The Seed

A successful business man was growing old and

knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.. 

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children,

he decided to do something different. He called all the young

executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.

I have decided to choose one of you.. "The young executives were

Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one

of you a SEED today - one very special SEED... I want you to plant

the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with

what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then

judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be

the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others,

received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the

story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted

the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had

grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began

to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. 

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing. 

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have

a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he

had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but

he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however.

He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the

seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company

brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot.

But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick

to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment

of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot

to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety

of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful --

in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and

many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young

executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees,

and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will

be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with

his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to

the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a

failure! Maybe he will have me fired!" 

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened

to his seed - Jim told him the story. 

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim,

and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next

Chief Executive Officer! 

His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow

his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this

room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it,

and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds;

they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and

flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you

substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the

only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with

my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new

Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust 

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now;

it will determine what you will reap later. 

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"