The Seed----Tell Me What You Think Of This Story?
By sunshinelady
@sunshinelady (7609)
United States
April 17, 2007 10:51pm CST
This story came from world start and I thought it was a very good story. Tell me what you think after you read it?
The Seed
A successful Christian 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. It's 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, and 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 at 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! 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!"
--Unknown
5 people like this
6 responses
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
18 Apr 07
The bible is the truth and the way. And, this is an exact example of that story in the bible of the king and the slaves given his money to invest. Thank you for sharing this, and another + rating for you my dear. Huggers.
1 person likes this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I remember that story in the bible. I thought it was very meaningful there and this story is a verson that modern day people will relate to. It is a very good story and I liked the bottom line. Thanks for the positive rating. I always like to try and post things that people can get some out of or jokes to make them laugh.
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
25 Apr 07
I also appreciate best response my friend, thank you.
@heart73 (8)
• Philippines
18 Apr 07
honesty is still the best policy... it takes courage to be honest because you'll face a lot of challenges to do so. I really liked this story and for sure i'm going to share it to my friends,.. we'll never know, it might be a true story after all.. thanks for posting it =)
1 person likes this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I agree with you. Honesty still is the best policy but in todays world it seems it is very hard to do. Some of the values of yesterday seem to be going to the wayside and people seem to think that things such as money are more important. I agree with you also that could very well be a true story. Thanks for your response. It was a good one.
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I liked it espeically because it shows that no matter what honesty does pay off. The other people felt sorry for the man that didn't try to replace the seed. What better way to find if a person is suited for a position. Glad you liked it. I thought it brought a very valid point across.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
18 Apr 07
I think it is a wonderful story to promote honesty in business and in every day life. I like inspirational stories like this with moral values.
1 person likes this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I think this is very good. People in this day don't think that the morales of yesterday are for today. This story to me shows that no matter how hard it is honesty is the best policy and you will reap the rewards of being honest.
1 person likes this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Great story. What a clever man he certainly chose the right person to be the next CEO.
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
18 Apr 07
Wow - this certainly does show how honestly is the best policy. It is difficult to admit our own failings but sometimes we need to remember that we are judging ourselves by our standards - someone else's standards may be different or there may be information we aren't aware of that could affect our results.
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
18 Apr 07
I agree with you. Sometimes there is more to a situation than meets the eye. As hard as it at times honesty should always be your first response. Good understanding of the story. That is what I got from it.