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Jen Johnson
Last week I planted my garden. At first this is not very rewarding. Right now I have a few puny little dahlias, some daisies and clematis that come back every year and are currently forging toward blooms after this chilly spring, and a lot of wet dirt where I’ve planted pea and onion and radish and beet and carrot seeds that have yet to sprout. Right now there’s a lot of hope (and a decent amount of money) invested in that 12’ x 12’ plot of dirt, but not a lot to show for it.
But check back with me in a few weeks. By July I’ll have the sweetest, crunchiest sugar snap peas and baby radishes you’ve ever tasted. Scallions and beet greens will be ready to harvest, and the vase on my kitchen table will be full of cut flowers. I’ll have plenty of garden vegetables then because of the planting I did in the past.
Rumelt’s quote is helpful because this is something we already know but often forget. Most of us who have lived much past age 15 understand that, although life may occasionally give us a pass, for the most part we reap what we sow. But too often we think about this only when it’s time to reap, and we focus on all the ways our current situation is the result of past bad choices. Why didn’t I…… If only I had……. And while I’m all about a good guilt trip, I prefer Rumelt’s more positive approach, with the challenge to make better decisions, anticipate the blessings, and enjoy the fruit of hard work.
So what are you planting this week? What plenty will it provide? Are you sowing now what you want to reap later?
Photo (Flickr CC) by Richard Thomas
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Jen Johnson
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