Applying The Daffodil Theory into Business Practice
At times all of us need a bit of inspiration to add to our day. When I first read this
article, I had started my own home based business and was in a bit of a slump. This
inspirational story was exactly what helped spring me into action and keep on
going. I loved it so much that I thought why not share with other people in hopes it would
have the same type of effect it had on me. THE DAFFODIL PRINCIPLE Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come see the
daffodils before they are over." I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from
Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday," I promised, a little
reluctantly, on her third call. Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there.
When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my
grandchildren, I said, "Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the
clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that
I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!" My daughter smiled calmly and
said, "We drive in this all the time, Mother." "Well, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for
home!"; I assured her. "I was hoping you'd take me over to the garage to pick up my
car." "How far will we have to drive?" "Just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this." After several minutes, I
had to ask, "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the garage!" "We're going to my garage the long way," Carolyn smiled, "by way of the daffodils."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, "please turn around." "It's all right, Mother, I promise. You
will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience." After about twenty minutes,
we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the
church, there was a hand-lettered sign that read, "Daffodil Garden." We got out of
the car and each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight. It looked as though someone had taken a
great vat of gold and poured it down; over the mountain peak and slopes. The
flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns-great ribbons and swaths of
deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron, and butter yellow. Each
different-colored variety was planted as a group so that it swirled and flowed like its
own river; with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers. "But who has done this?" I asked Carolyn. "It's just one woman," Carolyn answered.
"She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well kept A frame
house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to
the house. On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the questions I Know You Are Asking"
was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. "50,000 bulbs," it read. The
second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and very
little brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958." There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me, that moment was a life-changing
experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty
years before, had begun-one bulb at a time-to bring her vision of beauty and joy to
an obscure mountain top. Still, just planting one bulb at a time, year after year, had changed the world. This
unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. She had created
something of ineffable magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her
daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is,
learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one
baby-step at a time, and learning to love the doing, learning to use the
accumulation of time. When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of
daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. We CAN change
the world. "It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. "What might I have accomplished
if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and had worked
away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years. Just think what I might have
been able to achieve!" My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start
tomorrow," she said. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. Just
ask yourself, "How can I put this to use today?" Author Unknown SO STOP WAITING:.. There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a
destination. You can only plant the seed of the future, why not start now? Apply this
theory and see where you get in 20 years time! I am ready to help you. For
motivation and inspiration visit me at http://www.thinkingfaster.com Best of luck, Jennifer Schilling Copyright © 2004 Jennifer Schilling Jennifer Schilling is a home business mentor.
Come by and grab a F-R-E-E subscription today at:
http://www.internet-
business-success.biz
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