I can’t say I’ve thought a lot about bamboo in my life.

(I mean, have you?)

But I have thought a lot about success, and how some people achieve it and some don’t. 

I recently read a parable about bamboo. The story goes that a Chinese bamboo seed is planted and takes five years (give or take) to break through the surface. Once it does, it grows a ridiculous amount (very scientific unit of measurement on my part) in a very short period of time. 

I loved this. It painted the perfect picture of what I have come to know as the truth of real success in anything from healing to business. 

Patience, consistency, and trust in the process. 

I write about these concepts a lot, sometimes as much as a reminder to myself as anything else. When you’ve planted a seed – the seed of whatever it is your heart desires – it can feel like it’s taking forever to grow. And then we begin to doubt. Negative thoughts creep in – things aren’t happening fast enough and we think “maybe they never will”. 

So too often, we dig up the seed and throw it out, because we don’t trust that patience, consistency, and trust are all that are required to have whatever it is we desire. And so the seed never grows, because we dug it up and refused to allow it to sprout in its own time. 

Plant your seed. 

Trust it will grow if you take consistent steps every day to “water” it, even baby steps. 1% a day. It all adds up. 

Don’t dig up the seed of your desire because it isn’t growing fast enough. 

Keep going and trust that the seed will sprout with your consistent efforts.

And when it does, it will grow like crazy…and you’ll be glad you never gave up. 

Note: I confess, when I heard this story of the bamboo, I had to research it for myself. 

(“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet” – Jesus)

While the veracity of the entire tale is questionable, there is a kernel (a seed?) of truth to it. Certain species can grow as much as three feet in a day.

So there’s your horticultural education for the day. Now go plant your seed.

Sparkle on…