Start Planting Today

This week’s post is inspired by a quote from Warren Buffett which says, “Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

This got me thinking about what trees I have sat under that were planted by others and what trees I have helped plant for others.

Looking over my life, I can see many moments when people planted an idea, vision or challenged me in a way that set me up for success.

My parents planted many trees for me when i was growing up. I remember my dad taking my brother and I to an air strip and we boarded a chopper.

As we admired it, he told us that someday, flying would be our mode of transportation.

Another time, he took me to a newly built university and we walked the grounds and took turns pretending to be lecturer and student in a lecture theatre. As he did these things, he was planting ideas, thoughts and dreams in us. Today I’m enjoying the results.

In my career life, one of the legacies I always wanted to leave was that of challenging any pre-formed opinions and biases. I always felt that part of my job was to pave the way for others to follow.

For me this included making people challenge what they thought they knew about people like me. Sadly as a Nigerian, I have to contend with some negative narratives and I see my job as changing them with every interaction that I have with others.

One of the reasons I do this is to make sure that others that come in the future will be given the benefit of the doubt because someone who went before them dared to change the narratives.

So what can we do to help plant trees for others to sit under?

Find causes that are close to your heart

You were created to do more than focus on yourself. Every time that we are insular in our thinking or focus, we lose sight of the bigger picture. We lose sight of humanity and we forget we were put on this earth to make it a better place.. So find some causes to stand for and speak out about.

Be a mentor

Find people to mentor personally and professionally. There are many people out there who need your expertise, experience and guidance. Be willing to help them.

You can partner with a local school or community and organise morning assemblies, day and weekend events.

Be a friend

There are many lonely people out there who could do with a friendly ear. There are people going through challenges who would just like to know that someone cares.

Find someone to help. It could be through fostering or adoption, offering free tuition in evening or adult learning classes or prison visits.

Set up a club

This could be a coding or computer education club, or it could be sports, finance or arts and craft related or designed to help people get back into work.

There are lots of technical and soft skills that are needed by people who ordinarily will not be able to access relevant services. We can plant a tree today that will allow them to thrive.

Be the example that paves the way for others to walk with ease

Ask yourself what you can do that will make sure others coming behind you will not be misjudged, misrepresented or misheard.

Start taking actions today that will make other people’s walk effortless in comparison to yours.

There’s a reason you were on that path before them. It is so that you can clear the path, make it safer and shine the light to the best of your ability.

Others should build on our foundation so those coming in the future can rise higher and faster than we ever dared to dream. Here’s to a week of planting new trees.

Thanks for reading my post. Have a great week.