Are you sowing what you think and reaping what you want?

Are you sowing what you think and reaping what you want?

As the good book says “As you sow, so shall you reap”  Wise words, but what do they mean? 

We all realise that if we sow carrot seeds we are unlikely to reap cabbages.  But what sorts of things do we sow unintentionally in our lives and through our leadership?  and what kinds of results are we reaping?

3 unintentional seeds commonly sown

1. The “if I don’t do it, it won’t get done” seed.  This seed usually starts to produce shoots fairly early on.  Initially we begin to notice we are busier than others, and ever so slightly more stressed.  We then notice that we seem to be having qualitatively less fun than other people and find ourselves without the time to do the things we really enjoy doing or that give us energy.  We then begin to reap a critical attitude towards others (who are definitely not pulling their weight) which then results in a lack of trust in others and a negative work or home environment.
2. The “don’t worry about me” seed.  This seed is particularly fast growing and has a habit of growing up to choke the life out of other things we have planted.  At first it looks as if this seed has some potential and others may label is as humble or exemplifying something called “servant leadership” but it quickly morphs into something out of control and destructive as we find ourselves caught up in a “victim” conundrum from which it can be difficult to escape.  What we tend to reap with this seed is burn out with a very definite need to “worry about me” (which is perhaps what we were trying to sow in the first place only we expected others to water it without realising we needed to tend to it ourselves as well!)
3. The “why bother as no-one listens to me” seed.  This seed takes a while to produce shoots and draws into our past experiences to draw nourishment for growth.  When it begins to penetrate the surface of our lives it manifests as indifference which others often interpret as “cold” or “un-caring”.   This seed has the effect of so damaging the soil that nothing else of value really takes root in its presence. This seed never usually reaches full maturity and often ends up withering because no-one (including the sower) takes any care or notice of it.  Missed opportunities and isolation  are classically reaped here.

We really do reap what we sow, perhaps taking the time to reflect on our own planting strategy as well as taking a critical look at what we are reaping, makes good life as well as good horticultural sense.