Which Seed Are You?

 

A farmer planted seeds on his farm and rested for the rain to fall and seeds to flourish into crops. Two seeds started talking. One said I feel so lazy, I do not want to grow up so soon. Growing up is so boring and even tedious to do. I think I will rest in the soil for a while. 

The second seed which was buried deep already felt the urge to grow. He said I am waiting for the rain to fall and it is my duty to flourish and bloom into a beautiful plant. That is what my life is for and I will do what I am supposed to do. 

As time passed the seed that rested slept for days and months and the other one grew tall and green. One day the farmers dog was playing on the farm and since the spot where the sleeping seed lay was open and barren, he dug it up. The seed was unearthed. The farmer's hen came pecking there and ate the seed. That was the end of a life not well spent. 

Learning has to be continuous to be impactful. It cannot be a one off time of training or reading something. We are not machines that change out behaviour by changing the settings. Our neural pathways are strengthed over a time period. 

As children learn to write, it is all about practice. They learn over a period of months and years. Adults also learn anything by practicing, hence for certain critical job roles, people with experience are preferred.

In spite of this understanding, not everyone has the patience to practice and master their skill. I have seen, especially at workplace, new joiners getting very impatient with their learning curve. While any learning takes practice, the amount of practice for each individual would be different. We must recognise that and accept it. Rather than wanting to try out something else. Being a coach I get these responses from many coachees, that they can't understand a particular domain and they want to change their project or they can't understand what their senior is explaining, so they would rather try something new. Impatience will not get you anywhere. But in such kind of a situation, I try to explain them about how they need to give anything time to grow, whether it is a relationship with their senior or their knowledge in a domain. At times they make a perception about their own imaginary limitation to learn something new. 

The world belongs to the one who learns constantly and is ready to grow.