Mahler's Monday Morning Motivator # 90 - A Walk in the Orchard

[Mahler]

Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 90 – A Walk in the Orchard

Good morning, guys.
Have you ever taken a walk in an orchard? The trees are all lined up neatly and when the season is right, the fruit is ready for the picking. But, take a look at the fruit closely. Sometimes the best fruit is high up in the tree where it bathes in the sun. Lower hanging fruit may not be as good, but a little easier to pick. Of course the easiest pickings are the fruit that has already fallen to the ground. It has some flavor, but is also bruised, with a rotten spot here and there or even a wormhole.

Our journey through life is much like that walk through the orchard. Our goals and ambitions can be like the fruit on a tree. Some of us don’t climb to the top to get to the choicest fruit. Why? We fear that we just can’t make it that high. We worry that we might fall. What if we get hurt? The risk is just too great.

The easier goals are the low hanging fruit, but they still require some effort. It is often our choice to settle for the fruit that is at hand. Make no mistake; we have to stretch and reach to make them our own, but they are there for us and require much less work. But for some, even that stretch is too much. It’s too far above our head. We might look silly jumping up to get it.

So, there are those of us who walk the orchard and never look up. The fruit on the ground has caught our eye. It’s there for the taking and so easy to get to. So what if we have to settle for something that is less than the best. It was so easy to just pick up and eat that it was worth it. Right? It required little effort and is almost as good.

Don’t fool yourselves. Sooner or later, while you are leaning back against your tree eating the fruit you picked up, your eyes will spot the guy climbing the next tree, going for the fruit at the top. You will look at the fruit in your hand and suddenly lose your taste for it and perhaps toss it aside. Where are your goals then?

The next time you take the walk in the orchard, resolve to make the climb. Go for the choicest fruit. There are no guarantees that you will reach the top and you may even fall, but what you taste on the way up will be so sweet that you will want to climb again and again. And, you know what? Sometimes the fruit becomes secondary and you just start enjoying the climb.

So the next time you set a goal; the next time you prepare for your walk in the orchard, keep your eyes off the ground and look up. See what is there high in the tree. Grab hold of that first low hanging branch and start climbing.

A goal that requires little effort to achieve, yields even less in results.

Have a great week.
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In Fitness & Friendship,
Mahler

[TrainingGirl]

One of your best yet! I just set my goals a little bit higher. Thank you [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Terry Monk]

I was just lurking by w/out signing in, but had to after I read this. I try to always post a 'thank you' for your MMMM Mahler, but this was above and beyond. Great, great analogy to life.

I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you.

[eastcoastsurfer]

Or in todays society we take the fruit from the guy who climbed and give it to the one who didn't feel like it

[ODB]

And everyone knows, "An apple a day...."

Thanks!

[FlyinM]

Excellent analogy, John! You could rename it 'The easiest way is not necessarily the best way.'

[OldGuy]

Once again you have hit the nail on the head. The best Motivator yet.

Thank you, sir.

[Mahler]

Originally posted by eastcoastsurfer:
Or in todays society we take the fruit from the guy who climbed and give it to the one who didn't feel like it

An interesting point and one that I can understand completely. But that's the nice thing about personal goals and ambitions. Nobody can take those from you. Society acts on us from the outside. Our drive and perseverance are within and inpervious to those who would take what is ours.

Mahler

[Bond007]

Very nice motivator this morning, John! Thanks again for your sharing your wisdom!

[Marykaa]

I was looking forward to todays MMMM .. am getting addicted


I really liked this one.. and what I liked most about it is that you show that high goals are not quantity.. but quality.

Better have one delicious meal that you'll remember a long time, than 3 fast food quickies.

[FishrCutB8]

John,

All right...I'm moving! Jeez!

Fish

[Jimbo]

Great John! Just great. Thanks

[Ian Kay]

So easy to forget! (I'm sitting up straighter now.)

[eastcoastsurfer]

Originally posted by Mahler:

quote:

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Originally posted by eastcoastsurfer:
Or in todays society we take the fruit from the guy who climbed and give it to the one who didn't feel like it

An interesting point and one that I can understand completely. But that's the nice thing about personal goals and ambitions. Nobody can take those from you. Society acts on us from the outside. Our drive and perseverance are within and inpervious to those who would take what is ours.

Mahler [/quote]I agree. Personal achievements and goals are things that cannot be taken away from you. Motivators like yours are a great help, especially today with so many factors working against being self disciplined and motivated.

[Faraz421]

Originally posted by Mahler:
Mahler’s Monday Morning Motivator # 90 – A Walk in the Orchard


So, there are those of us who walk the orchard and never look up. The fruit on the ground has caught our eye. It’s there for the taking and so easy to get to.

That really stuck out to me; do not even have the right words to really comment on it. Thanks Mahler.

[K-Court]

And, you know what? Sometimes the fruit becomes secondary and you just start enjoying the climb.

I think this is true for many of us, John. We not only enjoy the climb but we enjoy as well the other climbers we meet on the way up. I particularly like when I can give a fellow climber a hand up or when he/she points out to me where to grab the next branch.

[ichbinba]

this was easily one of your best

[Kevin T.]

Once again Mahler, great MMMM, always full of inspiration [img]smile.gif[/img]