The Acorn Effect
As many of you who read my blog may have noticed, I shy away from writing too directly about religion because as we all know, religion is a hot topic which immediately denotes negativity and divisiveness and my blog has always been about inspiration and positivity. Having said that, I have commented many times on the ideas and individuals at the center of many religions and today would like to share the Buddhist teaching of the Acorn.
The story goes the Buddha was sitting with his followers one day and meditating when he noticed an acorn laying on the ground next to him. He picked it up and asked his followers what it was. They answered it was an acorn. He asked what it was for. His followers gave him many reasons. It was food for squirrels and humans, it could be used as decoration, it was a reminder of the seasons passing. Finally one of his followers in a confused tone said "an oak tree?" The Buddha replied, "this little acorn exists for only one reason. It has the full potential to become a giant oak tree."
In many ways, we are like that acorn. We have such amazing potential to become the best versions of ourselves but very few of us ever truly achieve that potential. There are always excuses and reasons why along the way. Our upbringings were terrible, we married the wrong person, we had children too early, we made poor decisions, we developed bad habits. Excuses abound and we are ready at any given time to list them all. Yet the truth is, all the potential to be what we "could have been" is still in us, even if untapped and unfulfilled.
This weekend, some incredible people I know ran the Marine Corps Marathon. Two weekends ago other amazing people I know raced the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. About a month back, my brother-in-law lifted more weight in a particular weightlifting event than anyone has ever lifted in his state of Virginia. None of the people I mentioned above would have told you they'd be accomplishing such things had you asked them a short 24 months ago. Yet here they are, reaching milestones most of us can only imagine. Could they have run those races or lifted those weights 24 months ago? I suspect with previous training, yes. You see, they always had the potential; they just had to dare to tap into it and work towards releasing it.
I submit that while running a marathon, or picking up the weight of a VW Beetle may not be our "potential" we surely have incredible greatness in us. Maybe you were meant for great riches. Maybe your future entails sobriety you never thought you could realize. Maybe you've dreamed of a creative outlet you haven't dared pursue. If you are drawn to it, more than likely you have the potential to attain it. Much like the acorn is drawn to the soil and its nutrients, if it ends up in the right situation it has no choice but to grow into a majestic tree. Such is the potential in you.
Today as always, I encourage you to follow your dreams, set attainable goals, and take action. If something is pulling at you, crazy as it may seem to you and those around you, maybe there is a reason for it. Maybe your potential is calling you to fulfill it before it is too late.
I am lucky to have amazing friends and family who regularly achieve seemingly impossible goals and keep me motivated to believe I can too. They have figured out the oak tree was always inside them, they just had to let it take root and grow. I believe in you my friend, you just have to believe in yourself.
The story goes the Buddha was sitting with his followers one day and meditating when he noticed an acorn laying on the ground next to him. He picked it up and asked his followers what it was. They answered it was an acorn. He asked what it was for. His followers gave him many reasons. It was food for squirrels and humans, it could be used as decoration, it was a reminder of the seasons passing. Finally one of his followers in a confused tone said "an oak tree?" The Buddha replied, "this little acorn exists for only one reason. It has the full potential to become a giant oak tree."
In many ways, we are like that acorn. We have such amazing potential to become the best versions of ourselves but very few of us ever truly achieve that potential. There are always excuses and reasons why along the way. Our upbringings were terrible, we married the wrong person, we had children too early, we made poor decisions, we developed bad habits. Excuses abound and we are ready at any given time to list them all. Yet the truth is, all the potential to be what we "could have been" is still in us, even if untapped and unfulfilled.
This weekend, some incredible people I know ran the Marine Corps Marathon. Two weekends ago other amazing people I know raced the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. About a month back, my brother-in-law lifted more weight in a particular weightlifting event than anyone has ever lifted in his state of Virginia. None of the people I mentioned above would have told you they'd be accomplishing such things had you asked them a short 24 months ago. Yet here they are, reaching milestones most of us can only imagine. Could they have run those races or lifted those weights 24 months ago? I suspect with previous training, yes. You see, they always had the potential; they just had to dare to tap into it and work towards releasing it.
I submit that while running a marathon, or picking up the weight of a VW Beetle may not be our "potential" we surely have incredible greatness in us. Maybe you were meant for great riches. Maybe your future entails sobriety you never thought you could realize. Maybe you've dreamed of a creative outlet you haven't dared pursue. If you are drawn to it, more than likely you have the potential to attain it. Much like the acorn is drawn to the soil and its nutrients, if it ends up in the right situation it has no choice but to grow into a majestic tree. Such is the potential in you.
Today as always, I encourage you to follow your dreams, set attainable goals, and take action. If something is pulling at you, crazy as it may seem to you and those around you, maybe there is a reason for it. Maybe your potential is calling you to fulfill it before it is too late.
I am lucky to have amazing friends and family who regularly achieve seemingly impossible goals and keep me motivated to believe I can too. They have figured out the oak tree was always inside them, they just had to let it take root and grow. I believe in you my friend, you just have to believe in yourself.
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