Upside Down! The Story of Courage & Honesty
Zeeshan Ali Sajwani
Upside Down! The Story of Courage &
Honesty
By: Zeeshan Sajwani
I would like to share a story that you may like to read. You will observe a clear message attached to this story.
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!"
There is a clear message attached to the story
- If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
- If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
- If you plant humanity, 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"
regards,
Zeeshan Sajwani
http://www.facebook.com/zeeshan.sajwani
http://yes-inspirations.blogspot.com/