There are many things we can learn from nature. And one of the most remarkable stories one can learn about success is from the story of a bamboo tree.
If you haven’t heard about the story of the bamboo, then great, continue to read on and you will discover the essence of life and success from the bamboo.
If you have heard about the story, still, continue to read on because I’m bringing the story from my own point of view. Let’s dive in…
The Bamboo Tree Story
Like all other plants and trees, the Chinese bamboo tree requires nurturing through water, fertile soil, and also with enough sunshine to ensure that it grows.
If you plant a bamboo tree and you give it enough water, the right soil, and also enough exposure to sunlight, you will NEVER see any visible growth in the first year.
Even if you have done everything correct, you will never see it grows.
And if you continue to nurture the bamboo tree, even after the second year, you will see no changes to the bamboo. And if you choose to continue on for the third and fourth year, still, nothing’s going to happen.
But, in the fifth year, something amazing will happen. The bamboo tree that you planted will grow to 80 feet tall in just six weeks!
Why is that so? For the first four years, nothing had happened, but in the fifth year, the bamboo tree grows to 80 feet tall in just a short six weeks.
Does this mean that within the first four years, nothing has happened to the bamboo? Nope, not at all, in fact, the bamboo tree is growing, UNDERGROUND, but you can’t see it.
The bamboo tree is a type of tree where it can grow super tall and because of its potential height.
And because of its height, it requires a strong foundation for developing a root system to support its outward growth. If the bamboo did not grow its root for a strong foundation in the first few years, it can never grow 80 feet above the ground.
The Bamboo Tree and Your Life
So, what does the bamboo tree has to do with you or your life? Everything. It is a perfect metaphor we can use to relate to everything we do in life.
Many people have dreams and goals. For instance, you may have a dream of building a successful business, or building a great career, or living your dream life.
In the first few years, no matter what career or business you ventured into, it will be extremely difficult.
You may have poured in the necessary time and effort into your goals and projects, but nothing seems to be happening.
And this is just like the bamboo tree.
In the first couple of years, nothing seems to grow from the ground even if you nurture the tree, giving it enough water, provide it with fertile soil, and make sure it has enough sunlight.
When most people pursue a goal or work on a project, if they don’t see any results after some time, they are going to give up.
I’m not sure where you are right now in your life, but I do believe that there are goals that you have set, but failed to achieve. Just think about why you failed at your goals.
The answer is common, I believe most people fail to achieve their goals because they give up and quit.
When people first set the goal, they feel excited and motivated. They are willing to take massive action.
However, after some time down the road, especially when they don’t see any progress, they started to lose faith and hope. They started to lose their interest with the goal, which eventually lead them to quitting.
Take losing weight as an example. Most people are so motivated and fired up to want to lose the extra fat in their bodies. They bought the running shoe and also signed up for a gym class.
However, after a while, it could be a few weeks or months later, they started to lose hope for their goals and lose their steam too.
As a result, they tend to put in less effort. And as time went through, they forgot about their goals and eventually got busy with other things in their lives.
Does this sound familiar?