Failed Acorns and Inspiration from Nature
I don’t like using nature as a proof point. Life’s astonishing variety means that you can cherry-pick examples to support any argument you’re trying to make. Cooperation exists in nature; so do parasites. Vegetarians exist in nature; so do carnivores. Monogamy exists in nature, and so does polygamy. Nature doesn’t show us how to behave or to treat others.
But examples from nature can be inspirational. An oak sheds thousands of acorns annually, and most of them fail to grow or get eaten by critters. Occasionally, though, some sprout and thrive.
All of us who feel like losers, who constantly withstand rejection, who wonder why we bother — we can learn a valuable lesson here. An oak tree fails more than it succeeds, but when it does succeed, the outcome is majestic. And, of course, it would never have succeeded without all those failed acorns.
