A Short Lesson about Life – Planting Seeds vs. Nurturing Growth
Whether it is finding happiness, love, work or business opportunities, it boils down to two approaches – planting seeds and nurturing growth. I will tell a short story of Johnny, Jennie and Sarah Appleseed.
In the story of Johnny Appleseed, he walked the country with bags and bags of apple seeds and planted them where ever he went. Most seeds never bear fruit, but he planted so many of them, in so many places that in time, there were apple trees sprouting everywhere. Sadly, most of these trees died before it bears a single apple, but those that survived provided apples. For the lucky towns where the apple trees bear fruit, the towns’ people planted more apple trees in their own fields. Travelers who passed by these towns ate these apples and brought them to the next town. So many people enjoyed these apples that a farmer decided that he could make a business planting more apple trees and selling the apples everywhere. Johnny did not have to nurture each seed he planted. He just planted a lot of them in as many places as he could, and hoping that it will miraculously grow everywhere.
Then there is the lost story of Jennie Appleseed. Jennie was an avid traveler of the seas. She landed on a particular tropical island and came upon a fruit high up in the mountains that had a shape somewhat like an apple. It was a funny looking apple but when she took a bite, it was the most delicious fruit she had ever tasted. She plucked as many of these apples as she could carry and ventured back to her home country by ship. By the time she sailed back home, all of these apples had rotted. She took the seeds from these apples and planted them in her fields. No trees sprouted. She took all the seeds she could and traveled across the distant land and planted the seeds in as many different kinds of soil as she could. Surely she thought that one of these trees would sprout the delicious apples that she had once tasted. Till the day of her death, none of her seeds became a fruit bearing tree.
Generations later, Jennie’s granddaughter, Sarah came upon these same apples that her grandmother ate while hiking high up in the mountain on a tropical island. Learning from her grandmother’s mistake, Sarah decided to stay in this tropical island. She made a home in the mountains and planted fields of these apples using only seeds from sweat apples. She carefully observed the places where the apples grew sweater and more abundant. She watered and soiled her fields just like the places that grew the sweetest apples. In time, she grew fields of these delicious apples. Sarah shipped these apples back home, and her townspeople loved it so much that they wanted more. In time, everyone wanted these special apples – and they were willing to pay a premium so that they can send them as special gifts to friends and family to taste. As time passed, everyone refer to these apples as “Sarah” apples. Sarah turned this island into a tropical haven and people from everywhere came to visit, and they got to enjoy lots of delicious “Sarah” apples.
There are many of us like Johnny and Jenny Appleseed. We walk through life planting as many seeds as we can, where ever we can, hoping that if we plant enough of them, they will someday turn into fruit bearing trees; and giving us delicious apples. We take this approach when finding happiness, love, jobs, business opportunities and other aspects of life. If we are lucky, our seeds may bear fruit, and perhaps, a lot of fruit. Most however, won’t bear any fruit and will not sprout any trees. Most that do bear fruit will likely bear sour apples that we end up spitting out.
On the other approach, some of us will learn the lessons as Sarah had learned. Rather than wasting our effort in planting seeds everywhere, we choose to be selective of the seeds that we plant and the fields where we plant them. We will nurture our seeds, water them and keep pests from harming them as it grows. It requires patience and a lot of care, but when the tree produces the sweetest apple that one has ever tasted, you realize that it was well worth its weight in gold.
Selectively plant your seeds, and spend the time to nurture its growth. These will be the sweetest apples that you have ever tasted. This is true in your pursuit of happiness, love, friends, careers, business opportunities and most aspects of life. When you plant your seeds in the right places and spend the time to nurture its growth, you will find yourself a happier person. Don’t just network with as many random people as you can and not develop meaningful relationships. Don’t go on a dating marathon hoping you will find love when you don’t spend the time or make the effort to notice what might be in front of you. Don’t go into a business that you know you will hate. If you want sweet apples (and not sour ones), don’t just plant your seeds anywhere. You will need to stay and nurture them. Read my other post on Finding Joy in Creating Happiness.
If this post has inspired you, please leave a comment. Are you one who plant seeds or do you nurture growth?
