Working Until the Harvest
A few weeks ago I heard a story that was a vivid reminder of being persistent, and patient.
Since I grew up in a farming community, the concept of seed time, cultivating time, and harvest time are second nature in my subconscious.
Still, there are moments where I believe that the harvest should happen sooner or that I have put in enough work to receive that harvest.
After hearing about the farming process for a Chinese Bamboo tree, I have a new appreciation for delayed gratification and the rewards that await our work.
In the first year, a Chinese Bamboo tree does not grow a single inch. There is no sprout that appears out of the ground and there is no visible evidence that your work did anything.
What is amazing, is that the tree continues to grow at a blistering 0 inches the second year, the third, and fourth year after planting. It does not matter how much care and attention you give to the seedling, after 4 years there is nothing to show for it.
However, in the fifth year, a Chinese Bamboo tree grows 80 feet in six weeks. All the effort and cultivation from the previous 4 years shows up in a matter of weeks.
Sometimes we think that our work is meaningless and that because we don’t see results that the lack of fruit is a confirmation for us to move on.
But, there are some things that do not bear a harvest overnight, in a matter of weeks, or even years. You can ask any parent when their kids truly appreciated all the love they poured into them, and usually it happens when your kids have their own kids.
The amount of work required for a goal or dream we have ought not scare us. Our inspiration is born from imagining what it will feel, smell, or sound like when our dream is reality, not how good or bad our current circumstance may be.
That is a powerful anecdote, lydon. Any one who is an artist knows that to produce truly great works of art you must labour in obscurity with no recognition or reward perfecting your art. You must learn to live with the desert experience of solitude and silence.
Oh, a few artists become apparent prodigies - overnight sensations - but they never last because they haven't put down roots into the bedrock of existence. As Faulkner says, their griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars
Lydon, this is an awesome reflection and insight... and one I needed to hear today! Probably every day as well! ;)
Of course, your message here immediately brought this to mind:
Thank you, friend.
😄😇😄
This is SO true, Lydon! A lot of people become impatient and give up just before the fruits of their labor manifest into reality.
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Amen! There are some things that do not bear a harvest overnight, in a matter of weeks, or even years.
The Chinese Bamboo Tree teaches us success lessons on patience, faith, perseverance, growth & development. thanks for sharing @lydon.sipe
Patience and believe these are the hardest thing for anyone but if one has it has the sweet rewards too
What s great lesson to remember! It is not always about instant gratification. That is a hard one for me. I owned my own business, and at the end of each appointment the client paid me. Work=$. I came home each night with a pocket full of money for my days work. I'm retired now, but sometimes still expect that instant reward. There are times that I need to remember about the bamboo!
I learned something new. Thank you.
Excellent publication! Very good reflection, so we must have patience and perseverance when we start a project and have the faith that we will see its fruits, so present obstacles that have the conviction that the effort and effort that we have seen will be rewarded
Thank you friend @lydon.sipe for sharing this special article, I was shocked. We hope that our work in steemit will result in a beautiful and strong stem like Bambu and that this will help us in our lives and our dearest people. Receive a warm hug