A black spot and a white sheet of paper

In his early formative years, Kofi Annan sat in a class in which the instructor showed them a large sheet of white paper with a little black dot on it. When the instructor asked, "Boys, what do you see?" they all shouted together: "A black dot!" 

"So, not a single one of you saw the white sheet of paper," the instructor returned, "you only saw the black spot. This is the awful thing about human nature. People never see the goodness of things and the broader picture. Don't go through life with that attitude."

Kofi Annan said how that experience changed his outlook on life. The fact that he went on to become the first UN secretary general from sub-Saharan Africa, and was unanimously elected to a second term because of his diligence, not forgetting co-winning the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize showed that the humble Ghanaian had indeed learned everything from the sheet of white paper and the black dot. 

When you look yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see a short, ugly person with a poor background and no connections at all (the black spot), or you see someone with a breath of life, good health, an education and great prospects (the white piece of paper)? 

African-American vocalist Keith Sweat once said, "It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you are not."

If you are focusing on who you are not instead of what you can be; if your eyes are fixed onto the little dark cloud instead of appreciating the gigantic umbrella of heaven in all its grand magnificence, it's time you changed your outlook. Begin to dream big, believe big, act big, see big, and your abilities will start to shine, and like Kofi Annan, you will soar to great horizons like an eagle.