When people throw stones at you, it is often not because of your weakness, but because of your worth.
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Dr R K Behera
When people throw stones at you, it is often not because of your weakness, but because of your worth. No one wastes stones on a barren tree. They are thrown at the one that is full—full of life, full of promise, full of fruit. In the same way, your growth, your success, your integrity, and your character make you visible. And visibility invites attention—both good and bad. Some will admire you silently, drawing inspiration from your journey. Others, unable to understand your light or uncomfortable with your progress, may try to dim it. But opposition is not a sign to stop—it is often a sign that you are moving in the right direction.
The true measure of strength is not found in retaliation, but in restraint. It takes far more courage to hold your peace than to react in anger. When you bend down to pick up the stones thrown at you, you lower yourself to the same ground from which they came. But when you choose to rise above, you redefine the moment. You take control of your response, and in doing so, you protect your dignity. Let your response reflect the depth of who you are. Offer kindness where there is hostility. Offer patience where there is provocation. Offer goodness where there is negativity.
Like a tree that continues to bear fruit regardless of who stands beneath it—whether they come to nourish themselves or to harm it—choose to give what is best within you. Do not allow bitterness to take root in your heart. Instead, let grace flow freely. Because every act of kindness you extend carries within it a seed. And seeds, when planted even in unlikely places, have the power to grow. Over time, those very seeds can soften hearts, open minds, and bring transformation. Those who once misunderstood you may begin to see differently. Those who once opposed you may begin to respect the strength you carried with quiet dignity.
So stay rooted in your values. Do not be shaken by the noise around you. Keep growing, even when it is hard. Keep giving, even when it feels undeserved. Because the world does not need more hands that throw stones—it needs more lives that bear fruit, more hearts that choose grace, and more souls that rise above. Stand tall. Stay grounded. And let your life speak louder than the stones ever could.
(The writer is Principal of MGM College, Dimapur)