The Seed
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
As they all gathered in the boardroom and sat at the table, the old man said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you."
The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued, "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today --- one very special SEED. I want you to plant the SEED and water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the SEED I have given you. I will judge the plants that you bring and the one I choose will be the next CEO."
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a SEED. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the SEED. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their SEED and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his SEED but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by, still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his SEED. Everyone else had trees and tall plants but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anyting to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil --- he so wanted the SEED to grow. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot but she asked him to be honest about what happened.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company gathered with their plants in the boardroom so the CEO could do his inspection. Jim felt sick to his stomach. He knew it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life but he also knew his wife was right about being honest.
As Jim walked into the boardroom with his empty pot, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful --- in all shapes and sizes. As Jim held his empty pot, many of his colleagues laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him. So Jim went to the back of the room with his empty pot and tried to hide,
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you all have grown." said the CEO. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"
All of a sudden, the CEO noticed Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his Financial Director to bring Jim to the front.
Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will fire me."
When Jim reached the front of the room, the CEO asked him what had happened to his SEED. Jim told the story of how he tried and watered and did all he could but it just never grew.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim and then announced to the young executives, "I have chosen your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim."
Jim couldn't believe it. He couldn't even grow his SEED and yet, the CEO was appointing him as his successor.
"How could he be the new CEO?" the others asked.
Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a SEED. I told you to take the SEED, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled SEEDS. They were dead. It was not possible for them to grow. All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the SEED would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you or you just got a plant. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my SEED in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"
If you plant honesty... you will reap trust!
If you plant goodness... you will reap friends!
If you plant humility... you will reap greatness!
If you plant perseverance... you will reap contentment!
If you plant consideration... you will reap perspective!
If you plant hard work... you will reap success!
If you plant forgiveness... you will reap reconciliation!
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Think about this for a moment...
If I happened to show up on your doorstep crying ---
would you genuinely care or just be nosy?
If I called you and asked you to pick me up because something happened ---
would you come or be too busy?
If I needed a shouldr to cry on ---
would you give me yours or not be interested in my pain?
If I needed a shouldr to cry on ---
would you give me yours or not be interested in my pain?
If I had one day left to live my life ---
would you be a part of that last day or just want to know if you are in my will?