Friction and Trials

@DAVIDVGOLIATH brings this Chinese proverb to the table:

A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.

Nobody is born perfect.  We all need to be shaped to change from the helpless creature that is first held in his mother’s arms to the mature adult that we become.  Along the way, our values and beliefs are formed.

Anybody who has waltzed through life without any difficulties will grow up but not mature.  Having never faced adversity, they would not know how to deal with adversity; instead, their base instincts will kick in – run, hide, look for protection.

It is our trials and tribulations that define who we are.  Just as a rock sitting permanently on a shelf will never become a jewel, a person sitting permanently on the couch will never mature.  We must gain experience in order to grow, and this experience comes through our trials and difficulties.