An eight-year-old boy went to his grandfather and proudly announced, “I am going
to be very successful when I grow up. Can you give me any tips on how to get
there?”
The grandfather nodded, and without saying a word, took the boy by the hand and
walked him to a nearby plant nursery.
There, the two of them choose and purchased two small saplings.
They returned home and planted one of them in the garden.
The other sapling was placed in a pot and kept indoors.
“Which one do you think will be the most successful in the future?” asked the
grandfather?
The boy thought for a moment and said, “The indoor tree. It’s protected and safe
while the outdoor one has to cope with the elements.”
The grandfather shrugged his shoulders and said, “We’ll see.”
The grandfather carefully tended to both plants and in a few years, the boy, now a
teenager came to visit again.
“You never really answered my question from when I was a young boy. How can I
become successful when I grow up?” he asked.
The old man showed the teenager the indoor tree and then took him outside to
have a look at the towering tree outside.
“Which one is greater?” the grandfather asked.
“The outside one. But that doesn’t make sense, it has to cope with many more
challenges than the inside one.”
The grandfather smiled, “Yes, but the risk of dealing with challenges is worth it as
it has the freedom to spread its roots wider and its leaves towards the heavens.
Boy, remember this and you be successful in whatever you do; If you choose the
safe option all of your life you will never grow and be all that you can be, but
if you are willing to face the world head-on with all of its dangers and
challenges, the sky’s the limit.”
The young man looked up at the tall tree, took a deep breath and nodded his
head, knowing that his wise grandfather was right.
The same is true for all of us.
If you choose the safe, well-worn path, then a life of mediocrity awaits.
But if you have the courage and capacity to live in the elements, you give yourself
a great chance of reaching your full potential and being successful in your chosen
field of endeavour.
God created trees to grow outside.
He created people to live lives of significance.