Here’s a true story I think about often.
5 years ago, someone mentioned me to a friend.
That friend—let’s call her Jane—joined my weekly newsletter.
For 5 years, she followed my digital journey without making her presence known. She didn’t say a word in response to the emails or updates I sent out.
When my last book Awaken Your Genius was published, Jane reached out to me for the first time. She was planning an event and thought I’d be the perfect keynote speaker.
The keynote was a big hit. She brought me back for a different event a few months later. She also bought 1,000 copies of Awaken Your Genius for the attendees.
This story blows my mind. Not because it’s an outlier, but because this kind of magic happens all the time.
The results I’m seeing now are because of seeds I planted years or sometimes decades ago—not months ago.
This realization runs counter to the Amazon Prime culture we live in. We crave quick, tangible results, delivered right to our doorsteps in 2 days or less.
But reality dances to a different beat. There’s no cause and immediate effect. It’s not linear. It’s messy.
And it’s often invisible. The defining moments of our lives often result from the silent work we do, the connections we make without realizing them, and the value we provide with no expectation of immediate rewards.
Say you keep a journal of ideas—sparks of inspiration recorded in a personal notebook. And because you’re consistently playing with new ideas, patterns will emerge and dots will connect. 2 years from now, you’ll stumble upon the idea for a major book that will be published 5 years from now that will define your career as an author.
Or say you give a friend perspective on her relationship. She doesn’t get the significance of your words at the time, but those words plant a seed. A year from now, that seed of insight blossoms and she decides to leave the relationship that’s been holding her back.
The converse is also true. The seeds you planted 5 years ago led to your today. If you’re not satisfied with your garden, change the seeds you’re planting.
So, I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to plant seeds without knowing exactly when or how they will sprout. To trust in the slow, invisible growth that’s happening beneath the surface.
In doing so, you open yourself up to the magic of unexpected outcomes.
Years from now, you’ll be surprised by the flowers that blossom.
By the silent followers who step into the light.
And by the realization that the most significant impacts are often the ones you never saw coming.
P.S. Inspired to plant your own seeds for the future? Grab a copy of my Wall Street Journal bestseller Awaken Your Genius and watch your life’s garden flourish. Take it from other readers who’ve already seen their sprouts:
🔥 “After reading this book, I immediately sent a text to five of my closest friends and said, ‘You must stop what you are doing and get this book!’ On your journey to self-discovery and unleashing your brilliance to the world, this is a must-read.”
🤸 “You see ‘life changing’ thrown around often on many book reviews, but this gem deserves that description. An absolute masterpiece. If this was a middle school or high school textbook and taught as a class/course it would literally change the world. It’s that good.”
🌈 “Incredible. I already can’t wait to re-read it! I felt like I had to give up on my Kindle highlights since at times I was marking up yellow every other paragraph. So much of it spoke to my soul.”
💥 “This book was impossible to put down. Such a well-written book serving up inspiring and practical advice.”
🎁 “Awaken Your Genius launched me on a journey of transformation. I’ve gained an internal steadiness I can’t fully explain, but it is releasing fresh energy into everything I do. Your book was instrumental in launching me on this path toward increased creativity, and a corresponding decrease in concern about what others think about me.”
Grab a copy here. Your future self might just throw a party in your honor!
Related
Bold
