Recently, I shared an apple with a six-year-old boy. When I cut the apple into wedges, a small handful of seeds fell out. My mind went one way, his went another. I wanted to scoop them up and throw them away so his little brother wouldn’t find them and eat them. They have traces of arsenic, are bitter and don’t taste very good.
He was excited to see the seeds inside.
“Can I have those?” he asked.
“You want the seeds? What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m going to plant them.”
“What will you get if you plant them?” I asked.
He counted the seeds. “Eleven trees.”
“How many apples will you get on a tree?”
“Eighty?”
“Probably more, but do you know what’s inside of them?”
“What?”
“More seeds.”
His face lit up and he smiled. Mentally, he had just glimpsed the apple orchard–the potential in his hand.
So what does this mean for you?
If you show up here much, you know that aside from giving you a shot in the arm to encourage your own ideas, creativity and future, you’re also being equipped to encourage others. Who knows how you can positively influence a life. That young lady who dreams of having her own sewing machine probably has a much bigger dream inside, but it may never be realized unless she gets the sewing machine.
The young man who is walking dogs to earn a little pocket money may be dreaming of being a veterinarian, or something much bigger than we could ever imagine, but it starts with owning his own pet first.
The author may have a single point they want to make, but they must believe in that idea enough to write. They could be sitting on the next NYT best seller.
Most ideas start out very small. But the potential for the fully bloomed dream lies in those tiny seeds. The slightest encouragement can cause them to sprout and begin growing. Once they take root, other ideas are possible. You can be your cheerleader and also a cheerleader to many others. By so doing, you are changing the world for the better.
I didn’t want to shoot down that little boy’s lovely picture. How do I know what he will grow up to be? How do any of us know when someone starts to believe they can follow their dream?
So instead, let’s take those tiny seeds and sprout them and see what happens. Get the young girl a sewing machine, get the boy a pet, tell the author their idea has a place in the market.
If you have an idea for a book and want to see where it might fit in the market place, let’s chat. Your free 30-minute chat is just one click away.
Lovely article Juli, Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much, Teresa! Thanks for your comment.