THE MUSTARD SEED - LESSONS FOR LIVING #17

Planted Upside Down

There is nothing like being planted upside down. Let me tell you a true story and then I'll get into the application of the story relevant to living life successfully.

Years ago I owned a house on the north side of Houston. It had been completed only a few weeks prior to my moving in and needed landscaping. Since I had owned a chain of Florist Shops before, and loved flowers, I wanted fresh cut flowers to be in the house when I had guests over for dinner.

The dirt around the house was clay-like and wouldn't produce the kind of flowers I wanted. So, I dug a trench around the front of the house, hauled the clay off, and filled the trench in with a rich black dirt strictly for planting flowers, I bought tulip and gladiola bulbs among other things and went about planting them. After the initial planting and watering I sort of laid back and waited for the day in which I would see those green shoots coming forth indicating that I had done a great job. I would examine the flowerbeds every day as I watered them, waiting for that first green shoot of life to appear. Well that time came wand went. As a matter of fact about two weeks after the day the sprouts should have shown, I decided to dig one of the bulbs up and guess what I found? Oh, the horror of it all as I ducked down hoping no one would see what I had discovered. Luckily, no one did and I have for years not wanted to tell this story only to save face, to wit, mine. I HAD PLANTED ALL THE BULBS UPSIDE DOWN. Here is the irony of it. The bulbs knew what their job was. They were growing downward, and then turning upward headed for warmth and sunlight. But I am afraid their day would never have come since they had such a long way to go. They were trying, but due to circumstances beyond their control, their journey toward life was hindered because of the planter not knowing he had inadvertently planted them upside down. After all, who could tell the bottom from the top of one of those bulbs anyway? I certainly couldn't, obviously.

Here is an excerpt from Dr. John Maxwell's book, The Winning Attitude - Your Key Top Success.

If the germ of the seed has to struggle to push its way up through the stones and hard sod, to fight its way up to the sunlight and air and then to wrestle with the storm, snow and frost, the fiber or its timber will be all the tougher and stronger.

You and I must push past the hard spots in life to attain that which is rightfully ours. We are destined to WIN but we must push through until it happens. Here is what the word push means. P. U. S. H.

Pray Until Something Happens.

Many people do not succeed because they have been planted upside down. That is to say, they were never given much of a chance to live life to its fullest. I was born out of wedlock along with two other children. Because the mother was having kids one after the other, the state was ready to place the mother in some sort of confinement, and, offer the children to state homes that had been accredited to take in abandoned children. I was taken into a home in Bath, Maine at about two weeks of age and adopted later at age three, but did not find this out until I was age sixteen. I'll not bore you with the rest of the story. You can find it in its completion at my web site www.thewinnerscircle.org. I failed miserably in relationships because of the lack of love from a mother. Neither my biological mother nor adopted mother showed any signs of affection. I felt pretty much like a cast-a-way. So, I searched for love in all the wrong places. Believe me, it doesn't pay great dividends. I went through one failure after another having been planted upside down.

But one day, I heard another story. It was a story about hope. By this time I was in my mid forties. But the story changed my life around. I began searching for the sunlight. Perhaps I should spell that Sonlife. I had been headed in a downward spiral prior to the story but some how I knew there was a better life for me. I just didn't know where to look.

I began to search for significance. I studied all the materials I could lay my hands on. I read forty-five books that first year on success and personal development. I began writing about my experiences and struggles. I was making the turn from a downward spiral toward an upward direction. I was making a 180-degree turn leaving defeat and negativism behind and pushing forward for success that I knew was mine. Believe me the struggle was anything but easy. Just as the bulbs that had been planted upside down were trying there best to gain that upward momentum, I to, was pushing with every thing I had within me. It was much like childbirth. There are the hours of pushing, and then there is that one final push that gives life.

I can just hear the conversation going on between those bulbs I had planted.

Charlie: “Man, what's wrong? That dude up there has planted us upside down. What a predicament. How are we going to get through this?

Willie: “I don't know. I guess we better start somewhere or we'll just lay here until we die. Let's just try something, anything, and see what happens. I gotta have some air and sunshine. I can't stand being cooped up like this any longer."

Charlie: “Man I am pushing as hard as I can but it looks like I'm going in the wrong direction. How in the world do I turn this thing around?

Willie: “You gotta keep pushing.

Charlie: “Ya, I know but I can't tell which way is up or down."

Willie: Well, this ain't working, so, let's turn around and go the other direction."

Charlie: Ok, I think that is a good idea."

Willie: Hey, it's getting warmer. I think we are going to make it. Follow me Charlie and keep on pushing. I think I see the light."

Here is what I hear some people saying.
The harder I push the further into trouble I seem to get.
I didn't know turning around and heading the other direction was going to be so hard.
I've been heading in a downward direction all of my life and now I gotta turn this monkey around. I gotta get

Had I not been planted upside down, I would not have this story to tell. Story's are good for everyone especially if you are one who needs to hear the story because of your downward spiral. So many today are headed in the wrong direction. They are plummeting toward certain destruction and need to hear the story. The story is this. You can succeed no matter what, yes, even though you have been planted upside down.

Perhaps you have an upside down marriage or relationship and its not working for you. Maybe your finances are in an upside down position. Maybe your job is in an upside down position. Maybe it seems as if nothing will ever work for you. But I am telling you this. No matter the odds, you can make it. All you have to do is try. Struggle free of the bonds that have you headed in the wrong direction.

Those bulbs had a lot of life within them. All they had to do was make the choice for survival. Even though they were headed in the wrong direction through no fault of their own, searching for life, something in them told them that they could make it. All they had to do was turn around.

As you make your turn in life, and new shoots appear, indicating growth, there will be other challenges. Weeds will try and take the new growth over. Weeds kill, so therefore you cannot afford them in your garden. You must plow through the weeds and rise above there destructive nature. What kinds of weeds are we talking about? For one, there will be weeds of negativism. People will tell you that you cannot go in the direction you are going. Negative people always try to pull you down to their level in life. Don't let them. Build a fence of positiveness, assuredness, assertiveness, and cut them off. There will be weeds of doubt as you start your new growth. Doubt is a sure sign you are headed in the right direction if you do not let it overtake you. Don't feed doubt with negative talk about yourself. Affirm your new direction everyday. Know you are doing good for all concerned. Once you've cleared the area for this new growth of all the weeds, there will be other challenges. Pests, animals, birds and the like will come to devour you before you've had a chance to grow to some form of maturity. These too must be attended else they kill you before you have had a chance to bloom and blossom. People with nothing to say, will come and fill you with their gossip. They are the pests in life. You will quickly recognize them even though they come in an array of colors, sizes and shapes. If they do not add to you life and growth, get rid of them. Then comes the heat, storms, changes in weather, some good and some not so good. Quickly recognize that which destroys.

Growing plants need nourishment. Feed yourself well with things that make you grow. Read the books about life. Listen to the audiotapes and view the videos. Train yourself to eat every day that which offers growth. Do not feed self that which stunts growth. Garbage is for the dumps of life and you are not in that category. You deserve to eat well intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.

All through life there will be challenges. Life is a mixture of ups and down's. But, challenges are good and necessary for healthy growth. Don't despair as you grow, and, never stop growing, regardless of your station in life or age.

Maybe that is all you have to do my friend. Turn around today, right now, this very minute. Make a decision to get headed in the right direction. Here are some suggestions to follow as you turn around.

1.Realize you're going in the wrong direction (away from goals, dreams, desires etc.)
2.Make the decision to turn around.
3.Act on the decision.
4.Determine to stay the course no matter what.
5.Seek help. No one can do it all by themselves.
6.Stop and check your direction periodically. Make sure it is where you want to go, not some one else. 7.Don't bite off more than you can chew. Pursue small positive steps in the direction intended. Small steps add up to large steps. 8.Make sure that your direction is beneficial to not only yourself but also all those involved. Don't do it just for self-gratification, greed, or selfish reasons. 9.Determine to overcome all obstacles in your pathway.
10.Stay on the path.
11.If you slip up, don't give up.
12.Watch for pride when you reach the top.
13.Take a few with you. Always lend a helping hand.
14.Don't mumble or complain about the hardship of it all.
15.Be thankful and patient. The sun WILL shine again.

Maybe things are going well for you but you just needed to hear this story again. A story of success. Maybe you have a friend that needs to hear it. Why not pass it around? Who knows? You might just get someone headed in the right direction. I can't wait to see those green sprouts in your life because you turned around and headed the other direction.

I Wish You Great Success,

Dr. Wm. G. Seavey
For lecturing email winnow@earthlink.net
Web site www.thewinnerscircle.org
Subscribe to Lessons For Living www.thewinnerscircle.org

Dr. Seavey is the author of Lessons For Living and several workbooks relating to personal growth and development using time honored disciplines and principles