How Successful Was Today?
“Measure the success of each day not by the harvest you reap, but rather by the seeds that you plant”
This quote really got me thinking — what if the way we measure success is all wrong? Why do we currently evaluate our accomplishments in a way which sets us up for disappointment and failure? Isn’t anything which sets us up for more positive outcomes in the future inherently successful?
We live in a results driven culture. We want the most results in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of effort possible. We want success and we want it NOW. What tends to happen in this search for success is that our lives sort of pass us by as we wait for the next big measure of success — the raise, the promotion, the new job, the marriage, the house, the child, the degree. Whatever we measure our success by, we think we will be happy once we reach that place. That place, that illusion of happiness residing in our idea of success, is what we rush towards, and in the process of rushing, we miss out on the beauty of living.
If instead, we shifted our idea of success to be that which we plant, success could be measured by the effort and presence we put into our work, our families and our lives EACH day. Each seed that we plant will grow into that which will be available to harvest in the future. If we plant a seed in a relationship by doing something special for a loved one, this comes back in the form of a healthier, stronger, and more fufilling relationship as we move into the future. If we plant a seed in the form of a yoga class, gym workout, or walk outside, this comes back to us in the form of a happier mind and a body which ages more gracefully. If we plant a seed in the form of stoking our passions, this comes back to us in increased happiness, fufillment, and potential opportunities. Every kindness, every outreach, every effort to enrich and better ourselves — these are seeds that we plant everyday, and they are the harvest that we will sow in the future.
Take a moment to think about your day. What seeds did you sow? Does what you did to day reflect who you want to be or how you want people to think of you? Does it reflect your passions or your interests? Did you plant anything which will bear the fruits that you imagine in your future?
The future is not an abstract and distant concept; it is right around the corner, and how it looks will not be all that different from how today looks, unless we make the effort to make today look different.
Go plant some seeds.
