THE SEED ..............Short story

A successful businessman was growing old and knew it was time to
choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his directors or his children, he decided to
do something different. He called all the young executives in his company
together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and 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--one very special seed. I want you to
plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what
you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants
that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man named Jim was there that day and he, like the others, received a
seed. He went home and excitedly told his wife the story. She helped him
get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Every day, he would
water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks,
some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants
that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a
plant and he felt like a failure

Six months went by--still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had
killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had
nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues; however, he just kept
watering and fertilizing the soil. He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company
brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she
asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach,
it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew
his wife was right.

He took his empty pot to the board room.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the
other executives. They were beautiful--in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his
empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed; a few felt sorry
for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young
executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back.

"My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO.
"Today, one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his
empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim
was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure. Maybe he will have
me fired."

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to
his seed. Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim.

He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold
your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim."

Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a
seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to
me today.

"But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead--it was not possible
for them to grow.

"All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not 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.

"Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive
Officer!"

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.

So, be careful what you plant now. It will determine what you will reap later.


Keywords: the seed, short stories,moral stories, stories