“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.”
Several years ago, an executive client requested that I give him feedback on a handful of his public speeches. A quite adept speaker, I told him after one speech that his delivery was sharp and clear, and the only thing I thought needed help was his “close”—the way he finished his speech.
Now, since my feedback was given verbally he thought I meant the only thing he needed to work on was his “clothes”—his attire! You can image his bewilderment, especially since he was quite a good dresser.
Waiting for the Ripening
On a personal note: One thing I am not is a “closer.” I can’t really close a deal. Oh, I can set it up in preparation for the closer. But closing… that’s not my deal. I’m like a quarterback that can get you to the Red Zone, and then you’ll need to bring on another QB to get you in the end zone.
As I ponder this subject, it seems to me that much of our lives is all about waiting; waiting for the close to occur. It takes time to plant, to grow, and to ripen an opportunity before it is ready to be “reaped.” Gardening requires patience and rhythms.
Although it might be painful in our less-than-patient culture, waiting is a natural part of life’s growth process of sowing and reaping harvests.
The Yield May Be a Lifetime Away
One thing I have learned in Covid Quasi Quarantine is how to wait more patiently. I have been forced to delay gratification. I plant and I water. I nurture what I have planted and wait for an unknown time of harvest, during which time I reserve enough seed to begin the planting process all over again.
A counselor once told me that the difference I might make on the world might actually come into realization through the efforts of my son. And that, perhaps, my job was to build and nurture him to be a confident, kind, and measured man that thinks of others as much as he does for himself.
And so, I may never see the difference I made because it may not occur in my lifetime. Ah, but still… waiting holds a certain charm, confident that the result is in better hands than mine.
Let the Planting Begin
And the Patience Continue
Photo courtesy of piyaset at istockphoto
