A Story About Ginseng and Self-Confidence

Belief in Inner Beauty

The old man sat by the stream, watching the ginseng roots float by in the current. He had spent many years cultivating this special plant, valuing its healing properties. To him, ginseng represented inner strength and resilience. Just as the plant endured harsh winters underground before emerging each spring, so too must people draw upon their inner qualities to withstand life’s difficulties.

Comparisons Breed Unhappiness

Across the village, a young woman watered her garden of sweet potatoes. Though plain of face, she worked diligently and took joy in small things. One neighbor, jealous of her cheer, liked to remind her of her plain looks. “How can you have such high spirits, when none will ever want you?” he taunted. But the woman paid no mind to comparisons. She understood true beauty lay within.

True Confidence is Not Fragile

Some weeks later, the old man spied the young gardener tending her crops. Noticing her serene manner despite the neighbor’s jibes, he asked what gave her such poise. “I am as the ginseng - strong from withstanding life’s winters within,” she smiled. Her inner resilience allowed criticism to roll off like water on ginseng’s skin. She knew true worth wasn’t found in another’s eyes, but in living according to one’s values. Comparisons could not shake the foundation of her self-assurance.

Insults Say More of the Insulter

Word of the neighbor’s insults soon reached the village head. Concerned for the young woman’s well-being, he paid her a visit. But instead of finding her weakened, he saw her inner fortitude glowing. “How does his poor behavior not wound you?” he asked. “Each unkind word reveals more of the speaker’s heart than of mine,” she replied. “I choose not to let darkness dim my light.” The village head left admiring her quiet wisdom.

Lessons from Nature

The old man often reflected on life’s lessons found in nature. One summer evening, as fireflies flickered over emerald rice paddies, he told the young gardener of ginseng’s resilience. “Like your spirit, it survives through hard winters by drawing strength from within. True beauty isn’t in appearance but character.” She nodded, understanding. Just as sweet potatoes flourish whether plump or thin, her worth wasn’t defined by another’s gaze. Taking lessons from nature’s elegance and fortitude, she would live freely.

Inner Peace Through Self Acceptance

Years passed and the neighbor moved away. But the young woman’s kindness was remembered. When heavy rains caused landslides, it was she who coordinated relief efforts. Though initially declined for her plain looks, her competence and compassion shone through. In time, she married a gentle man and had children of her own. Unlike her critic, she knew inner peace comes from accepting ourselves fully as we are. For her, comparisons had never been able to shake the foundation of self-love and service to community that she had built from within.