Date: June 8, 2012

Last week, I sat in on two painting classes at a primary school. In one class a student dipped her feet in ink and made a painting out of footprints. By contrast, the same student used a brush to make a breath-taking landscape painting—so vivid that one could almost smell the refreshing rivers and hear the chirping birds.

Though standing in stark contrast, the two paintings both intrigued me. In fact, they reminded me of what Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said, “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” It’s this maxim on success that lends insight into the two paintings. The first painting represents that we should remain grounded and be cautious of being carried away with temporary success. A kite stays afloat because it’s attached to a reel; otherwise it will instantly lose its balance before eventually crashing into the ground. So it is with us.

However, success requires more than being simply down-to-earth, with a lofty ideal being another crucial factor. So grand was the scenery portrayed in the second painting that it embodied the reach of our dreams. Instead of ignoring the gleam of light, the spark of wisdom that flashes across our mind and worshipping the luster of the sky of geniuses, we’d be better off trusting that the gleam and the spark will one day shine as brightly as a search light if we have faith in ourselves.

The paintings taught me to dream big and act small. And I believe, by doing so, the warm light of success will cascade into my life.