Take a look at an apple tree. There might be five hundred apples on the tree, each with ten seeds. That’s a lot of seeds. We might ask, “Why would you need so many seeds to grow just a few more trees?”
Nature has something to teach us here. It’s telling us: “Most seeds never grow. So if you really want to make something happen, you better try more than once”
This might mean:
You’ll attend twenty interviews to get one job.
You’ll interview forty people to find one good employee.
You’ll talk to fifty people to sell one house, car, vacuum cleaner, insurance policy, or idea.
And you might meet a hundred acquaintances to find one special friend.
When we understand the “Law of the Seed”, we don’t get so disappointed. We stop feeling like victims. Laws of nature are not things to take personally. We just need to understand them- and work with them.
IN A NUTSHELL
Successful people fail more often. They plant more seeds.
When things are beyond your control, here’s a recipe for permanent MISERY:
a) Decide how you think the world SHOULD be.
b) Make rules for how everyone SHOULD behave.
Then, when the world doesn’t obey your rules, get angry!
That’s what miserable people do!
Let’s say you expect that:
Friends SHOULD return favors.
People SHOULD appreciate you.
Planes SHOULD arrive on time.
Everyone SHOULD be honest.
Your spouse SHOULD remember your birthday.
These expectations may sound reasonable but often, these things won’t happen! So you end up frustrated and disappointed. There’s a better strategy. Have less demand. Instead, have preferences! For things that are beyond your control, tell yourself: “I WOULD PREFER “A” BUT IF “B” HAPPENS, IT’S OK TOO!” This is really a game that you play in your head. It is a shift in attitude, and it gives you more peace of mind.
You prefer that people are polite… but when they are rude, it doesn’t ruin your day. You prefer sunshine.. but rain is ok!
To become happier, we either need to:
a) Change the world, or
b) Change our thinking
It is easier to change our thinking!
It’s not what happens to you that determine your happiness. It’s how you think about what happens to you
PS: This article is not my property & the due credit goes to the author who wrote this. I read it somewhere few years back & found it very interesting so sharing with you.
Wow!! Such important key learnings…..if only it was as easy to adopt this attitude and move on with life! But I must say you are the right person preaching this concept as they say preach what you practice and you my friend are definetely a walking,talking example of this idea! No doubt the secret to your success in life
Another great read! Thoughts and idea expressed so explicitly and the reader can really grasp onto the writer’s chain of thoughts. Very impressive work, I must say!!!
Thank you for liking the blog, Sara
In my opinion every individual should consider him/herself successful if they are content with what they have in life and learn to appreciate it, I try to appreciate what I have in life
a man wit an out standing success Mr Sahib karim , awesum blog ever
Thanks Shezad, I am glad you liked the blog
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Really liked this one and this one should be read after every couple of months by all those who gets frustrated for returns quickly
a nice and interesting opinion,quite valid when we lessen our expectations it immediately changes attitudes,but its very difficult,but its a good opinion u shared ,keep sharing more…thankyou!!
Well written, even can be read with good taste at 3 AM after woken-up by a nightmare induced by day long frustrations! Thanks Janab Sahib!
Well it’s a nice article.. but I’ve set up my mind with a strong belive in Allah.. whatever happen’s at the end is by Allah’s will.. so I gota try my level best and thn leave it to Allah.. bcoz ‘I plan, you plan but eventually the best planner is Allah’
Zabardast thought, Omar. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful nugget of wisdom
Nice article
Appreciated Taqi
nice read but then again not everything is possible, welcome to world.. the not so very ideal place .. so agreed that in most cases you should expect less to gain more but then again humans have emotions which are bound to give you expectations. Oh and btw if everyone changes themselves… the world will auto change
Thanks for your comments, Ali. I agree that it’s difficult but as they say good things don’t come easy
We must try and hopefully one day things will change!
Very interesting
I’m going to try this.
I am glad you are willing to try this out. Wish you all the best, Tazeen
@Maheen: It’s difficult but not impossible. In fact the best way to achieve this state of mind is by being less demanding. Expect nothing or less from others & things will become much easier
Agree
Nice article …. a perfect recipe for a tasteful and purposeful life… ! Thanks for sharing Sahib!
yeah but to have this kinda approach one really needs to be very very strong internally….. or i should say one needs to have a strong will power.
100% agree with you Maheen.
The real secret to life is enduring contentment that is a sense of peace and self-acceptance. It comes from being the person you truly are. One must learn that from the moment we were born, we all were programmed with the conflicting messages of pleasing self versus pleasing others. The stronger and contented from inside you are, the better
you’ll know how to reconcile the two.