The Seed

[Judy Harder]

   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!"   

*  If you plant honesty, you will reap trust 

*  If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

*  If you plant humility, 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   

So,  be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later. 

Think  about   this for a minute....   


If  I happened to show up on your door step crying, would you care?   

If  I called you and asked you to pick me up because something happened, would you  come?   


If  I had one day left to live my life, would you be part of that last day?   

If  I needed a shoulder to cry on, would you give me yours?   

This  is a test to see who your real friends  are or if you are just someone to talk to you when they are bored.   

Do  you know what the relationship is between your two eyes?   

They  blink together,

they  move together,   

they  cry together,

they  see things together,

and  they sleep together,   

but  they never see each other;

....that's  what friendship is..

Your  aspiration is your motivation, your

motivation  is your belief,

your  belief is your peace,

your  peace is your target,

your  target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without it!   

It's  'World Best Friends Week'   

Who  is your best friend?   

Send  this to all your good friends, even me, if I am one of them.   

See  how many you get back.   


If  you get more than 3 then you really are a lovable person...   

Save  the Earth.... it's the only planet with chocolate!!!!