HAHAHA! Who says money doesn’t grow on trees? But does money come by the snap of the fingers? If you keep your hands in-between your thighs, will that bring money to your pocket? When it rains and you have planted no seed, can you expect to reap any fruit? Yes, money may not grow on trees literally but metaphorically, it does. How? Let’s explore.
GROWING A TREE
IF you want to be able to pluck mangoes from your back yard every year, you need to have a mango tree at your backyard. How do you get a mango tree? Plant a mango seed, nourish it, nurture it, weed around it, water it, add fertiliser; then you will have a mango tree. When the tree grows, it will produce the mango fruit for you and you can pluck it during the mango season. So you see, a lot of work goes into getting the mango tree which is the source of the fruit.
Let’s say that the tree is anything you develop in your life to serve as your source of income. Your career, talent, intellect, property... whatever. I’m sure you will agree with me that building any or all of these trees in your life is an enormous task. It’s going to take sacrifice of time, treasure, energy and some sleep. You have to throw off some relationships and nurture some strategic ones.
You have to rehearse to be a master at what you do. You cannot rule out education (take note that I said education, not schooling even though that is also important). You will make mistakes. You will step on toes. Sure, you would agree with me that these things do not come cheap. So is growing a tree. Without the tree, there will be no fruit. If you really want the fruit, you must necessarily grow the tree. Money is not cheap. It is a resultant fruit.
GLEANING THE FRUIT
WHEN the fruit begins to emerge, be careful. Check to be sure that it is ripe and ready for consumption. If it is, what will you do? Cut the tree so the fruits will come down for you? Or are you going to find a way to reach up and pluck the fruit?
If you bring the tree down, the fruits will automatically come down and be within your reach. You will then be able to pluck and eat. But hey mind you, you do that and your tree is gone. If you want more fruits later, you’ve got to repeat the entire process. Plant a new tree, nourish it and get the fruit. But don’t you think that is too laborious; each time you need a fruit, you have to plant a tree? Are you in a position to do that all the time? That is how many people manage their lives. They work their way hard up the corporate ladder, achieve remarkable perks, and then they engage in some tree-cutting demeanor – laziness, complacency, immorality, corruption, pride, illicit sexual affairs, etc. Then they fall and lose all the benefits before they come to their senses. They then begin to reconstruct their lives. Unfortunately, some are never able to rise again.
Why don’t you consider the second option; my recommendation: Don’t cut the tree! You can reach, pluck and eat the fruit without cutting the tree. That will guarantee you more fruits later. So long as you keep the tree nourished, it will always produce fruits for you. You don’t have to plant a new tree to get fruit to eat each time. Through continuous renewal and pruning, the tree will keep blossoming. This is the way of the progressive. They keep renewing themselves through the acquisition of new knowledge, shedding unhelpful paradigms, learning new skills and keeping their integrity intact.
Next time, when you hear someone say “Money does not grow on trees,” tell them, “c’est ne pas vrai, money grows on trees.” Are you planting some money trees yourself?
© 2011 Terry Mante
PEDNET
Accra, Ghana
