Prepare, prepare, sang the enchanted bird.
It chimed days on end, hoping some soul will hear
It cries, it shirked it quake as it flies,
Its wings flapped in unison as it chimes it favourite tune,
Prepare it sang out,
prepare in summer months, for winter comes when nature goes to sleep,
Gather now in summer its chilling cry rings
For autumn looms and may unclasp, what is loosely held.
Nay, gay souls of summer swayed on unperturbed.
Heedless of the warning in the sparrow’s cry.
It chimed one last cry, perhaps some wise soul will hear.
but Its warning is drowned in the boisterous street of summer’s spark
Then came icy blast from afar, heralded by frosty winds in all the land,
Idle man unprepared, was caught out as it gathered grapes.
With shrivelled fingers, they struggled night and day, weakened by the cold,
They plodder on, remembering the chime of the sparrow as it shirked, prepare, prepare!, if only we knew, they thought as they gather in winter, what was ready in summer.
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After almost 3 years of wanting to start a vegetable patch, I am glad to say I finally did. I took the plunge. Yea! I must say its been an exciting process watching my veggies sprout.
First we decided what to plant and brought the seeds, we investigated what was needed, when and how to plant, how to maintain them. When to transplant, and we set about doing it.
Before we started planting, we had to prepared the ground, we read books, did some internet research, I spoke with colleagues who were already experienced vegetable growers, we bought propagators, we bought little cans to transplant them into when they were ready, we bought compost, grow bags, we prepared the raised bed! preparation! Then we began planting.
I screamed the first time I saw a tiny stem busting through the soil of compost. I was so excited, wow! they are growing, I shouted. I expected them to grow alright, but seeing them spring to life was a real joy.
After the initial excitement, I've come to realise that the planting and preparation stage is just the beginning. They need to be tended to, watered, weeded, protected from frost, from slugs, from virus, plant eaters.
This got me thinking, life is like starting a vegetable patch, we are all involved in sowing, but it's amazing how many people go into a project without preparation. We take on a new job, we start a new business, we move to a new city, get married, all these far important things than sowing tomatoes, yet with very little preparation, and wonder when things fall apart what went wrong! Even when we prepare and engaging in our new ventures, we are often unprepared for the work involved afterwards.
It will be like me saying saying I want to start a vegetable garden, buy the seeds, throw them into the ground and expect them to grow. They will grow alright because they are designed to, but what sought of vegetables would they become? weak and limp without yielding anything worthy of the kitchen table.
Our projects are the same, if you want to see your business grow, see success in your marriage, job, relationships, you have to start to prepare long before you take the plunge! research, find out what you need to do, before you begin.
Everything starts with a thought, which becomes a conviction, a certainty that this is what you really what want to do.
Like me I actually bought some of the seeds and books 3 years ago! when I knew it was something I will do in the future.
Get to work, find out everything you need to before you begin the journey, but be ready to tend your work, they need care and attention, if you sit back and relax after you've planted, you will not see the results you envision.
Preparation is needful so too is care, time and attention given to the work of our hands enabling them to yield us fruits that will make us proud.
