Thought Seeds

I' ve  been  slow  in  composing  posts

this  week.

The  temperatures   are  rising

its  around 110*during  the  day.

So  I  get  tired   easily.

We  use  the air convector  cooler,

( almost  everyone  I  know  has

air  conditioners but  I  can 't

afford  one).

 The cool  air of   the   water  cooler

flares up  arthritis.

My  right  hip,  left wrist ,

arms  and  knees  have  been

quite  painful because  of  that.

I  tried  to  bear  the  pain, but 

it  got  me  so  tired  and  stressed out

 I  had  to  take  pain killers.

Pain  tires  me  out   easily.

I  think trees are  like

God  's giant sculptures.

I like  photographing  them.

This  one  is  outside  a

shopping mall

I  visited  with  my  nephew  Ashish

when  he  was  here  in  February this  year.

Its  an  ancient  banyan  tree.

(Megan, Sonia, Ashish &  Abner)

My  adopted sister  Sonia, hubby  and son  Abner

are  arriving  on Saturday

for a  summer  vacation with us.

We  are  so  excited.

I  am  getting   the  house  ready.

(me,Sonia,Ashish & Abner)

Keeping   the  house  dust  free is   such  a  task

with  strong  dust  laden  winds 

blowing most  of   the day.

We 've had dust  storms  too.

Last  evening   we  had  surprise  rain

which  cooled us  off.

After  the  rain we  sat  out

on  the  patio

enjoying   the   cool  evening

before  the  mosquito attack.

Trust  you  all  are  safe  and healthy.

I  read  the  following very  instructive

and  inspiring story on

my   friend  Elizabeth 's  blog

and  I  want  to  share  it  here.

THE  PLANT

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.