Sow the Right Seed in the Right Place

Hey, remember when Hollywood made a movie about Rock People who helped build a giant boat and an environmentally-conscious, murderous psychopath and tried to pass it off as Noah?  Kidding, I'm not getting into that, but back when Noah really did set his feet on the newly rearranged, green earth God made him a promise. We find it in Genesis 8:22:

 "For as long as Earth lasts, planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never stop.” - God

  Let me check ... yes, the Earth is still here. That means we will reap what we sow. The key here is to sow the right seed into the right place. I believe you may be familiar with the anecdote about sowing apple seeds and expecting oranges. It is easy to relate to this idea. No one goes out and knowingly plants an apple seed and expects anything more or less than apples. The real life application is somewhat different. We can all probably confess to sowing one thing and expecting another at some point. It's an easy trap to fall into if we look at another individual's harvest. We look at the fruit without realizing the effort it took to find the right soil, till the earth, plant the seed, tend the plant, etc. There's a lot of work that goes into a fruitful harvest. We've been talking about seeds, apples and oranges. Let's make it real. Maybe you've seen someone's business flourish or their new endeavor take off. In a business setting, planting the seed starts with being a great employee before you ever become a great employer. You can be a great employee or employer but it takes time and effort.

Seeds Every Employee Should Sow

Do you want to see a great harvest in the workplace? Try some of these time tested seeds:

1. Bring the right attitude. Whatever is inside of us will eventually come out and that's not just your breakfast. We have to choose to bring life and encouragement to every day.
2. Be a problem solver. Don't make the issue. Solve the issue. Everyday we have the opportunity to exacerbate a problem or be the hero and make it better. Choose the latter.
3. Be on time. Simple, right? If at all possible don't make people wait for you. Make sure you're honoring other people's time.

There Are Harvest Variables

There are basically two main variables that determine a harvest. 1) The seed. 2) The environment. While we may not have complete control of these variables, it's our responsibility to control what can. We control the seed. We decided what we are going to sow. We can choose to sow the good seed or the bad. Throw thistle seeds in the ground and you'll end up injured during harvest time. The seed is in your hands. You picked it out. Make sure it is what you want before you plant it. More often than not we control where the seed is planted. The seed is precious! Don't throw it in a rock pile where it has no chance to live. Find the ground that is tilled, fertilized and full of nutrients. Whatever you want to grow has to be in a healthy environment. Make the right choice when it comes to how and where you spend your time. Let's break it down.

• We have the seed that we want to grow into something worth having.
• We put it the ground so that it can be nourished and grow.
• Now we wait.

There are other factors out of our control that make the seed grow - light and water. The seed cannot become fully formed fruit without the help of other forces. People will come to your aid to bring refreshment and enlightenment when you're in the right place. Never stop learning and always take time to rest. You can't make it rain or force the sun to shine. But do not fret... It will rain and the sun will shine. At some point your seed will be refreshed with heaven's showers and the sun's warm rays will enlighten it. The seed will become all that it was destined to be.

What Do You Want to Grow?

It's in our hands isn't it? Since the beginning, everything that's needed for a harvest has been given to us. What do you want? A successful business? Surround yourself with great business leaders. A great marriage? Invest quality time with your spouse. Awesome six pack abs? Stop eating ice cream every day!