Alagba Barny this Sunday: Growth

Hello there, dear! Happy Sunday!

One of the things that fascinate me the most about life is growth. The movement of a phenomenon from one state to another. The transition from one stage of life to another. The maturing of a being from very little to very huge. The journey from obscurity to limelight.

It has always amazed me how total nobodies can transform into distinguished somebodies, how nonentities can become celebrated entities. It fascinates me. How a tiny little baby can be born and, after about 37 years, he is the tallest person in the world. (By the way, that’s the age of the tallest person in the world, Sultan Kosen. You’re welcome.) It fascinates me how somebody in severe debt (to the tune of 40,000 dollars) can, in eight years, rise out of that and become a millionaire. (By the way, that’s the story of TV host Carol Roth. Again, you’re welcome.)

All around us, we see stories of growth. These stories encourage us. They motivate us to keep doing great, to keep hitting our hammers hard on the metal that life is. They show to us that patience and consistency are two virtues that we must imbibe to become who we want. They build faith and hope in us that things will get better.

The concept of seed-time-harvest is a precious illustration of growth. That the same seed that can lay on the floor and be trampled by men can be planted on fertile ground and, after a period of nurturing, can grow into a massive tree, producing thousands of its kind. Amazing, right? In between those is the period or process of growth. So, we learn that growth does not just happen magically.

The seed must first be planted. It must go underground, where no one will notice it. It must stay in darkness and obscurity. It must separate itself from others of its kind, no matter how painful it is. It must go through the process of growth, however lonely, insignificant, unappreciated and obscure the process makes it feel. While staying underground, it must not wallow in the pool of self-pity or stay sad and lethargic. It must grow its roots. It must get familiar with its new environment and quietly keep working on itself to be disciplined and firm and confident. It must spread its tentacles of knowledge and increase in depth and wisdom. It first starts by testing the ground with one strand of root and then one after the other, he adds more caps to its collection, all the while enjoying with hope its blessed obscurity.

As the factor of time continues to kick in, the seed continues to take root. And then, in the maturity of time, the seed bursts forth from underground as a tiny plant. It can now see human beings, who, to it, are all scary giants. It learns that human beings are its competitors for life and it gets scared. But then, it keeps doing what it knows how to do– take root. It keeps drawing energy and life from the gods of the sun and the rain. It continues to increase in stature and it is revealed to it that man isn’t its competitors, that they both are really partners. It finds out that what it breathes out is what man breathes in and what man breathes out is what it breathes in. It is happy and regains its confidence and keeps working with those who could end its life, but with wisdom. Then…

The seed has now become a massive tree. Time has completed its full course. It is way taller than the tallest man and can bring down buildings with it if it falls. Growth has taken place. It has become what it was always destined to become! And, from it, every living thing, not just man, can enjoy from and harvest its many benefits.

This concept applies to human beings too, to you too. The process of growth is not pretty but if you can endure, if you can build capacity, if you can get comfortable and learn what it takes to be who you want to be, if you can pay attention to the painful parts of the inspiring stories you read and hear, and make up your mind to be brave to face your own painful parts, you will get there… for as long as the earth continues to exist, seed, time and harvest will remain constants.

Have a beautiful week growing!