One of the laws which benefited me greatly in my career and helped me move ahead is the law of sow and reap, with more emphasis on the sowing. Let me ask you this, have you heard the parable of the sower? You know, it's a parable where a farmer went out to sow his seeds and as he was scattering the seeds, some of them fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on the on the rocky places where it did not have much soil, so it sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and they withered because they had no roots. Other seeds fell among thorns. Still other seeds fell on good soil where it produced a crop 160 or 30 times more than what was sown.
Now the point of me sharing this story with you is twofold:
1 is that the seeds being sown can only take root and grow into a strong plant if the soil has been properly prepared to receive them. And so we've got to take great care to see where we are sowing and what we are sowing, not only externally but internally.
2nd, if we were to change the focus of the story from the soil to the sower, the job of the sower is to spread the seed. Some of that seed is wasted through falling on the hardened path or among the weeds and the thorns. This is what we call wasted efforts, but watching the birds eat up the seed and fly away must definitely be disheartening for the sower.
But at the same time, the job of the sower is to spread the seed. In real life, my friend, sometimes you might wonder, "what's the point of doing all this? Is it really worth it? You know, nobody appreciates me." But look at the sower. He does not stop. He moves on with the usual sense of urgency. He is the sower.
I really want you to reflect on this and think, are there certain fields in your career that you have stopped seeding? And what can you do to redouble your efforts. As leaders you are a sower.
When you put seeds in the ground, these are your dreams, your vision, your aspirations and your hopes. You can sow the seed, of wanting to climb the corporate ladder, of leading with impact, of being an innovator. Whatever your seeds are, you start sowing them today. And let me tell you, my friend, some of these seeds will wither away, some will be eaten by the birds who are your competitors and haters. But many will fall on the fertile ground and it's up to you to nourish these seeds on the fertile ground on a daily basis. And I promise you, in time to come, maybe after a year, three years, or five years, those seeds will start to sprout. You can't stop. You can't give up on sowing.
I hope this helps in your journey toward success,
Your Good Friend + Mentor
Payal Nanjiani
Leadership Expert | Author| Executive Coach
Date : 1 May, 2023
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