Amazing Growth

Some people resemble desert grass in springtime; they flourish overnight. Mozart composed his first symphony when he was 8 years old.

However, many people require years and years of preparation before they tap their potential. Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa when he was 50 years old. These types of people can be likened to the moso Chinese bamboo plant.

You can take a bamboo seed and plant it in the ground, water and nurture the seed for an entire year and only see a single sprout.

During the second, third and fourth year you care for the bamboo in the same way. You give it constant attention, watering, sunlight and maybe you even throw in some praying, but still the bamboo does not grow. You were told it might take a while to grow, so you keep believing your efforts will payoff.

It is not till sometime in the fifth year the bamboo tree will start to grow. And when it begins to grow, what happens in the next 4-6 weeks is amazing. The tiny bamboo sprout you cared for will grow as much as 3 feet in a single day till it reaches as high as 90 feet.

So what was the plant doing during this 5 year long, seemingly dormant period?

It was growing it’s roots!

While in the first four years, the plant was not growing above ground, it was actually growing below ground. It was developing an intricate root system which would eventually help propel its massive upward growth in year five.

Without this root structure, the plant simply could not support itself for the future growth it was destined to experience.
Our own spiritual and genetic potential is the same way. Our inner world is like the roots of the bamboo plant. We can do everything seemingly right, but still see no results. Just remember, although we may not be growing above ground, we just might be developing our root system. Spreading roots and clearing ones thoughts of debilitating fears and doubts might take a while, but eventually there will be improvement.

Have patience! Success in anything is not about the end goal, but instead about the person you become along the path to achieving it. The future is an endless string of “now” moments. Learn to live in the present moment and know that the most important relationship we can develop is the one between our Spirit and body- by following our own inner voice we can lead a good and fulfilling life.... even if no one other than you notices. The most important validation comes from within.