I planted my first plant at the age of six, it was a melon plant. When the plant germinated it produced vines which started creeping as is its custom. The way the vines where growing fascinated me, so I got a stick and staked it in front of the vine, when I came back the next morning the vine, had not only grown past the stick, it was smart enough to avoid colliding with the stick. This was quit fascinating, but over the years, as I have gardened my fascination has changed to admiration and finally I have learned some valuable lessons from gardening that have impacted my life positively.
1)There is great potential in a seed no matter the size. Seeds come in all sizes, but they all do one thing. They become plants when planted under the right conditions and will eventually bear fruit. Likewise great ideas most often start small and if planted and nurtured will eventually yield results. Therefore do not let people minimize or under look your idea, no matter how small it maybe. Do something about it. Plant that business idea today, enrolled in that class you have been putting off. Pick up the phone and make that call. What about making up your mind to start writing a paragraph of that book you have been dreaming of for a greater part of your life? Remember the seed does not need to be great for it to bear fruit. If you start small it will eventually grow bigger.
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2)The season dictates the type of seed that is sown. When I moved to North America, it took me a while to figure out what to plant and when to plant. In the tropics, it is easier, you are dealing with the dry and raining season, but in North America you have four seasons accompanied by dramatic changes. For example winter crops that need cold weather will cook under the summer heat and crops like okra that love the summer heat will freeze in winter. You have to know what season you are in if you want to stay ahead of the competition. You have to know when to sow, when to tell people about what you want to do next. If you speak out prematurely, you may be discouraged to let go of your dream. Know the season you are in and you will not lose your seed.
3)The soil eventually determines if the life in the seed comes out or not. Sowing in the right soil cannot be over emphasized. For the life of your seed eventually depends on the quality of soil you plant your seed in. Even in hydroponic garden, where your plants are planted in water, care must be taken to ensure that the right nutrients are available and in correct amounts. No matter how healthy and robust your seeds are, the wrong soil will kill them. Hanging around the wrong company has the potential to choke life out of your dreams. At times you may have to relocate to blossom. You may even have to stop hanging around the wrong crowd to move forward.
4)Gardening is hard work. There are no short cuts, you have to get your hands dirty of you want your crops to do well. You are depending on luck by just scattering seeds without getting the ground ready and hoping the seeds will somehow germinate, blossom and bear fruit. Unfortunately there is no such thing as luck! Be ready to give all what it takes to see your dreams come to fruition. When hard work and preparation meets opportunity there is going to be a successful outcome. Be ready to work hard on your dreams and aspirations. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Hard work will eventually payoff.
5) You reap what you sow. If you sow spinach seeds you will reap spinach, it is on heard off that you will be expecting avocados or oranges. This is a very profound truth and it governs all areas of one’s life. In fact Paul the Apostle stated this same truth more than two thousand years ago, he said, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” You cannot transfer the blame to others when harvest time times and you are reaping according to the seeds that you sowed. Your success or failure is going to be determined by the type of seeds you sow on a daily basis.
Focus on the potential in your idea, know the season you are in, release the idea under the right circumstances, do the hard work necessary to develop the idea and you will be in for a bountiful harvest. Start in your garage is that is what you must do, there are many great companies around that started like that.
One of the most common words you find on resumes is team player. The impression is that the individual can effectively work with others in a team. If you are in the corporate world, at one point you may find yourself working together in a team. Where I work in order to drill a well, you need input from a geologist, engineer, geophysicist and a Landman. These four professionals depend on each other for a success well to be drilled, completed and put into production. The team must function properly for the company to be successful. It is not enough to be part of a team, there must be synergy for the team to be productive. Companies spend millions each on professional training to improve team dynamics and the smooth functioning of teams. The desire is to get good functioning teams and eventually highly productive employees.
You can make a difference in your company, by being an efficient, dynamic and functional member of the team you belong in. This is how you do it
1) Listen more than you talk. Many people will rather talk than listen to others. They cannot wait for the next person to stop talking for them to take the floor; as a result they barely listen to what others have to say. It is difficult to listen, but it is a skill that with practice will do you a lot of good when you master it. Finally, when your turn comes to speak, be considerate and make it as short as possible. Some people are in the habit of going on and on and on, with little regard of time. You may be forcing your team members to tune out if you fall in this category. It will help if you get your thoughts together prior to important meetings, so that you will use less time when presenting your point of view.
2) Speak up. You are part of the team for a reason and only you can represent yourself. Therefore it is incumbent on you to participate in the discussions .The fear of making a mistake, or saying something that may not may sense, keep people from saying anything at all. They sit through team meetings and do not say a word. The most they say is yes. This is not a enough, do all to add your input for it is highly needed to make your team complete. Remember you are part of the team.
3) Respect the opinions of your team members. Do not forget that the other members of the team are part of the team and their input is equally important. A dismissive attitude both verbally and non-verbally will destroy the team spirit eventually. No matter how outrageous an idea maybe, or how farfetched a question raised is. It is important to understand why the question has been posed or why the suggestion is being made. This is difficult to do at times, especially when you think you are the “smartest” on the team. The words of the Paul the Apostle will be a good reminder of the type of attitude you should have. He said, “For by the grace given to me I ask every one of you not to think of yourself more highly than you should think, rather to think of yourself with sober judgment on the measure of faith that God has assigned each of you.” In order words you have to be humble and not get over inflated with yourself.
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