If I plant ______, _______ will grow.
If I plant a pea, a vine will grow.
If I plant an acorn, a oak tree will grow.
If I plant a sugar cube, a cotton candy will grow.
That's not true. The truth of this earth is that whatever seed you sow, a plant of like kind will grow. You are not able to sow anything you want and expect a plant of like kind to grow. Otherwise we would have a whole bunch of money trees in every backyard. You sow seeds of potential, water them, give them sunlight, and give them the right soil in which to grow and then you will see the plant appear.
If I plant a pea, a vine will grow.
If I plant an acorn, a oak tree will grow.
If I plant a sugar cube, a cotton candy will grow.
That's not true. The truth of this earth is that whatever seed you sow, a plant of like kind will grow. You are not able to sow anything you want and expect a plant of like kind to grow. Otherwise we would have a whole bunch of money trees in every backyard. You sow seeds of potential, water them, give them sunlight, and give them the right soil in which to grow and then you will see the plant appear.
What does this piece of knowledge have to do with leadership or middle school?
Watch and see.
Watch and see.
Question ...can you uproot an oak tree?
You can, if you get it early enough.
Why do oak trees grow so many acorns?
Because they're food for other animals.
Because some of them rot or get crushed and die.
Because they need to plant young trees to take over when they die.
How strong is your shell? Are you letting rot in? Are you getting easily crushed underfoot?
How well are you buried? Are you going to grow up nice and tall or are you food for the animals?
What kind of earth are you planted in? Will you be stunted and easily uprooted or do you have room to dig deep and hold fast?
How secure is your growing space? Are there other "like minded" trees growing around you or are you surrounded by weeds?
Are there bigger and stronger trees around to show you how to grow? What kind of forest are you trying to plant your roots in?
How fast and strong are your roots growing? The more earth you burrow through, the stronger you get, the taller you can grow.
Seeds are petite, many people underestimate their potency. Just like you.
Success is not a mystery. It is mastery of four simple gardening principles. Put them into practice and begin sowing the life of your dreams.
1. Know what you want to harvest.
2. Sow corresponding seed.
3. Create a growth environment.
4. Persevere to the end.
You can, if you get it early enough.
Why do oak trees grow so many acorns?
Because they're food for other animals.
Because some of them rot or get crushed and die.
Because they need to plant young trees to take over when they die.
How strong is your shell? Are you letting rot in? Are you getting easily crushed underfoot?
How well are you buried? Are you going to grow up nice and tall or are you food for the animals?
What kind of earth are you planted in? Will you be stunted and easily uprooted or do you have room to dig deep and hold fast?
How secure is your growing space? Are there other "like minded" trees growing around you or are you surrounded by weeds?
Are there bigger and stronger trees around to show you how to grow? What kind of forest are you trying to plant your roots in?
How fast and strong are your roots growing? The more earth you burrow through, the stronger you get, the taller you can grow.
Seeds are petite, many people underestimate their potency. Just like you.
Success is not a mystery. It is mastery of four simple gardening principles. Put them into practice and begin sowing the life of your dreams.
1. Know what you want to harvest.
2. Sow corresponding seed.
3. Create a growth environment.
4. Persevere to the end.
The Secrets to Growing
The law of the seed reveals the principle of causation. Why things happen as they do, otherwise known as cause and effect. What you sow is what you reap.
The law of the sower shows the possibility of creation. Character and circumstances are largely self-constructed. Today's choices are the seeds of tomorrow's happiness or regret.
The law of the soil demonstrates the prudence of cultivation. The condition of the heart is the most important factor in producing healthy human growth.
The law of the sickle underscores the power of continuation. The key to success is perseverance because the harvest comes at the end of the growing season. What is reaped on that day is determined by the seeds you have sown or the opportunities you have blown.
The key to success is to sow prudently, plentifully, and persistently.
The law of the seed reveals the principle of causation. Why things happen as they do, otherwise known as cause and effect. What you sow is what you reap.
The law of the sower shows the possibility of creation. Character and circumstances are largely self-constructed. Today's choices are the seeds of tomorrow's happiness or regret.
The law of the soil demonstrates the prudence of cultivation. The condition of the heart is the most important factor in producing healthy human growth.
The law of the sickle underscores the power of continuation. The key to success is perseverance because the harvest comes at the end of the growing season. What is reaped on that day is determined by the seeds you have sown or the opportunities you have blown.
The key to success is to sow prudently, plentifully, and persistently.
Again, you are probably asking what does an oak tree and these laws have to do with leadership and middle school.
Well, a lot actually.
You see, it's hard to look back at your life that only has just over a few handfuls of years and see how the "seeds" (choices) you have planted (made) have effected where you are today. It is equally as difficult to look at the soil and the land on which you are growing and determine if this is where you want to put down strong roots or if you only want to grow in a planter because you know that you are going to be transplanted somewhere else to grow your deep roots.
This is why I wanted to take some time and share some lessons I learned from "trees" that I respect their root system and from a great book I just got done reading called "The Seed Principle".
As you read through the next couple of sections think about your life and the choices you are making. They are probably not life changing ...but you never know how the slightest option choice can send you down a path that could change your life forever.
The Seed Principle is especially helpful for improving attitudes. By sowing seeds of gratitude, you become happier and more hopeful about life. Ingratitude robs you of joy and initiative. Circumstances do not produce your attitude. You bring your attitude to your circumstances.
There are 4 stages that you must grow through in order to make your dream life a reality and realize your potential.
1. Reflection is the process of personal change. It allows you to take a giant step forward when you realize the person that you want to become. It takes a positive force to endure over the long haul.
2. Responsibility does not occur by magic. Personal growth is not possible apart from tough choices and self discipline. My life will change only when I do.
3. Resolve is a clear vision of a better life. You need to accept the stubborn fact that you are primarily responsible for improving your situation; the time has come for committed action. Resolve is adopting a "whatever it takes" mindset and paying the price to achieve your dreams. Growth requires action and not just contemplation. Do not just center all your attention on the negative qualities and expect to succeed. Dwell on the positive attributes you want to develop.
4. Resilience is not being discouraged by setbacks. It's making contingency plans rather than surrender plans. Successful living is done with the help of a caring community rather than isolation. The key to growth is not giving up.
Well, a lot actually.
You see, it's hard to look back at your life that only has just over a few handfuls of years and see how the "seeds" (choices) you have planted (made) have effected where you are today. It is equally as difficult to look at the soil and the land on which you are growing and determine if this is where you want to put down strong roots or if you only want to grow in a planter because you know that you are going to be transplanted somewhere else to grow your deep roots.
This is why I wanted to take some time and share some lessons I learned from "trees" that I respect their root system and from a great book I just got done reading called "The Seed Principle".
As you read through the next couple of sections think about your life and the choices you are making. They are probably not life changing ...but you never know how the slightest option choice can send you down a path that could change your life forever.
The Seed Principle is especially helpful for improving attitudes. By sowing seeds of gratitude, you become happier and more hopeful about life. Ingratitude robs you of joy and initiative. Circumstances do not produce your attitude. You bring your attitude to your circumstances.
There are 4 stages that you must grow through in order to make your dream life a reality and realize your potential.
1. Reflection is the process of personal change. It allows you to take a giant step forward when you realize the person that you want to become. It takes a positive force to endure over the long haul.
2. Responsibility does not occur by magic. Personal growth is not possible apart from tough choices and self discipline. My life will change only when I do.
3. Resolve is a clear vision of a better life. You need to accept the stubborn fact that you are primarily responsible for improving your situation; the time has come for committed action. Resolve is adopting a "whatever it takes" mindset and paying the price to achieve your dreams. Growth requires action and not just contemplation. Do not just center all your attention on the negative qualities and expect to succeed. Dwell on the positive attributes you want to develop.
4. Resilience is not being discouraged by setbacks. It's making contingency plans rather than surrender plans. Successful living is done with the help of a caring community rather than isolation. The key to growth is not giving up.
Ask any seasoned gardener or farmer and they will explain to you that the quality of the soil will determine the quality of the crops that grow. You need just the right kind of soil for some seeds. There are some that grow really well in dry hard ground and others that grow well in soft moist ground. This idea works the same with people. Everyone will grow where they are planted; just how well and how much is determined by the "soil" that we are grown in. Here are a few examples of the different kinds of "ground" you will find people growing in.
The Hard Ground
The kind of people that are growing in this ground are known by their thoughtlessness and heartlessness. They cannot see a way to improve their lot in life. They are insensitive and unaware of what is happening around them. They are unappreciative of the truth and believe what they know to be the truth.
But they can change. Meaningful change begins with acknowledging that they need to change. We all know that this is one of the most difficult things for a human to do. We all want things to stay the same where we are happiest no matter how the people around us feel.
The Rocky Ground
The kind of people that are growing in this ground are uncommitted. They lack discipline and lack the follow through on what they say they're going to do. They grow really well until they hit the rock that stops their roots from spreading.
But they can change. Progress comes through fortitude and persistence.
The Thorny Ground
The kind of people that grow here are unfocused. Their good intentions get lost in a maze of competing interests. They are the ones that get distracted by the shiny object, the latest trend, or that squirrel sitting in the tree watching you.
But they can change. They just need to set new priorities and see the thing through.
The Good Ground
The kind of people that grow here are ones of integrity. Their thoughts and words and deeds are fully aligned with their beliefs. Their emotions and behaviors harmonize. This ground allows for the best chance of uninterrupted growth.
If you garden at all, you know that the soil is always changing. You can leave a garden of Good Ground and eventually the ground can grow hard or thorns can start to grow. The Good Ground that you tend may have some rocks down below where you tilled up the soil. You cannot leave good ground alone and expect it to stay Good Ground. The ground in which you plant your seeds needs to be constantly surveyed and cared for. Tend your ground to allow for the best growth of your seeds.
The Hard Ground
The kind of people that are growing in this ground are known by their thoughtlessness and heartlessness. They cannot see a way to improve their lot in life. They are insensitive and unaware of what is happening around them. They are unappreciative of the truth and believe what they know to be the truth.
But they can change. Meaningful change begins with acknowledging that they need to change. We all know that this is one of the most difficult things for a human to do. We all want things to stay the same where we are happiest no matter how the people around us feel.
The Rocky Ground
The kind of people that are growing in this ground are uncommitted. They lack discipline and lack the follow through on what they say they're going to do. They grow really well until they hit the rock that stops their roots from spreading.
But they can change. Progress comes through fortitude and persistence.
The Thorny Ground
The kind of people that grow here are unfocused. Their good intentions get lost in a maze of competing interests. They are the ones that get distracted by the shiny object, the latest trend, or that squirrel sitting in the tree watching you.
But they can change. They just need to set new priorities and see the thing through.
The Good Ground
The kind of people that grow here are ones of integrity. Their thoughts and words and deeds are fully aligned with their beliefs. Their emotions and behaviors harmonize. This ground allows for the best chance of uninterrupted growth.
If you garden at all, you know that the soil is always changing. You can leave a garden of Good Ground and eventually the ground can grow hard or thorns can start to grow. The Good Ground that you tend may have some rocks down below where you tilled up the soil. You cannot leave good ground alone and expect it to stay Good Ground. The ground in which you plant your seeds needs to be constantly surveyed and cared for. Tend your ground to allow for the best growth of your seeds.
There are a few choices that you can make to ensure that your soil is fertilized and cared for properly.
One fertilizer is Personal Growth. It's the choice to become a better person. It allows light to shine down your road to tomorrow.
Another fertilizer is Relational Growth. This is the choice to have better relationships. They are stronger and healthier and more caring. This is where you eliminate the harmful ones and don't leave the healthy ones to accident.
The third fertilizer is Organizational Growth. This is the community you belong in. For your age it's your clubs and sports and groups that you run and do things with. You want to align yourself with groups of people that are positive. Groups that look toward a healthy future and look beyond the troubles of today into the answers of tomorrow.
The choice and the future rest in your hands. Every choice you make has a matching consequence (good or bad). Your choices determine your experience. Good choices come from good hearts. Successful choice require steadfastness/endurance/persistence.
Success involves the ability to get things done. Making wise use of your time, energy, attention and resources.
One fertilizer is Personal Growth. It's the choice to become a better person. It allows light to shine down your road to tomorrow.
Another fertilizer is Relational Growth. This is the choice to have better relationships. They are stronger and healthier and more caring. This is where you eliminate the harmful ones and don't leave the healthy ones to accident.
The third fertilizer is Organizational Growth. This is the community you belong in. For your age it's your clubs and sports and groups that you run and do things with. You want to align yourself with groups of people that are positive. Groups that look toward a healthy future and look beyond the troubles of today into the answers of tomorrow.
The choice and the future rest in your hands. Every choice you make has a matching consequence (good or bad). Your choices determine your experience. Good choices come from good hearts. Successful choice require steadfastness/endurance/persistence.
Success involves the ability to get things done. Making wise use of your time, energy, attention and resources.
The thoughts you think:
Happy thoughts produce wellness by leading you to care for yourself.
Happy thoughts produce gladness by prompting you to count your blessings.
The challenge each person faces is in selecting the beliefs/thoughts that will produce the best possible life ever. These beliefs/thoughts will be the filter used to screen out harmful or useless information and speed up decision making.
Here are some categories to think on to guide what thoughts you create into your beliefs.
Happy thoughts produce wellness by leading you to care for yourself.
Happy thoughts produce gladness by prompting you to count your blessings.
The challenge each person faces is in selecting the beliefs/thoughts that will produce the best possible life ever. These beliefs/thoughts will be the filter used to screen out harmful or useless information and speed up decision making.
Here are some categories to think on to guide what thoughts you create into your beliefs.
- Duty: What is behind you? What are you doing now? Where are you going?
- :define your origin, mission, and destiny.
- Integrity: What is truly important in life?
- :define how you see yourself and your relationships :define and keep first things first.
- Identity: Who are your friends? What is the meaning of friendship? What career will I pursue? What is the purpose of work? What are you goals and priorities? What do you care about most? How will you use your free time? What is the point of recreation?
- :define your individuality.
- Utility: What will you eat? What will you wear? How will you get around?
- :define your day-to-day functioning :get a glimpse into your personality
You as the Sower
As you have learned so far on your journey here, there are many different aspects to you. There are many roles you can play in your leadership journey. This next list is some of the different roles you can play as the Sower of the Seeds. The where why and how.
When you sow as a Seer, the clearer your vision, the more likely it is to occur in your reality. You need to see where you are headed and the difference you want to make in the world. Good gardening begins with good planning, and good planning is keeping the end in mind.
When you sow as a Selector, you need to keep in mind your purpose and your goal so that you aren't planting weeds in your garden. You need to stop seeing life as a mystery and more as a responsibility. Those who live wisely make principled decisions based on their vision and values. You need to keep in mind the long term and short term results you want to see. You need to be aware of whether you are using the system or you are behaving off of the symptoms of the situation. You need to keep in mind relationship building rather than being selfish. Being the Selector, you are in charge of who you will allow to sow seeds in your garden. You also have the power over what you will be sowing in other people's gardens. Are you selecting seeds of success or weeds of destruction?
When you sow as a Surveyor, you are in control of what to plant where and when in order to achieve the harvest that you desire.
When you sow as a Supplier, you give seeds away for the sake of giving, not for what you may receive. The law of reciprocity states that if you want to receive, you must first give. A successful supplier gives more than they ever plan to receive.
When you sow as a Supervisor, you recognize that you are the one choosing the seeds and are willing to see them through until the harvest. You recognize that there is a difference between good choices and bad choices and you as the Supervisor are responsible for what happens after those choices are made. The day you realize you are responsible for the content of your character and the circumstances of your life is the day you finally grow up.
Make sure you always sow a great attitude.
As you have learned so far on your journey here, there are many different aspects to you. There are many roles you can play in your leadership journey. This next list is some of the different roles you can play as the Sower of the Seeds. The where why and how.
When you sow as a Seer, the clearer your vision, the more likely it is to occur in your reality. You need to see where you are headed and the difference you want to make in the world. Good gardening begins with good planning, and good planning is keeping the end in mind.
When you sow as a Selector, you need to keep in mind your purpose and your goal so that you aren't planting weeds in your garden. You need to stop seeing life as a mystery and more as a responsibility. Those who live wisely make principled decisions based on their vision and values. You need to keep in mind the long term and short term results you want to see. You need to be aware of whether you are using the system or you are behaving off of the symptoms of the situation. You need to keep in mind relationship building rather than being selfish. Being the Selector, you are in charge of who you will allow to sow seeds in your garden. You also have the power over what you will be sowing in other people's gardens. Are you selecting seeds of success or weeds of destruction?
When you sow as a Surveyor, you are in control of what to plant where and when in order to achieve the harvest that you desire.
When you sow as a Supplier, you give seeds away for the sake of giving, not for what you may receive. The law of reciprocity states that if you want to receive, you must first give. A successful supplier gives more than they ever plan to receive.
When you sow as a Supervisor, you recognize that you are the one choosing the seeds and are willing to see them through until the harvest. You recognize that there is a difference between good choices and bad choices and you as the Supervisor are responsible for what happens after those choices are made. The day you realize you are responsible for the content of your character and the circumstances of your life is the day you finally grow up.
Make sure you always sow a great attitude.
Growth Environments
You all know that you can only grow certain plants during certain times of the year in an certain places around the world. This is because certain environments are not conducive to that plants health and well being. In certain situations, they only want to sleep. In others, they only want to grow. You are the same.
A Terrestrial Environment, would be expressed by having your roots firmly planted in the soil while your branches reach for as high as you can grow. This environment makes sure that the weeds will not overtake you and that the strong winds of criticism don't blow you down.
An Educational Environment, begins with a competent and caring teacher. Then a supportive principal comes alongside. Then the other adults in your life become involved. They all help you choose your seeds while you are young. They all help spread the fertilizer that will help you grow. They come along and help you pluck the weeds that you may not recognize as weeds. All the while helping your roots to grow strong so that your branches will know which way to grow.
A Commercial Environment, means that you are in a healthy culture. You surround yourself with good communication and cooperation. Your environment boosts morale and productivity.
A Teamwork Environment, is when you know everyone involved will play their part. You know that the hand won't run off because it's not being appreciated. You know the joints will bend and pull when needed. You know the muscles will pull their weight. This environment causes the body to grow because it's held together with love (caring) and encouragement.
An Intrapersonal Environment, is concerned about what is going on inside of you. It's the self talk that you allow to plant seeds and encourage growth. It's how you interpret and respond to the seeds that you are allowing to be planted inside of you. A seed that is rotten on the inside will not grow, no matter how good of soil in which it is placed.
You all know that you can only grow certain plants during certain times of the year in an certain places around the world. This is because certain environments are not conducive to that plants health and well being. In certain situations, they only want to sleep. In others, they only want to grow. You are the same.
A Terrestrial Environment, would be expressed by having your roots firmly planted in the soil while your branches reach for as high as you can grow. This environment makes sure that the weeds will not overtake you and that the strong winds of criticism don't blow you down.
An Educational Environment, begins with a competent and caring teacher. Then a supportive principal comes alongside. Then the other adults in your life become involved. They all help you choose your seeds while you are young. They all help spread the fertilizer that will help you grow. They come along and help you pluck the weeds that you may not recognize as weeds. All the while helping your roots to grow strong so that your branches will know which way to grow.
A Commercial Environment, means that you are in a healthy culture. You surround yourself with good communication and cooperation. Your environment boosts morale and productivity.
A Teamwork Environment, is when you know everyone involved will play their part. You know that the hand won't run off because it's not being appreciated. You know the joints will bend and pull when needed. You know the muscles will pull their weight. This environment causes the body to grow because it's held together with love (caring) and encouragement.
An Intrapersonal Environment, is concerned about what is going on inside of you. It's the self talk that you allow to plant seeds and encourage growth. It's how you interpret and respond to the seeds that you are allowing to be planted inside of you. A seed that is rotten on the inside will not grow, no matter how good of soil in which it is placed.
The Law of the Sickle
This section is about how to collect your harvest. How all the work you have put in until now can be made useful. How to keep focused and not give up so close to the harvest.
Your habits, attitudes, and character are forged one painstaking choice at a time.
Unhelpful thoughts must be eliminated, and useful thoughts must be encouraged.
To keep from losing heart, a sower must keep three things in mind:
The Product
What is potential becomes actual and thoughts become things.
People timidly accept whatever comes their way rather than creating the destiny of their dreams. They lack the courage required to withstand the dark forces of conformity. They downsize their dreams to avoid the pain of disappointment or disapproval.
Goals should be viewed as a means rather than the end. Their purpose is to motivate rather than dictate. Most goals should be held firmly but flexibly. A person lacking firmness will be double minded and unstable. But a person without flexibility will be crushed on the altar of obstinacy.
Every lesson learned and obstacle surmounted becomes a stepping stone to a better life. When goals are growth-oriented, you can deal with anything that comes your way.
The Process
Your mental spotlight is trained on the present rather than the future.
Accept responsibility: A garden introduces you to yourself. It reflects your actions rather than your good intentions. The successful adjust to life while the unsuccessful expect life to adjust to them. Wise people are willing to change. Foolish people would rather complain.
Test reality: One of the keys to gardening is knowing what grows well in your climate, soil and environment. Cooperating with nature is more profitable than ignoring ecological facts.
Review opportunities: Much of life's frustrations come from failing to examine the full range of possibilities available to you. Disappointment occurs when you settle too soon for too little. Life will seldom give you more than you ask. Despair occurs when you believe no desirable options are available; such hopelessness is seldom a reflection of reality; it results from the inability to see reasonable alternatives because of fear and discouragement.
Embrace risk: Mental health requires the ability to distinguish between the possibility and the probability of danger. Effective living requires the ability to take calculated risks. Intelligent people are selective risk takers. Inaction is not an option, and indecision is not a virtue.
Seek assistance: The goal is attainable but most fail to take advantage of the resources at their disposal.
Refuse distractions: Count your blessings and refuse to be drawn into discontent. When you catch yourself becoming grouchy, it is a sign that your mind took a wrong turn somewhere.
Check progress: By monitoring your movement and modifying your methods, you engage life realistically. Holding inflexibly to outdated tactics or obsolete methods is not perseverance; it is pigheadedness. Change the means, but keep your dreams. Courage and timidity are more about attitude than circumstances.
Resolve to finish: The ability to see things to completion makes people invaluable in a self-centered world. Discipline turns dreams into "done". Unsuccessful people have undisciplined minds.
The Promise
As long as you are faithful, a wonderful harvest awaits.
Information is necessary for transformation.
The ability of information to work depends on you.
Potential is realized by making well-informed choices and sticking with them.
This section is about how to collect your harvest. How all the work you have put in until now can be made useful. How to keep focused and not give up so close to the harvest.
Your habits, attitudes, and character are forged one painstaking choice at a time.
Unhelpful thoughts must be eliminated, and useful thoughts must be encouraged.
To keep from losing heart, a sower must keep three things in mind:
- The product he desires (what you reap)
- The process it requires (while doing good)
- The promise that inspires (in due time)
The Product
What is potential becomes actual and thoughts become things.
People timidly accept whatever comes their way rather than creating the destiny of their dreams. They lack the courage required to withstand the dark forces of conformity. They downsize their dreams to avoid the pain of disappointment or disapproval.
Goals should be viewed as a means rather than the end. Their purpose is to motivate rather than dictate. Most goals should be held firmly but flexibly. A person lacking firmness will be double minded and unstable. But a person without flexibility will be crushed on the altar of obstinacy.
Every lesson learned and obstacle surmounted becomes a stepping stone to a better life. When goals are growth-oriented, you can deal with anything that comes your way.
The Process
Your mental spotlight is trained on the present rather than the future.
Accept responsibility: A garden introduces you to yourself. It reflects your actions rather than your good intentions. The successful adjust to life while the unsuccessful expect life to adjust to them. Wise people are willing to change. Foolish people would rather complain.
Test reality: One of the keys to gardening is knowing what grows well in your climate, soil and environment. Cooperating with nature is more profitable than ignoring ecological facts.
Review opportunities: Much of life's frustrations come from failing to examine the full range of possibilities available to you. Disappointment occurs when you settle too soon for too little. Life will seldom give you more than you ask. Despair occurs when you believe no desirable options are available; such hopelessness is seldom a reflection of reality; it results from the inability to see reasonable alternatives because of fear and discouragement.
Embrace risk: Mental health requires the ability to distinguish between the possibility and the probability of danger. Effective living requires the ability to take calculated risks. Intelligent people are selective risk takers. Inaction is not an option, and indecision is not a virtue.
Seek assistance: The goal is attainable but most fail to take advantage of the resources at their disposal.
Refuse distractions: Count your blessings and refuse to be drawn into discontent. When you catch yourself becoming grouchy, it is a sign that your mind took a wrong turn somewhere.
Check progress: By monitoring your movement and modifying your methods, you engage life realistically. Holding inflexibly to outdated tactics or obsolete methods is not perseverance; it is pigheadedness. Change the means, but keep your dreams. Courage and timidity are more about attitude than circumstances.
Resolve to finish: The ability to see things to completion makes people invaluable in a self-centered world. Discipline turns dreams into "done". Unsuccessful people have undisciplined minds.
The Promise
As long as you are faithful, a wonderful harvest awaits.
Information is necessary for transformation.
The ability of information to work depends on you.
Potential is realized by making well-informed choices and sticking with them.
Soils
Hard ground stops your potential from getting started.
Rocky ground weakens your commitment and keeps you from finishing.
Thorny ground chokes your dreams and keeps you from succeeding.
What kind of "ground" are you planting your "seeds" in? Because the secret of success is paying attention to the things that matter. It is learning to make choices that are consistent with your goals. It's remembering what you want and why you want it.
Your life today is the residue of your past thinking. To improve your life, you need to improve your thoughts.
The Hard Ground
The wounds you've received, the pressures of the world, and the weight of life's cares can cause your "ground" to become hard and compacted. There are those out there that embrace the pain of the past and turn it on others. The add a bit of the truth to all that they say and do but will always avoid the whole truth because of the conviction they would feel.
The problem with this kind of ground is that it's not tilled or prepared for the seed to be planted. Anyone who's helped prepare a garden knows that this can be the most difficult part.
A successful life requires well-placed trust, personal responsibility, absolute honesty, and willing sacrifice. This is how to prepare the hard ground to help your seed grow. To keep the "seed" from getting away, you must do something with them. Capture them, write them down, determine the next step, and commit to taking action in the next couple of days. A fruitful life requires a humble, teachable spirit to gain new knowledge that makes the fresh growth possible.
Questions are like the plow that cultivates the mind to break up assumptions and prejudices. Ask questions for more than curiosity sake in order to engage life more responsibly. Without questions, people make ignorant judgments rather than informed decisions. Hasty judgments are seldom helpful. Pause to ask what a person is seeing that you may not see.
The Rocky Ground
Living things need room to grow. Environments that focus on controlling people rather than unleashing their potential cannot sustain growth over the long haul. When deprived of refreshment, things wither away be they people, dreams, or goals. Trials can become incredible growth opportunities and adversity does not have to be dreaded or avoided at all cost. Daily challenges can be expected and embraced.
This type of ground accepts new ideas quickly and discarded with equal speed. Every important choice in life involves a cost. Your beliefs are seen most clearly by others in times of intense pressure when there is a battle between courageous and cowardly choices. Character shines brightest in the darkest hour.
The problem is the rock. The rock refers to hardened places of the heart that will not let the seed in all the way. It stands for mental rigidity in support of mistaken beliefs, attitude, or habit that limits healthy human growth. Of all the obstacles to clear thinking and effective living, none is greater than fear. Facing fear is the key to desirable change.
The Thorny Ground
Awareness of truth is a good thing,commitment to truth is a better thing, but a laser-like focus on truth is the best thing.
Over time, weeds take over the intended harvest and make your ability to focus more difficult.
One of the weeds that can take over is the concern with the mundane, every day good things. Ordinary things can consume all your time and attention if you let them. Setting a schedule and sticking to it is a good way to overcome this weed.
Another of the weeds that can take over is the deceitfulness of riches. Money is a tool that tends to take over your life unless you learn how to control it. Money is a means for training the soil in which you grow. Every time you handle money you have the opportunity to become more ethical. Ethical attainment builds honesty. Disciplined saving develops self-control. Generous giving promotes compassion. Materialism is a self-inflicted wound that destroys your heart and can break the hearts of others.
Another weed is the good things in life. They are good for a reason but too much of a good thing leads to weeds. An example would be downtime or rest. If it recharges you and increases your productivity, it's a good thing. If it leads to laziness and procrastination, it's a weed. If it makes you a better person, then it's good for your soil. If it distracts you from your purpose and diverts you from your priorities, it's a weed. If it decreases your concern for others or lessens your respect for yourself, it's a weed.
The Good Ground
The soil of success.
Success begins with cultivating the depth of character necessary for abundant living. It requires a refined disposition and rigorous discipline.
The law of the seed says all things bring forth after their kind.
The law of the sower says the key to a successful life is to choose seeds that correspond with the harvest you want to reap.
The law of the soil says that growth and genuine success are rooted in your receptivity to truth. When truth is rejected or its influence is limited, it cannot produce the benefits it was intended to provide. Truth must be given free course to bring its fruit to maturity.
The law of the sickle says success is more about wise sowing than wishful thinking and more about diligence than day dreaming.
Knowing what you want and believing in yourself as an agent of constructive change must be linked with an attitude that supports growth. Openness to truth and counsel is fundamental to success. It is also the ground of healthy self-esteem. Change for the better is not possible until you can look your limitations square in the eye. The lesson of the hard ground is the value of humility and self-honesty. While hard-ground people evade serious though, rocky-ground people fail to think things through all the way. They see benefits but not the cost.
Do the right thing, the right way, at the right time, whether you feel like it or not. Tenacity is the trademark of the triumphant.
Cultivate mindfulness and curb forgetfulness. Let go of the person you are to become the person you were meant to be.
Effectiveness and satisfaction increase exponentially with integrity. Those who rise about circumstances by exercising greater control over their thoughts will never know failure. Those who relinquish control of their lives to external factors will never know success.
Hard ground means lack of awareness. Rocky ground means lack of commitment. Thorny ground means lack of focus. Good ground means awareness, commitment, and focus.
Hard ground stops your potential from getting started.
Rocky ground weakens your commitment and keeps you from finishing.
Thorny ground chokes your dreams and keeps you from succeeding.
What kind of "ground" are you planting your "seeds" in? Because the secret of success is paying attention to the things that matter. It is learning to make choices that are consistent with your goals. It's remembering what you want and why you want it.
Your life today is the residue of your past thinking. To improve your life, you need to improve your thoughts.
The Hard Ground
The wounds you've received, the pressures of the world, and the weight of life's cares can cause your "ground" to become hard and compacted. There are those out there that embrace the pain of the past and turn it on others. The add a bit of the truth to all that they say and do but will always avoid the whole truth because of the conviction they would feel.
The problem with this kind of ground is that it's not tilled or prepared for the seed to be planted. Anyone who's helped prepare a garden knows that this can be the most difficult part.
A successful life requires well-placed trust, personal responsibility, absolute honesty, and willing sacrifice. This is how to prepare the hard ground to help your seed grow. To keep the "seed" from getting away, you must do something with them. Capture them, write them down, determine the next step, and commit to taking action in the next couple of days. A fruitful life requires a humble, teachable spirit to gain new knowledge that makes the fresh growth possible.
Questions are like the plow that cultivates the mind to break up assumptions and prejudices. Ask questions for more than curiosity sake in order to engage life more responsibly. Without questions, people make ignorant judgments rather than informed decisions. Hasty judgments are seldom helpful. Pause to ask what a person is seeing that you may not see.
The Rocky Ground
Living things need room to grow. Environments that focus on controlling people rather than unleashing their potential cannot sustain growth over the long haul. When deprived of refreshment, things wither away be they people, dreams, or goals. Trials can become incredible growth opportunities and adversity does not have to be dreaded or avoided at all cost. Daily challenges can be expected and embraced.
This type of ground accepts new ideas quickly and discarded with equal speed. Every important choice in life involves a cost. Your beliefs are seen most clearly by others in times of intense pressure when there is a battle between courageous and cowardly choices. Character shines brightest in the darkest hour.
The problem is the rock. The rock refers to hardened places of the heart that will not let the seed in all the way. It stands for mental rigidity in support of mistaken beliefs, attitude, or habit that limits healthy human growth. Of all the obstacles to clear thinking and effective living, none is greater than fear. Facing fear is the key to desirable change.
The Thorny Ground
Awareness of truth is a good thing,commitment to truth is a better thing, but a laser-like focus on truth is the best thing.
Over time, weeds take over the intended harvest and make your ability to focus more difficult.
One of the weeds that can take over is the concern with the mundane, every day good things. Ordinary things can consume all your time and attention if you let them. Setting a schedule and sticking to it is a good way to overcome this weed.
Another of the weeds that can take over is the deceitfulness of riches. Money is a tool that tends to take over your life unless you learn how to control it. Money is a means for training the soil in which you grow. Every time you handle money you have the opportunity to become more ethical. Ethical attainment builds honesty. Disciplined saving develops self-control. Generous giving promotes compassion. Materialism is a self-inflicted wound that destroys your heart and can break the hearts of others.
Another weed is the good things in life. They are good for a reason but too much of a good thing leads to weeds. An example would be downtime or rest. If it recharges you and increases your productivity, it's a good thing. If it leads to laziness and procrastination, it's a weed. If it makes you a better person, then it's good for your soil. If it distracts you from your purpose and diverts you from your priorities, it's a weed. If it decreases your concern for others or lessens your respect for yourself, it's a weed.
The Good Ground
The soil of success.
Success begins with cultivating the depth of character necessary for abundant living. It requires a refined disposition and rigorous discipline.
The law of the seed says all things bring forth after their kind.
The law of the sower says the key to a successful life is to choose seeds that correspond with the harvest you want to reap.
The law of the soil says that growth and genuine success are rooted in your receptivity to truth. When truth is rejected or its influence is limited, it cannot produce the benefits it was intended to provide. Truth must be given free course to bring its fruit to maturity.
The law of the sickle says success is more about wise sowing than wishful thinking and more about diligence than day dreaming.
Knowing what you want and believing in yourself as an agent of constructive change must be linked with an attitude that supports growth. Openness to truth and counsel is fundamental to success. It is also the ground of healthy self-esteem. Change for the better is not possible until you can look your limitations square in the eye. The lesson of the hard ground is the value of humility and self-honesty. While hard-ground people evade serious though, rocky-ground people fail to think things through all the way. They see benefits but not the cost.
Do the right thing, the right way, at the right time, whether you feel like it or not. Tenacity is the trademark of the triumphant.
Cultivate mindfulness and curb forgetfulness. Let go of the person you are to become the person you were meant to be.
Effectiveness and satisfaction increase exponentially with integrity. Those who rise about circumstances by exercising greater control over their thoughts will never know failure. Those who relinquish control of their lives to external factors will never know success.
Hard ground means lack of awareness. Rocky ground means lack of commitment. Thorny ground means lack of focus. Good ground means awareness, commitment, and focus.
Seeds of Relational Growth
The more you tend these seeds, the better person you become.
If you hate the hateful, you help continue the downward spiral. It's easy to like people who are likable.
When a relationship is not working, most people act mystified (or blame the other person). They pretend they played no part in creating the tension that exists and that the other person's behavior is incomprehensible. You are just deceiving yourself when you do not see that you contributed to the problem.
It's time to look at your own thinking and behavior. What kinds of seeds are you planting? Are they one that will bring your vision to life? You need to sow abundantly in every relationship that you want to grow. Be intentional and tactical rather than emotional and erratic.
For every relationship you need to ask yourself: Does this relationship bring out the best in me? Does it make me feel stronger? Does it encourage and empower me? Does it challenge and stretch me?
Rather than wondering why others are unsociable, you should ask what you might be doing to keep them at a distance. Are you sowing the seeds of a lasting friendship?
The goal of every relationship should be to contribute something of value to another's life. They are intended to draw out potential and support growth. The quicker you learn the lesson, the father you and the relationship can improve. Most of all, make up your mind that you will be a blessing to all whom you meet. Sow the seed of Presence.
The more you tend these seeds, the better person you become.
If you hate the hateful, you help continue the downward spiral. It's easy to like people who are likable.
When a relationship is not working, most people act mystified (or blame the other person). They pretend they played no part in creating the tension that exists and that the other person's behavior is incomprehensible. You are just deceiving yourself when you do not see that you contributed to the problem.
It's time to look at your own thinking and behavior. What kinds of seeds are you planting? Are they one that will bring your vision to life? You need to sow abundantly in every relationship that you want to grow. Be intentional and tactical rather than emotional and erratic.
For every relationship you need to ask yourself: Does this relationship bring out the best in me? Does it make me feel stronger? Does it encourage and empower me? Does it challenge and stretch me?
Rather than wondering why others are unsociable, you should ask what you might be doing to keep them at a distance. Are you sowing the seeds of a lasting friendship?
- Honesty - Friends do not wear masks around each other. Enemies tell you what thy think you want to hear. Their aim is to please you rather than improve you.
- Curiosity - In addition to revealing yourself, you must show an interest in the other person. Some people use their friends to satisfy their own egos.
- Loyalty - Friends are safe to be around. They keep your confidences, guard your reputation, and look out for your interests.
The goal of every relationship should be to contribute something of value to another's life. They are intended to draw out potential and support growth. The quicker you learn the lesson, the father you and the relationship can improve. Most of all, make up your mind that you will be a blessing to all whom you meet. Sow the seed of Presence.
Effective leaders are committed to growth in knowledge, integrity, commitment, gratitude, and initiative.
The key is not to compare and compete. Discover your gifts and use them to their fullest. Define your dreams and give them your all.
A balanced plan has two focused ares: character (who you are) and competence (what you do). A comprehensive plan would encourage growth in well-rounded living.
Identify and prioritize new action steps. Anticipate obstacles and prepare contingency plans. Identify relationships and resources you will need to achieve your objective. Then determine how you must change in order to be equal to the task. Great dreams are about growth rather than worldly pleasure or gain. They are about relationships rather than riches or revelry. When the heart is properly prepared, it supports you in the pursuit of your dreams. Abundant living is more about improvement than achievement; more about growth than goals; and more about becoming than doing. For all the resources at your disposal, the deciding factor will always be your own desire to grow. You must overcome the obstacles of denial, doubt, and distraction. Are you open to improvement? Are you committed to improvement? Are you attentive to improvement?
We must be useful.
Growth comes to a stand still when the body over rules the brain or feelings undermine faith. People lack motivation so much that they fail to do what matters. Playing the blame game reduces efficiency and lowers self-esteem. Excuses are strongholds of stubbornness guarded by self-deception. A successful life is one of character and contribution, not idleness and indulgence. Secure people know most disagreements are based on simple differences of opinion. Insecure people see it as threatening. Something valuable is lost when the mind exceeds its capacity to pay attention.
All that stands between most people and the life of their dreams is commitment. So what do you want to have? do? become? How badly do you want it? Are you ready to pay the price? Are you prepared to stay the course? Commitment is not flashy or flamboyant. It is about grit and guts and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.
Sow continuously by adopting an improvement mindset. There is no situation in life that cannot be improved for the better. All that is needed is a little imagination and enthusiasm. Seeing opportunities has more to do with your heart than your head. Caring is the key to progress.
Sow bountifully by adopting an abundance mindset. You can increase your probabilities of success by doing more than the minimum to reach your goals. Do more than is expected to add value to people and projects. Make excellence your reputation, and refuse to live life just getting by. Your return will reflect your effort.
Sow fervently by adopting a confident mindset. Success is guaranteed if you do not lose heart and give up. Optimism is the birth right of believers. Pessimism is the legacy of losers. When you sow confidently, rest assured that the harvest is on. It will take a radical mental makeover to overcome the fearfulness and laziness that inhabit people's hearts. To become a bigger person, seek improvement in five areas: your knowledge, integrity, commitment, gratitude and imitation.
The key is not to compare and compete. Discover your gifts and use them to their fullest. Define your dreams and give them your all.
A balanced plan has two focused ares: character (who you are) and competence (what you do). A comprehensive plan would encourage growth in well-rounded living.
Identify and prioritize new action steps. Anticipate obstacles and prepare contingency plans. Identify relationships and resources you will need to achieve your objective. Then determine how you must change in order to be equal to the task. Great dreams are about growth rather than worldly pleasure or gain. They are about relationships rather than riches or revelry. When the heart is properly prepared, it supports you in the pursuit of your dreams. Abundant living is more about improvement than achievement; more about growth than goals; and more about becoming than doing. For all the resources at your disposal, the deciding factor will always be your own desire to grow. You must overcome the obstacles of denial, doubt, and distraction. Are you open to improvement? Are you committed to improvement? Are you attentive to improvement?
We must be useful.
Growth comes to a stand still when the body over rules the brain or feelings undermine faith. People lack motivation so much that they fail to do what matters. Playing the blame game reduces efficiency and lowers self-esteem. Excuses are strongholds of stubbornness guarded by self-deception. A successful life is one of character and contribution, not idleness and indulgence. Secure people know most disagreements are based on simple differences of opinion. Insecure people see it as threatening. Something valuable is lost when the mind exceeds its capacity to pay attention.
All that stands between most people and the life of their dreams is commitment. So what do you want to have? do? become? How badly do you want it? Are you ready to pay the price? Are you prepared to stay the course? Commitment is not flashy or flamboyant. It is about grit and guts and doing whatever it takes to get the job done.
Sow continuously by adopting an improvement mindset. There is no situation in life that cannot be improved for the better. All that is needed is a little imagination and enthusiasm. Seeing opportunities has more to do with your heart than your head. Caring is the key to progress.
Sow bountifully by adopting an abundance mindset. You can increase your probabilities of success by doing more than the minimum to reach your goals. Do more than is expected to add value to people and projects. Make excellence your reputation, and refuse to live life just getting by. Your return will reflect your effort.
Sow fervently by adopting a confident mindset. Success is guaranteed if you do not lose heart and give up. Optimism is the birth right of believers. Pessimism is the legacy of losers. When you sow confidently, rest assured that the harvest is on. It will take a radical mental makeover to overcome the fearfulness and laziness that inhabit people's hearts. To become a bigger person, seek improvement in five areas: your knowledge, integrity, commitment, gratitude and imitation.
The major obstacles that keep people from enjoying the results they want:
Successful people notice more than others. They observe the way people react and alter their behavior appropriately. They recognize that effort always precedes results and develop a bias for action.
- A hard path - a dismissive attitude that over looks dangers and opportunities.
- A hidden rock - a limiting belief that blocks the way to long-term growth and success.
- A hurtful thorn - a competing interest that diverts attention from a primary purpose.
Successful people notice more than others. They observe the way people react and alter their behavior appropriately. They recognize that effort always precedes results and develop a bias for action.
Seed you plant grows:
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Weeds you allow to grow:
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Mature weeds are detrimental and a source of regret.
Fruitfulness is the goal of life.
We are animated earth or soil in motion.
Mind without a heart is legalism. Heart without the mind is subjectivism.
Words are seeds because they effect change, generate fruit, and produce outcomes. That is their purpose and value.
The joy of being forgiven follows the joy of learning that forgiveness is possible.
Beliefs are not authenticated by what you profess but by what you practice.
Fruitfulness is the goal of life.
We are animated earth or soil in motion.
Mind without a heart is legalism. Heart without the mind is subjectivism.
Words are seeds because they effect change, generate fruit, and produce outcomes. That is their purpose and value.
The joy of being forgiven follows the joy of learning that forgiveness is possible.
Beliefs are not authenticated by what you profess but by what you practice.