We can take the most profound and touching lessons from such ordinary little things, like the pencil and eraser. Have you ever wondered about the relationship between a pencil and eraser? I have learned at how emotionally this friendship speaks to us and our loved ones. The next time you look at a pencil, remember the moral lessons of the eraser. It is a powerful reminder that mistakes are OK; that they can be overcome and in fact, I have learned that we cannot do our best work if we are not able to try and fail.

Many years ago, I learned how a pencil with an eraser could remind me of the important lessons an eraser can teach us. I have learned that, everyone makes mistakes and erasers allow us to correct mistakes; mistakes are correctable; we should erase them, and let go of the mistakes.

Erasers give us the power to adjust. Our best work requires adjustments and updates. Our plans absolutely must be written down, and they need to be written in pencil. The world and our situations will eventually change and the eraser will help us be more flexible and adaptable.

I have also learned that erasers give us a safety net, and remind us that the pressure is not as great as we might think. For instance, if we do a math assignment in pen, the pressure is on to get the answers right the first time. This is not an excuse for doing poor work, but having an eraser does take off some of the pressure.

Erasers invite us to edit, and results of a second (or third) draft are almost always better. If we don’t succeed (or succeed as completely as we hoped), the eraser lets us make edits and try again.

Erasers erase the past, and help us focus on what is next. Yes, we must learn from the past, but we must focus forward. The beauty of a great eraser, like the one on the pencil, is that it erases well enough that we CAN focus on what’s next.

I have created my own meaning, and deepened the lessons as I had learned throughout my journey in life regarding the pencil and eraser. I do encourage everyone to do the same, to make the pencil become reminder, a reminder of how successful we can become as long as we have an eraser.

By Tim Pedrosa