Being Great or Average?

chanakyakripa

It is the story of a grandson who would visit hisgrandfather’s farm every year. One particular visit to the farm, the boy’sgrandfather was preparing to plant a few types of trees that he didn’t alreadyhave on his farm. They both went to the local nursery to pick what trees theywould plant.

When they got home, thewarm, kind, loving, and wise grandfather asked his grandson, “If I plant one ofthese trees inside and plant one outside, which do you think will be thegreatest?”

“I think the one inside will grow the biggest,”answered the grandson, “because it won’t have to deal with the cold winters,the wind, and the burning sun. It will face fewer hard things.”

The grandfather took one of the trees andplanted it indoors, and he planted the other outside. He turned to his grandsonand said, “Let’s see what happens.”
For several years, the grandfather tended toboth plants. It wasn’t until the third year that the boy asked about the trees,having remembered the experiment. The old man took the boy to the tree they hadplanted outdoors and then to the tree they had planted indoors. “Which of thetwo trees do you think is greater?” asked the grandfather.

The boy answered, “The outside one, of course.But I don’t know why. It had to deal with so much more than the tree inside.”
“That is true,” the grandfather said with a warmsmile. “However, because the outside tree had to deal with so much more, itgrew stronger and faster. Do you think it was worth it?” asked the Grandfather.

“Definitely!” said the grandson, “Look at howits branches happily spread out to the sun and the sky.”

The old wise man then taught his grandson something hewould never forget. “Learning works the same way, my boy. If you choose to donothing, you will grow very little and will begin to whither, just as thisindoor tree has. If you choose to always take the path of least resistance, youwill always be mediocre and average. You will only reach your full potential bypurposely choosing to do the hard things, even when you don’t feel likeit-that’s called discipline. This outdoor tree needed the hard things to becomegreat.”

Point:With so many competing priorities, taking time for yourself can be difficult.But taking that time is the difference between being great and being average.

Rushcourt71

It is also about accepting which priority requires greater attention and the time in which you respond to it. Leaving it too late can result in the 'priority' disappearing as well and becoming a missed opportunity.

Mancini

Wow, it's a greats story and a good example to motivate those who don't dare to accept challenges including I. Thanks for sharing.