THE SOIL WE IGNORE

I recently ate a tropical fruit from the Mulberry family called ‘Jackfruit’. As I ate it, my reaction was, “Hmm, this is so good!” God, how is this possible, can something so delectable come from the soil we walk on daily? I was in complete awe. Every bite I took painted a virtual image of a tree on the canvas of my mind. The image of the tree was one surrounded by all sorts of garbage and debris. It was so bad that it would be unwise to approach the tree barefooted. When the fruit is ripe, it produces an odor that you can identify from several feet away. To access the fruit, one can either climb its tree or use an elongated stick to pick or pull the fruit from its origin. The latter is the ideal choice. It might take a lot of work to pick but the fruit is nourishing, and the experience is out of this world. As I reflected on this fruit, its taste, smell, and the tough process of gaining access to it, my attention zoomed in on talented people in the workplace. Specifically, I’m referring to those employees who are extremely talented but a little rough around the edges. Their people skills might need some improvement, but because they are not good in one area, they are often overlooked. More often than not, they are criticized for not being professional enough. If you think hard enough, you too can probably bring to memory a few of these individuals. Because we focus so much on their flaws and inability to use their talent to the utmost, we forget that their talents still can make a difference. Instead of overlooking them or passing negative remarks about them, take the extra effort or invest the time and energy to move beyond the unprofessional wall that presents itself before you when you think of that individual. Any jeweler would tell you that the first sight of a diamond or gold is not attractive until it’s cleaned up and polished. Sometimes that’s all these ‘rough around the edges’ individuals need. They just need somebody to clean away the weeds and trash the garbage that has been idling at their feet. Once you begin the cleaning, and beautification process, the weeds that have been choking up their talents will start to deteriorate, and you will fully begin to enjoy their fruits. It would be more enjoyable than you have imagined. The trick is only deciding to take the leap of faith by using creative tools to remove the mess from around the person’s roots. When you take the time to help smooth out the person’s rough edges, you are polishing a diamond. You never know where that diamond will go to shine. Even though you’re not certain how many carats exist in the diamond, you know at least there’s a carat within. Also, that diamond will enhance a ring to go on someone’s finger, or it might be the diamond around someone’s neck or even become that accessory that complements someone’s outfit. I might not know the individuals you work with and live with, but one thing I know is that there’s greatness in everyone. Once you help to remove the clutter from around that tree, you are helping the sun rays to smile upon its leaves. Very soon, the tree will start to flourish and bear fruits. Once you taste the produce from the tree, you will be able to say, “Hmm, who would have thought that this tree would be able to produce such a good-tasting fruit from the soil I neglected.”