文/卢化南
苦难就是河水，我们都是泥人。那么，成功在哪里？
某一天，上帝宣布说，如果哪个泥人能够走过他指定的道路，他就会赐给这个泥人一份永不磨损的智慧。
这道命令下达之后，泥人们久久都没有回应。不知道过了多久，终于有一个小泥人站了出来，说他想通往另一端。
“成为名校学生怎么可能呢？你不要做梦了。”
“走不到学府门前，你就会被淘汰的！”
“你知道努力一点点付出的感觉吗？”
“你将会成为无用之民，没有任何机会！”
……其他泥人都在劝着他。
然而，这个小泥人的决心坚定。他不想一辈子只做这么个普通的人，他想拥有一份金子般的心。但是，他也知道，要拥有上帝赐予的心必须遵守他的旨意，即要到成功的彼岸，必得先跨越现实中的困难和挑战。
而他的挑战，就是他将要面对的学习和考试。
小泥人才到达起跑线。犹豫了一瞬间，他深吸了一口气，然后踏入了知识海洋中，不知疲倦地学习，每一次思考都仿佛是在与时间赛跑中不断超越自我。他感到自己的记忆在飞快地积累着，每一分每一秒都在加深理解和掌握新知识。
“快放弃吧，不然你就无法实现你的梦想！”时间嘲笑着说。
但小泥人没有回答，只是默默地向前迈出一步，一步，二步……这一刻，他忽然明白，他的选择使他连后悔都不再敢轻易考虑。如果放弃，就意味着永远错失机会；如果继续前进，只能让自己更加接近成功。而上帝给他的承诺，则比失败还要光明。
小 mud person alone and resolute in his journey. This road is so long, it seems like a lifetime's journey just to reach the end. The mud person looks towards the other side, seeing there lush green fields and blooming flowers, and birds flying high in the sky. God must be sitting under a tree sipping tea, perhaps that is the life of heaven. But he cannot complain to God about this, can he? God allowed him to take this path; did he not give up on his comfortable life?
The tears of the mud person fell onto his face and washed away one layer of skin. The mud person quickly lifted his face and pressed all remaining tears back into his eyes. Tears streaming down his throat, falling onto the heart of the mud person. For the first time, he realized that crying could have such a way - for him.
The small figure moved forward with an almost impossible determination: inch by inch.
After what seemed like an eternity - when hope was at its lowest point - suddenly found himself standing on dry land.
He felt as if he had reached heaven itself!
But as soon as he thought about stepping onto grassy grounds or walking further ahead with pride in hand...he hesitated again because fear gripped him; afraid that even a single step would stain paradise's purity with his tattered garments.
Lowering head humbly before gazing upon self-discovery only left him astounded by finding nothing but one shining golden core within himself while having eyes sprouting from above it.
Understanding dawned on him then:
There were no lucky breaks nor happy endings anywhere in heaven.
Seeds needed to burrow through heavy darkness before germinating under sunbeams,
Birds required countless feathers before learning how to soar,
Even gods once walked through hell’s longest stretch fighting against adversity.
And so was every man – including those who dared become heroes among ordinary people – struggling till they found their own hearts' gold amidst raging torrents while others merely swam along them without ever realizing their true potential waiting inside themselves hidden beneath layers upon layers of dust from ages past...
As long as you dare dream big enough & are willing enough & brave enough...
Then comes your chance...