There once was a candle, and it had the goal to burn as bright as it could. Everyday, it worked
harder to do so. And soon, it started to do exactly that. It got so bright it could light up the room all by itself. But, one day, everything changed. It soon became harder for the candle to burn bright, and it even began to resent trying to burn bright. When others told the candle that they were proud of how bright it burned, it no longer enjoyed the praise. And when others told the candle of their plans for it to burn as bright as it could, it began to dislike burning bright completely.

The little candle began to hang around different candles. Soon enough, those candles noticed that the little candle smelled amazing. Not only did the little candle smell amazing, but it was the best smelling candle they had ever smelled. The little candle was thrilled. The best smelling candle was such an accomplishment and the little candle barely did anything to smell so great. The little candle was a natural.

So the little candle thought, “What if I actually tried to be the best, better than I am now? Then, I’ll be so highly esteemed.” So everyday, the little candle worked harder to smell the best, harder to smell the best than harder to burn the brightest.

However, instead of smelling stronger, the sweet scent went away. With the great smell, went the little candles new friends. Alone, the little candle went to its old friend, but it couldn’t find them because its flame had dimmed so low that the little candle could not see. As the little candle sat there losing all its light, it realized it wasn’t itself that made the little candle smell so good, but it was their bright burning light. And the moment it gave up on burning as bright as it could was the moment it gave up on everything that was ever important to that little candle.