The Bamboo Tree

One day a man planted a bamboo seedling. He cared for it and each day he watered it and tended to it, making sure it had the proper sunlight to grow. After a year's time, the man saw that the plant had not grown at all, but he continued to water it, tend to it, and make sure it was nourished by proper sunlight. 

Again, after the second year the plant had not grown. He watered and tended it through the third year and the fourth. Suddenly, as if by magic, in the fifth it began growing. In fact, it grew two and a half feet a day until in six weeks it was ninety feet tall.

The bamboo tree's growth is not magic. During its first five years, when it seems nothing is happening, it develops miles and miles of roots beneath the ground. Though no growth is visible, the foundation is being established and strengthened.

The lesson is that there are times where we feel our lives are stagnating, or nothing is changing or no dramatic events are happening.  In reality, those are the days we are building our own roots and growing strong for the days when growth hits us in spurts.  This way our lives remain balanced. 

How Full is Your Cup?

Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master, received a visit from a university professor who wanted to know about zen. They sat and visited and talked for a while.

Nan-in then took out tea cups and tea and proceeded to pour tea for his guest. He filled his guest's cup and continued to pour as the tea spilled over the sides. The professor, unable to restrain himself, cried : "Stop. The cup is full, no more will go in." Nan-in replied: "Like this cup, you too are full.  You area already full of your own judgments, speculations, ideas and opinions. How can you begin to learn until you empty your cup first?"

The lesson for us is that we cannot learn if we believe we already know everything.  How often do you think you are open but in reality, your cup is already full?

Steps Out Of Darkness

I was in darkness,
but I took three steps
and found myself in paradise.
The first step was a good thought,
the second, a good word,
and the third, a good deed.

~Author unknown but greatly appreciated

A Grown Up

A grown up is a child with layers on.

~Woody Harrelson

Growth

It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.

J. K. Rowling

Two Fish

An expirment was conducted with two fish.  The fish were different species, one of which normally fed on the other. Researchers constructed a special aqaurium with a glass divider in the center that created an invisible barrier between the two fish.

When they were first placed in the aqaurium, the predator fish repeatedly banged against the divider in an attempt to get to the other fish.  It wanted its prey.  As time passed however, the fish accepted the existance of the barrier and eventually gave up trying to get to the other fish.

At some point later on, the researchers removed the glass divider but each fish continued to swim in its respective zone of the aqaurium, completely unaware that the barrier no longer existed.

The lesson is to ask ourselves, what barriers were set for us long ago that we just accept as still being there?  Isn't it ok to test them now and then and see if we've grown or if things have changed?

Elephants

An elephant can easily pick up a one-ton load with its trunk. However typically, at the circus, these large and majestic creatures stand in place teathered by to a small stake in the ground, by a light rope or chain.  This could easily be broken by the elephant's massive strength.  So why is it that the elephant stays calmy in place?


When the elephant is young, and not so strong, it is tied with a very heavy chain to an immovable iron stake. It tries over and over again to break the chain, but finds that no matter how hard it pulls and fights and tries, it cannot break free. As the elephant grows and becomes strong, it no longer tries to break free because it remembers what it learned when it was small, and it believes it cannot be free.


The lesson here is that many of us remain bound by chains of our past, even when they are no longer physically there.  What is it in your life, that you need to take another look at and see if the chains that are holding you back only exist within your mind?

Use Your Talents

In ancient times, a talent was a unit of money, which is how it is used in this story.  But the story holds just as true when a talent is defined as “an individual ability”.

The master of a wealthy estate was preparing for a long journey to a far away country.  Before his departure, he entrusted a portion of his wealth to three of his servants.  To the first he gave five talents.  To the second he gave two talents, and to the final servant he gave one talent. Each was instructed to use what they had been given.

A year later the master returned to his estate and called his servants together to see how they had done.

The servant given five talents had invested wisely and had doubled his talents, so he now possessed ten.  “Well done” said the master. “Because you used what I gave you, I will give you more.”

The second servant had used his talents to help the village people.  Again the master was please and said “Because you used what I gave you, I will give you more.”

When the master asked the third servant how he had done, he replied  “you only gave me one talent and I was careful not to misuse it.  In fact, I put it in a safe place while you were gone and never touched it.  Here it is, good as new.”

The master was furious and yelled “ How dare you not use what I gave you?” then he took the talent away from the servant and gave it to the one who had ten.

The lesson is that we have to use the talents that we are given in order to grow and gain more.  If we do not use our abilities, we may very well lose them.

The Baby Giraffe

A baby giraffe falls 10 feet from its mother's womb and usually lands on its back. Within seconds it rolls over and tucks its legs under its body. From this position it considers the world for the first time and shakes off the last bits
of the birthing fluid from its eyes and ears.

Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces its baby to the reality of life.
  
The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. 
Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels.  

When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over 
again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, 
the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts.

Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up.

In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes; if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and be with the herd, the baby would be lost.

The lesson is that we all need tough love at times to grow.  It may come from a parent, a coach, a friend, or even a stranger.  Someone who pushes us to what feels like our breaking point, only to help us  survive and become stronger, better versions of ourselves.