REAP WHAT YOU SOW: Three Steps To Help You Cultivate Success

Developing success in life is similar to growing a garden. To have a bountiful successful garden, we must fertilize, water and continually pull weeds. To be a success in life, we also need to cultivate our personal development, build strong relationships, and continually remove barriers.

As a child, I enjoyed working in my small vegetable and flower garden. It was always a joy to see the first seedlings as they pierced through my freshly tilled soil after I had sown the seeds. The interesting thing about planting a seed is that some seeds produce plants that grow to their full capacity, some produce plants with stunted growth, and others never grow.

How is it determined that some seeds never produce any plants?

Just as the farmer has to till the soil and carefully plant seeds, so do we have to plant seeds in our lives. After seeds are planted, there is a critical incubation period where they have to be put in the right temperature, watered, and fertilized.

So, is it really true that we reap what we sow?

I enjoyed gardening: seeing new seedlings growing and having the opportunity to water, fertilize, and watch them grow bigger, bloom, and subsequently bear fruit. What I hated about gardening was weeding.

So it is in our lives. When we plant a seed, we must fertilize and water it. Usually the seeds will germinate, but the new seedlings have to compete with weeds for water and soil. Just as weeds have to be eliminated from our vegetable and flower gardens, the weeds in our lives also have to be pulled.

In order to be successful, we have to continually till the soil in our lives and pull the weeds. The normal process for growth involves: planting seeds, fertilizing and watering them, and continually weeding the gardens of our lives.

Have you taken the time to prepare your personal garden for growth?

As we prepare our garden beds for planting by tilling the soil and fertilizing, it is a good idea to do the same things in our lives.

1. Remove Old Debris
We have to get rid of bad habits that serve as blocks or cause detours. These are counter-productive things in our lives that need to be completely removed to allow more success to come into our lives. Create an action plan to get rid of one bad habit each year.

2. Fertilize Your Soil
Reduce the stress in your life by taking a class for relaxation. Join a local gym or recreational center and take a class in yoga or aerobics. Choose a class to start this season. With the reduction of stress, new ideas can be cultivated and you can achieve a higher level of success.

3. Continuously Pull the Weeds
Weeding needs to be done on a routine basis to optimize growth. When we bud with the wrong people, we need to weed and separate ourselves from those associations. Don’t allow weeds to grow in your garden. Focus on removing weeds and negative influences from your life because both can hinder growth and limit your opportunity to succeed so you will never reap what you sow. Take the time to weed your garden each season.

Cultivating a garden is similar to cultivating your success. When you invest in your success by removing barriers and creating opportunities, your success will grow. Apply these three simple steps and watch your personal garden grow!!

Winifred Bragg,MD©2011 All Rights Reserved.