Break through

George Chingarande | Monday September 1, 2014 11:40

The tree always begins as a seed. Deep in every tree’s seed is not just another tree waiting to sprout but an entire forest waiting to be born. The seed is made up of nutrients surrounded in a shell. The seed absorbs nutrients from the mother tree and stores them. However, for the seed to fulfill its potential it must be detached from the mother tree and be dispersed. Once the seed is dispersed from the tree it begins a waiting game; waiting for the right conditions for it to germinate. Light sensitive chemicals in the seed’s shell signal for it to germinate once there is the right amount of light and water. Seeds that fall under the tree and live in the tree’s shadow rarely germinate; and when they do they are never healthy. This is because the shadow of the mother tree stifles their growth by starving them of the much needed light. If the environment is right, the seed will start to absorb water and will continue to until the shell bursts open. The first part of the tree to develop is the root, at this stage called the radical. It grows down looking for more water and minerals that will feed its growth. The second part shoots out of the ground in search of light. Both parts continue to grow, however the root does so below the surface. The glamorous and magnificent trees that we see grow to their full stature by continuously reaching out for the light. However, the tree above the ground is actually sustained by a solid root network below it.

In many ways our lives follow the growth trajectory of the tree. It is important that we unpack these facts and learn from them. First, every tree was once a seed; even the mighty oak was once just an acorn. This is true of humans. All great people were once frail and vulnerable novices. No one is born great, although some people are born into families with a great history. If your grandfather had a great history, that does not automatically make you a great person in much the same way as being born in a Mercedes Benz plant does not make you a Mercedes Benz. Just as every seed has the potential to become a great tree, potential to achieve greatness is inherent in every human being. Every magnificent life was once but a small dream. Achievements are born out of dreams and desires.

For the seed to have a fighting chance to become a tree, it must be detached from the parent tree. For as long as it stays attached to the tree, the seed will feed from the tree. It may feel secure and indeed will have all its needs provided for, but it will miss its destiny. This is also true for humans. We are intrinsically attached to certain authority figures or significant other people. Before birth we are attached by the umbilical cord to the mother and after birth we are attached to an environment that nourishes us.

One of the greatest dangers in life is to remain under the shadows of that environment replete with its people and structures. For us to achieve our potential we must detach ourselves from it and begin to take responsibility for our lives. There comes a time when the seed must leave the tree and begin to live on its own, fending for itself and seeking its own nutrients and light. It is a do-it-yourself enterprise. Everyone who has achieved anything of note has had to undergo this transformative process. And it is a choice. We must choose to be fully responsible for what we become and seek out the opportunities that are necessary to give our dreams a chance.

Seeds that fall under the shadow of the tree struggle for growth. Seeds seek for light.  Let me make two bold declarations: Man was not born to live under the shadows and all men seek the limelight. Our lives are a continual search for meaning; and this meaning is often found in achievements. It is the fulfillment of potential that gives us meaning and satiates us. All human beings are continuously seeking for a theatre in which they can actualise their potential. We do not just want to succeed but we also want to be seen to succeed. We long for our time in the limelight and abhor insignificance. When some people fail in this endeavor they do outrageous things just to be in the limelight. You can never become all that you should become if you continue in the shadows. You must dream bigger and act bigger. The tree must first grow a root downwards: The root is to a tree what a solid foundation is to a human being. You need a solid foundation from which you can launch your life enterprise. The greatest foundation is a solid character. This can be buttressed by other things such as a support system made up of a network of friends and family, sound education, resources and the like-but a solid character remains the foundation.

Finally, the tree must shoot out of the ground. It must shift the soil above it, and push it. The seed does so with dignity. We all must surmount our challenges and conquer our adversities and we must do so with dignity. The shoot must literally push out and break out of the soil- you also must push your way to the front row. You must break out of the shell; and then conquer the contrary circumstances. The shell that constrains us is that set of beliefs and habits that are self limiting. Just as every seed has a shell, every person has certain attributes, beliefs, fears and habits that are inimical to his own broader interests. These must be identified and shed off. The soil that pushes the seed down is the external circumstances that impose limits on us. We must take gargantuan sized actions and defy them. Never settle for good enough. Push to the front because no one is coming to take you there.