Don't be Bamboo-zled

I am convinced that we all have a gift we’re born with, and, throughout life, it’s our job to find out what this gift is, to develop this gift and to share it with others. I really believe that your dreams, desires and goals are all related to your true gift. I believe you dream your dreams for one and only one reason: it’s your destiny!

When you change your dream into small action steps, your dream becomes a goal. The best way to maintain your momentum to achieve these goals and steps is by having a coach or somebody who guides or mentors you. It can help so much to have somebody there to hold you accountable and keep you focused on what you have said you want to do and achieve.

Unfortunately, a lot of people lose interest in their goals when they don’t see progress straight away. They want results immediately, and if this doesn’t happen within their own timeline, they lose hope and faith over time. I also would like to remind you not to confuse movement with progress... you can ride a bike during spinning class and still not get anywhere, right? So become aware whether your daily habits and steps are actually helping you to get forward in life instead of just getting you through the day.

Besides running out of patience, other reasons people give up and quit on their goals and dreams happens often because they:

• lose the belief in them being possible
• allow fear to take over
• get bored doing repetitive work
• feel like it’s too difficult
• listen to others instead of their own intuition
• allow distractions to take over

It’s important to remind yourself that success doesn’t come right away and requires a strong foundation. It takes constant and never-ending improvement and investment in yourself and your character to achieve your goals. Patience and persistence will eventually always pay off, as it takes hard work to achieve the results you desire. For that reason, it’s so important to commit to the work, as success often has to do with consistency. Choose to love yourself enough to consistently show up for yourself so you can become the person you deserve to be. Remember, practice makes progress as much as it makes permanent.

As you can see, success is about putting in consistent work while keeping hope and faith. You can’t think you just have to do something right once and then success will come to you forever. Maybe you are the exception to the rule and success did come straight away after doing something one single time, but then just know that as quickly as it came, it can just as quickly go.

If you want to achieve long-lasting success, whatever success means to you, it will take long-lasting practice. Oftentimes, it’s never about the size of an ‘excuse’ that could hold you back, but about your dedication to find reasons and solutions for what matters and being committed to not giving up.

This reminds me of the story of the bamboo tree.

Nature teaches us so much! Did you know the parable of the Chinese bamboo tree that takes 5 years to grow? It has to be watered and fertilized in the ground where it has been planted every day for 5 years.

Whenever the tree is planted, it’s given, water, sunshine, and fertile soil but for a LONG time, you don’t see any sign of activity. Even though it takes daily consistent work to water and take care of this tree, there is still no visible growth in the second year. The third year arrives, bringing no noticeable action either, and the same for the fourth year. (Talk about patience.) But then suddenly, in the fifth year, there is incredible growth! In only 5 weeks, the tree shoots up to 80 feet (30m) high.

Did it really only take 5 weeks to grow? Absolutely not. Here, you see, you need strong, big, thick roots for high-flying trees. From this story, you learn that even when you feel like the work is for nothing, as there’s no visible growth, you’re still growing towards your goals! Before the 5th year, the tree wasn’t dormant, as the growth was happening beneath the surface. Even though you couldn’t see any growth, a big, strong, sustainable foundation was forming to eventually create these high trees.

What do you think would have happened if the tree was watered for only 2 years?

May this inspire you to continue to strive to attain your goals and dreams. Even though you’re working hard every day, it can still mean you won’t witness clear results yet, which could discourage you… But, it doesn’t mean your efforts are worthless. Instead, you are actually building something greater and more powerful than you could have ever imagined.

What if I told you, you are growing roots which will take you so much further in life than you can imagine? Do you believe that it’s possible you are digging deep this whole time, in your character, creating an amazing inner foundation so you are preparing yourself for what’s to come? 

This story truly teaches us lessons about patience, faith, persistence, growth, development, and, most importantly, about your human potential! The Chinese bamboo truly represents a symbol of oriental beauty. It represents moral integrity, resistance and loyalty. 

Right now, you might be struggling to hold on or find the motivation to continue going, but, trust me... if your heart truly guides you towards these desires, don’t give up! You may not see it today or tomorrow, but in a few years, you will look back and be totally perplexed and awed by how every little thing added up. You will realize you were constantly growing, building and expanding, even when it didn’t feel like it. And you will be SO grateful you decided to continue going. Looking back, you will see how all the steps were important, how all the dots were connected all along, and they eventually brought you somewhere wonderful where you always wanted or desired to be.