Gardening does not end once the seeds are planted. It takes lots of hard work and patience as we wait for the fruit to appear and ripen. Seeds need to be planted in fertile soil. They need to be watered and the weeds need to be pulled. Disease and bugs, if not checked, will destroy the plants. Even as we wait for the fruit to ripen, there are animals and other pests that would just love to get to it first.

The same goes the things we wish to accomplish. Take an idea. Keeping it tucked away in our head is like leaving the seed in the packet. We need to write it down and bounce it off of others. We need to test it and modify it to eliminate weak points and obstacles. We need to defend it against those who tell us it can’t be done or it is too expensive.

The message is simple, just like gardening, bringing an idea to fruition and making it a reality takes lots of hard work. All of us have thousands of ideas. We can dismiss them as impractical, unpopular, and just too much work or we can plant them, nurture them, watch them grow and, finally, pick the fruit of our labors. It is our choice.

This week, nurture your garden and be amazed at what it can produce.

Jim