A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said “it is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you” the young executives were shocked. But the boss continued. I am going to give each of a seed today-one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and bring back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plant that you bring and one I choose will be the next CEO” one man, named Jim was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed.

He went home and told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks went by, still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by-still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he must have killed his seed but he didn’t say anything to his colleagues.

He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil. The year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot, but she encouraged him to be honest about what happened.

Jim felt sick in his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room, when he arrived he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. Jim held his empty pot and many of his colleagues laughed at him. When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives; Jim just tried to hide at the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown” said the ECO” today one of you will be appointed the next CEO! Then he spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot.

He order the financial director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought “now he knows I’m a failure! Maybe I’ll be fired! When he got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to site down! Except Jim. Then he announces “behold your next chief executives! His name is Jim!. Jim couldn’t believe it Jim couldn’t even grow his seed how could he be the new CEO? The others said. Then the CEO said “one year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds they were dead- it was not possible for them to grow, all of you except Jim, have brought me trees, plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one who will be the new CEO! if you plant honesty, you will reap trust, if you plant goodness, you will reap friend, if you plant humility you will reap greatness, if you plant perseverance you will reap contentment, if you plant consideration, you will reap perspective, if you plant hard work, you will reap success, if you plant forgiveness you will reap reconciliation, if you plant faith, you will reap a harvest. Always be careful what you plant now because it will determine what you will reap later.