An Emperor was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistant or his children decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom and said, it is time to choose a next emperor so I have decided to choose one of you.
His children was shocked but he continued. I will give each of you a seed. One very special seed. I want you to plan it, water it and come back after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge you from the plants that you bring and the one I will choose will be the next emperor!.
One boy named Ling was there that day and he like the others received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother about the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil and watered it carefully. Everyday he would water it to watch and see if it had grown. After about 3 weeks, other youths would talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Ling continued checking his plant but nothing grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks past and still yet nothing. By now others were talking about their plants, but ling didn't have a plant and felt like a failure. Six months went by and still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew that he has killed his seed. Everybody has a tree and tall plant and he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by, and all the youths in the kingdom brought their plant to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he was going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, ling felt sick in the stomach, he knew his mother was right so he took his empty pot to the palace. When ling arrived be was amazed by the variety of plants that the youths have grown. They were all beautiful in shapes and sizes. Ling kept his empty pot on the floor and the others laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and said "hey nice try".
When the Emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "What gray trees, flowers and plants you have all grown" said the emperor. Today one of you will be appointed the next emperor. All of a sudden the emperor spotted Ling at the back with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified, "The emperor knows in a failure, maybe he will have me killed".
When Ling came to the front, the emperor asked his name a d he replied " My name is Ling". All the kids were laughing and making fun of him, the emperor everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling and announced to the crow, behold this is you new emperor! His name is Ling! Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't grow his seed how could he be the new emperor. The emperor said one year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed I told you all to plant the seed, water it and bring it back to me bit I gave you all a boiled seed that would not grow. All of you except Ling has brought back trees and plants and flowers. When you found out the seeds couldn't grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with honesty and courage to bring me a pot with my seed in it therefore he's the one who will be my next emperor.
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 consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hardwork, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But,
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap lonliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
So please be careful what you plant t now because it determines your tomorrow. The Seed you scatter now will make life better or worse. To all the slay queens or kings who live a fake life and plant wrong seeds, I hope its time you turn to a more fertile land with your seeds to secure yourselves a brighter future.
Thanks for reading...