Random Short Stories

Jim

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over his business. Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executes in his company together and said it is time for me to 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. I want everyone to plant it, water it and take care of it for a year. After a year you will come back with them and i would judge the plants that you bring and the one i choose would be the next CEO.

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he like others received a seed. He went home and told his wife about it and she helped him get a pot, soil and compost and they planted the seed. Everyday he would water it and watch it as it grows. After a few month some of the young executive began to talk about their seeds and the plant that had begin to grow.

Jim checked his seed, but nothing ever grew. Months went by but still nothing grew out of his pot and he began feeling like a failure, he thought he must have killed his seed somehow.

The year finally went by and it was time for them to bring 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. So, he took his empty pot to the boardroom. The other executive had amazing variety of plant grown.

When the CEO arrived he surveys and inspected the plants of the young executives. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO, " Today one of you will be appointed as the next CEO."

He inspected the empty pot of Jim and ordered the financial director to bring him to the front of everyone. Jim was terrified, " Now he knows am a failure. Maybe I'll be fired."

When he was brought to the front the CEO asked him in front of everyone what happened to his seed. Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit except Jim. Then he announced, behold the next chief executive is Jim."

"How can Jim be the next CEO when he couldn't plant a seed?" people asked.

The CEO said," One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed, I told you to take care of it and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead-its not possible for them to grow. All of you except Jim have brought me plants, trees, flowers after you found the seed couldn't 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, nothing has grown from it. So he is the one who will be the new CEO."

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.

Always be careful of what you plant now because it will determine what you reap later