To fix the fruit, inspect the root
Courtesy of pseudology.org
Have you ever had a problem you wanted to fix and you wanted it fixed NOW!… Of course you have, we all have. The problem is that many times we try to fix the problem by focusing on the wrong things. If you focus on the wrong thing you never will fix the problem. It would be like spraying the fire alarm with the fire extinguisher instead of spraying the fire. It may stop the alarm from going off, but you still have a problem that is getting worse with time.
To illustrate the point I’m trying to make I want to use an example you’ve heard many times. The example of ripening and fruit. There is much talk about reaping what we sow. To have a bountiful harvest we must plant good seeds, nurture and water those seeds, and then harvest the crop. But take a minute right now to think about roots. There are shallow roots & deep roots, thick roots & think roots, great roots & bad roots. Don’t let your mind wander now because here comes the big idea, the “aha moment”, the important phrase to remember. If you remember only one thing from this post, remember this catch-phrase… the roots determine the fruits. I’ll repeat it, “THE ROOTS DETERMINE THE FRUITS.”
If you have undesirable results, circumstances, or habits in your life, these are your fruits. If you don’t like your results, it won’t do you any good to focus on the problem or “fruit”. You can’t fix a banana once it’s bad. You can pump it full of chemicals and drugs… it won’t help (this is what doctors try to do when our unhealthy lifestyle choices come to fruition… and we usually encourage it.) The mistake these health care providers are making is that they are trying to treat the symptoms, which is another name for the fruit, not the cause(root). You can put a band-aid on your bad fruit, it still won’t help. The only way you can fix the fruit is to fix root.
Here’s the kicker… you’re the tree. The fruits are your results. If you want better results in your life, focus on your roots and while doing this keep in mind that fruit doesn’t grow overnight. Don’t expect to sprinkle some personal development miracle grow on your life and in 24 hours be the next Zig Ziglar or Tony Robbins. It takes time. Here are some interesting root facts and I trust you will be able to see the connections:
1) Roots seek out and soak up nutrients the plant needs in order to thrive. In fact, every root has tiny hairs on it that help soak up all the minerals and nutrients possible. Are you soaking up everything of value in your life? Are you seeking out opportunities to learn and grow?
2) In some plants, such as beetroots, the roots even store food for seasons in the future when nutrients and minerals may not be so readily available. Do you have enough positive stored up in you to offset those bad days and negative people you are going to inevitably run into?
3) The deepest root ever measured grew 68 meters, or 223 feet deep! That’s quite a journey for a food supply. How committed are you to feeding your spirit (roots) what it needs in order for you to become the person you were destined to be and have the potential to become?
4) In response to the concentration of nutrients, roots also create cytokinin which acts as a signal to how fast the plant can grow…. read that again!…
…seriously, go back and read it again right now.
If you didn’t read it again (or even if you did) let me unpack it a little more. The root creates a chemical (cytokinin), based on how many nutrients it comes into contact with. This chemical then communicates to the plant or gives in instruction/permission as to how fast it can grow! This is so perfectly parallel to life. If you want to grow and develop your character and skills quickly, you must soak your roots in nutrient rich soil- Are you reading good books, listening to good cd’s, and surrounding yourself with positive, intentional people?
I could go on and on. I’ve found some really interesting facts about roots, their purpose, and how they work. So much of the world correlates to our lives when we actively look for the connections. As my good friend Gregory Carr likes to say, “be encouraged” and focus on your roots… not on your fruits. The fruits will take care of themselves because the only way you can fix the fruit is to fix the root.
Thanks Josette, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully everybody who visits will be able to take something practical away that they can apply. I appreciate you taking the time to commnet.