Encouraging Blossoms of Achievement

The tiny dogwood sapling was only a twig when my mother planted it years ago. At age four, with a red wagon and
bucket, I was happy to carry water to anything that grew, even to the full grown, flowering apple trees in my grandfather's orchard.

Thrilled with the promise of a flowering dogwood, I happily nourished the new sapling with both water and
anticipation. Yet weeks later, to my naive impatience, there were no flowers.

Greek philosopher Epictetus, said, "No great thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen."

Eventually, we get back what we give away. Today, after caring for my dogwood tree year after year, it
brightens the spring with glorious blossoms and flowers.

There is the potential for beautiful blossoms within each unique human being. Like the myriad varieties of
flowering plants, some will bloom early, some later. Both are on schedule. Yet people need inner confidence, faith, and the nourishment of encouragement to thrive.

Ask yourself: "How can I give to a special person, my belief in their potential? When the blossoms open, what
will they look like?"

By sharing with others our faith in their abilities, we nourish their hopes and dreams. We begin to see our
acknowledgments mirrored back with magnificent blossoms and abundant fruit. Those we care about will grow to
realize their potential, and nourish others with their joy, faith and self-confidence.

One of my favorite quotes was written by Ralph Waldo Emerson who said, "Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it."

As Mr. Emerson suggested, take the action, speak the words, and think with vision, faith and conviction. When the time is right, the blossoms you're envisioning now will open. They will be beautiful.