The Secret to Success from the Chinese Bamboo Tree

Have you ever wondered how the Chinese bamboo tree grows? Have you ever just wondered about the Chinese bamboo tree at all?

Yup, me neither. What’s to wonder about, right? It’s just a tree.

Wrong.

It’s not just a tree. It’s a profound parable for life and one that I just happened to stumble across when listening to a Dr. Wayne Dyer podcast episode.

What I discovered absolutely blew my mind and reminded me of so many important life lessons which, I’m sure like many others, are easy to forget at times. What I discovered made me fall in love with this tree, and with life, all over again.

So what is it about the Chinese bamboo tree that is so awe-inspiring? And what secrets does it share that can help us, humans, to navigate our own ways through life?

The Chinese bamboo tree

The growth pattern of the Chinese bamboo tree is quite miraculous. It begins with a simple bamboo shoot being planted in the ground. As with all plants, this shoot is then watered and nurtured, in the hope that it will begin to grow. But days, weeks and months go by and it appears that nothing is happening; the soil where it was planted remains as it was and there is no movement above the ground.

A whole year goes by and there is still no visible evidence that the tree is beginning to materialise in any form. But still, the planted shoot is continuously watered and taken care of.

Another year goes by — and still nothing. And then another year, and another year — all the while, still being watered and nurtured. And still, nothing.

But then, we welcome the fifth year, and what happens in this year is absolutely remarkable. The shoot that had not even peeked its little head above the ground in over four years since being planted, suddenly shoots up and grows exponentially into an astonishing ninety-foot tall bamboo tree — in just a six-week period!

That, to me, is absolutely mind-blowing. What an incredible journey it’s been on, and what beautiful lessons we can take from it and implement into our own lives.

Three steps to success

The Chinese bamboo tree teaches us that in life, no matter what it is that we are working towards, there are three steps to achieving the success that we desire. This could be anything from starting and growing a business, having a baby, or achieving the body that we want, right through to our own spiritual growth and development.

This tree teaches us that the secret to success is a three-step process. That process goes like this…

1. Plant the seed

We can’t get what we want in life without knowing what it is that we want. And once we’ve figured that out, we must take the first step.

This first step could be making the conscious decision for change in a certain area of your life; it could be purchasing a domain for the website of your new business; it could be starting a new Instagram account; it could be buying a new pair of running shoes; it could be setting up an online dating profile; it could even be actually planting the seed to grow a tree!

The point is that you have to take the first step. You have to embark upon the journey. You have to begin.

“The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” ~ Chinese proverb.

2. Take consistent action

The Chinese bamboo tree shows us that despite what you’re seeing on the outside — even if it’s less than what you hoped for, or in the case of the bamboo tree, nothing at all — you must continue to take consistent action.

It’s easier said than done — I know that all too well myself — especially when you’re not seeing the fruits of your labour.

But we need to understand that the Universe is governed by Universal laws and one of these is the Law of Cause and Effect. This Universal Law states that every cause has an effect and every effect has a cause — which basically means that every action that we take, will have an effect at some time or another. Sometimes we just don’t know when.

Just like the farmers of the Chinese bamboo tree, you must continue to water your seed consistently, come rain or shine, come joy or sorrow. Every action has an effect and even if you’re still unable to see it, the effect, or the results you desire will come. After all, you never know exactly what is taking place beneath the surface.

You just have to keep going.

“Be not afraid of growing slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.” ~ Chinese proverb.

3. Have faith and patience

Taking consistent action without faith and patience is pointless. And faith and patience together in this process are key.

If you don’t have faith that the results will come, why try? If you’re not patient enough to see the process through, your belief in the end result really doesn’t matter.

You must continue watering your seeds knowing deeply within yourself that your tree will grow, even if you don’t know exactly how or when.

As they say, there is really no such thing as an overnight success. An overnight success takes years of building, hard work, consistent action and never giving up.

You must continue moving forward with action, faith and patience until the time comes for you to reap the rewards of all your hard work. Just like with the Chinese bamboo tree, it could take five years of what appears as no growth, for a sudden period of exponential growth that propels you forwards in ways beyond what you ever imagined.

Trust in the process and don’t ever give up.

“Life is like an echo. What you send out usually comes back to you.” ~ Chinese proverb.

Lao Tzu wrote,

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

In this same way, let us not hurry through life and let us not hurry our success, setting goal after goal and worrying about when they will be accomplished.

Instead, let us be passionate about what we’re working towards, learn to cultivate complete faith in the process and find the beauty in every single step of the journey.

Even if what you’ve planted doesn’t appear to be growing, you yourself are growing through it all.

So keep going.

Keep growing.

And trust that your time will come.

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First published on Medium.

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