Be careful what you plant now... 

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 one of you a SEED today

- one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed,

water it,and come back here one year from 
today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.

I will then judge the plants that you bring,and the 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 excitedly,

told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, 
soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday,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 the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks,four weeks,five 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 had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees

and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything

to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and 
fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A 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 asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt

sick to 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 Jim arrived,

he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other 

executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.

Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his 
colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted 

his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants,

trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.

"Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden,the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room

with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director 

to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought,

"The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened

to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, 

and then announced to the young executives,

"Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

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 and 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 with the courage

and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore,

he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* 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

So, be careful what you plant now; 

        it will determine what you will reap later.