Here goes the story of Chinese bamboo tree. You plant it, water it, fertilise it, take care of it every single day. But there is no sign of growth. Nothing happens for the first year. Second year again, you water it, fertilise it and nurture it every single day but nothing happens. Then the next year and another. Then something awesome happens after fifth year. Your bamboo grows eighty feet in next six weeks!!!
Now the question is, did your bamboo grew eighty feet in six weeks or did it grew in five years? I guess we all know the answer. The bamboo was growing since five long years. And that’s how success is. It doesn’t come to us overnight, it takes small persistent efforts every single day. It takes patience, perseverance and faith.
Three life learnings from the bamboo tree
Chinese bamboo tree is a perfect reminder for us. It reminds us how to achieve real success in life. May be we all know that, but in this age of instant gratification we slowly forget what does it take to actually achieve something real in life.
So here are three gentle reminders from the bamboo tree:
To stand tall you need a solid foundation
Bamboo tree doesn’t show any visible change for the first five years. But does that mean it’s not growing at all? No. Bamboo is building its foundations. The ROOTS. Roots which anchor the plant, nourish it and enable it to survive the harshest conditions. Roots, which keeps it grounded, takes all the weight and build strength for it to stand all for years to come.
Yes, it all starts with a solid foundation. You want to succeed in life? Want to have meaningful relations? Want to do something substantial? Nourish your roots. Your roots are your values, your character, your attitude, your beliefs. These roots are not visible to the outside world but they have build the person that the world sees today. So, do the right thing when nobody’s watching. Be the right person rather finding the right one. Align your actions with your words. Define your own success. Because it all starts with YOU.
It takes small but consistent effort everyday
Like any other plant, bamboo tree also needs nourishment. It needs water, sunlight, air, soil and time. And like any other plant it needs nourishment everyday. You can’t soak it in water in one go and then leave it unattended for weeks to come. For healthy growth the plants need to be cared for everyday. It needs to be watered consistently, it needs to be looked after invariably. That’s the only mantra to grow a healthy plant.
Plants don’t grow overnight. Likewise, dreams don’t come true overnight. They require diligent and consistent efforts. You can only be successful by doing the right thing every single day. Doing it over and over until it becomes a habit. A habit that will move you closer to your ultimate goal.
You need patience, perseverance and faith
Growth of bamboo tree is not visible for the first five years. There is nothing to put on display, there is nothing to boast about! But somewhere within you know that it’s growing. Because you believe in it. You wait for the time to come and till then you perseveringly keep putting your efforts. You keep looking after it, nourish it and you WAIT.
Success is also like a bamboo tree. There are no immediate results. Sometimes it takes years to make it happen. It calls for your persistent efforts and most importantly, an unshaken believe in yourself. For you to keep moving forward even if there is no sign of fruition. Because you know that you need to build the roots first. You know that you have to give your best over and over, year after year to achieve something extraordinary. And the most special thing about this journey is the transformation you would see in yourself. Most remarkable result of your diligent efforts is what YOU become while realising your dreams.
Story of chinese bamboo is much more that the tale of a plant’s growth. It’s a simple narrative that teaches us the true meaning of resilience. Every single time that we would want to give up, this marvellous plant would ask us to think again.
“An overnight success is ten years in the making.” - Tom Clancy