to work on the strange Test. Fifteen minutes passed. The Professor collected all the answer papers and started reading them aloud, one by one.

Not surprisingly, all the kids, without exception, wrote about the Black Dot-Describing it, explaining its relevance and position in the middle of the page. Some students even unearthed hidden meanings for the simple Black Dot. Some others, being creative, found poetic expressions for the Dot.

After reading all the responses, the Professor shared his thoughts.

” I am not grading you on this paper. I just wanted to give you something to think about.

None of you wrote anything about the white space on the paper. Instead, every one of you focussed on the Black Dot. You spent all your time and effort in writing about the Black Dot.

Think of this Test as a metaphor for the life you will experience. Our life is like the White paper, but we all choose to focus on the Black Dots.

Our life is full of experiences and events that we should be grateful for and celebrate- Our family, friends, Job, and a good life. But somehow, we focus on the small negatives, the Black Dots. The stressed relationship, the odd person who may not appreciate you when everyone else does, desiring that little extra when you already have enough, trying to be right all the time, etc. The Black Dots are tiny compared to the rest of the canvas in our life. But, they occupy the center stage in our minds and emotions, just like the Black Dot in the Test.

Don’t let the Black Dots overshadow all the good that happens in your life. Take your focus away from them. Enjoy the beauty of the White Space.”