THE PARABLE OF THE THREE TREES
A wise man gave three of his students a very small seed, all of which came from the exact same tree. Along with the seed, he gave them only these instructions:
- Plant the seed.
- Water it daily.
- Give it time and room to grow.
The students left to go care for their seed.
The first student saw it as a burden. So when he got home, he took it and tossed it away where no sunlight or rain came. It was soon eaten by a small animal and digested, never to be seen again.
The second Student saw it as a project. He took the seed home and quickly planted it in a small pot. He watered it daily and soon the tree sprouted through the soil. He showed it to all his friends. They called him crazy. “Who ever heard of planting a tree in a small home,” they would ask? They told him people who live in such homes weren’t able to grow a large tree. He paid them no attention. He watched it every moment. He groomed and shaped each of the leaves; pruning each branch, to be sure he grew the most perfect tree Never allowing it to be too big, so he could always manage it inside the small pot it which was planted. Because it its root system couldn’t grow very much inside the small pot, the tree grew small to match its environment. It eventually cast a few seeds, and although the second student tried hard to get these small trees to grow (even just a little), they too were frail. When they started to grow, each quickly withered away and died. Soon, even the small tree stopped growing and or producing seeds. No matter how much or little water the student gave it, the tree remained stagnant and unchanged. Finally, the second student grew weary and lost interest. The small tree died as was forgotten.
The third student saw the seed for it’s potential. He took the seed to a large field, a few miles away from a giant forest. He planted it in the very center a few inches below the soil, so it could sprout easily on its own and grow comfortably the way trees were meant to grow. Its root system began to grow deep into the ground so it would be strong and healthy and withstand anything that came its way. He would check on the seed from time to time and clear away any debris or rocks that may be nearby hindering its growth. Soon the seed sprouted. The third student was ecstatic. He took joy in watching the tree grow. In very little time, the tree began to produce seeds. When the winds came, it spread the seeds around the large field. Those that landed in the right place also took root and grew very strong. The third student would continue visit often; clearing debris and helping the new seeds get a good start. He would bury them just below the soil and let them grow naturally. The strong seeds survived and the weaker seeds didn’t. But there were many strong seeds. Over time as a small forest of trees grew, the student’s visits became fewer and fewer as the forest seemed to maintain itself.
One day, he and the other two students received word that the wise man, who gave them the seeds, was ill and requested to see them one last time. When they were all together he asked had any of their seeds grown. The first replied, “My seed was no good. It grew no roots and never sprouted. It is gone.” The second student said, “I planted mine as you said and cared for it every day. It grew. But no matter how hard I tried, it grew frail and weak. It eventually died.” The third student said, “I too did just as you said. I planted it. I made sure it would get the same nourishment as other strong trees by planting it near a giant forest. And I gave it plenty of room to grow by planting it in the middle of a large field. Eventually it sprouted and grew. The tree gave off many seed and eventually became the largest tree in the center of hundreds of other giant trees. In fact, it is the tallest tree I have ever seen. I have just one question. What kind of trees are these? I have never seen such enormous creatures.”
The wise man looked at his three students and said, “you were all given a seed from a mighty redwood.”
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Bearj Jehanian is a Maximum Potential Speaker and Trainer. Click here to learn more.