Be Productive

“ Happy New Year, professor !!!” the students shouted as Mr. Wilson entered the classroom.

He put his leather briefcase on the oak desk, surveyed the room, and said, “ Thank you.”

“ Professor Wilson, before you start teaching, advise us for the new year,” a student yelled. A é thunder of applause followed the request.

When the room became quieter, the professor said, “ Be productive this year. Make every second count. Decide to be a reader and expand your network. You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read. Don’t waste time this year. Avoid distraction. Be productive !”

“ Professor, what book impacted you the most?” a female student shouted from the back row.

Without a doubt, Professor Wilson answered, “The book that impacted me the most is called Aimless Circles, written by the Russian author Dimitri Abramov.”

“ What’s the book about ?” the students asked.

“ Aimless Circles is a fascinating book. It deals with the notion of cursing,” Professor Wilson explained.

The crowd was sad. A student rose on his feet and questioned, “ This is a new year; nobody wants to be cursed.” Another student added, “ Professor Wilson, could you please elaborate ?”

“ Listen very carefully. In the book, the author, Dimitri Abramov, demonstrated that getting stuck is the worst thing that can happen to someone. Not being able to move forward in life is awful. To illustrate his point, the author used the example of the Russian Oroks tribe.” Professor Wilson paused and stared at the students. They were all quiet, eager to absorb more. The professor continued,

“ The Oroks tribe has a tradition. Whenever they catch an enemy, they don’t kill him. Instead, they curse him. The curse says: as long as you live, you will go around in a circle.” The professor paused the second time and asked the students, “ Would you rather be killed by your enemy or live and go around in circles your whole life?”

Some students said they would rather live and go around in circles than be killed. Others chose to be killed rather than get stuck in life. The professor listened to both groups and said, “ You are built to move forward, to evolve. Anyone who doesn’t make any progress would end up in frustration. And a long period of frustration may lead to suicide. That is why you must refuse to live and go around in circles. In 2024, decide to live a meaningful life. It starts with setting goals in all areas of your life.” Professor Wilson paused and asked them an unexpected question,

"Have you ever heard of the seed mystery?"

The students looked at each other, stunned and speechless.

"A seed is one of the most powerful elements in the universe. To remind myself of the potential of a seed, I always carry one."

Professor Wilson opened his briefcase, took a small zip plastic bag, and showed it to the students.

"This is a seed. It's a corn seed. This seed can bring forth an infinite grain of corn. Do you believe it? All I need to do is sow this seed in good soil. Doing so allows this corn seed to deploy its full potential. The same principle works for all seeds."

The room erupted with applause and excitement. The professor motioned the crowd to quiet down and continued, "The beauty of the seed principle is that every plant bears seed according to its kind, and trees bear fruit with seed in it according to their kinds." Professor Wilson paused, stared at the crowd, and asked, "As of today, what's the world population? How many people are on Earth?"

"Over 8 billion," the students shouted.

"Great! Do you know that the 8 billion people came from one man?" the professor asked.

"How come ?" a female student sitting in the front row replied.

"How can one woman give birth to 8 billion people? That is unrealistic !" another student added from the crowd.

"Maybe Professor Wilson is telling us a fantasy story," someone shouted from behind.

The classroom erupted in laughter.

The professor patiently listened to them and waited for the room to be quiet before continuing his speech.

"You see, I'm talking about the power of a seed. God didn't create 8 billion people. No, not at all. He created just one man."

"Yes, the man was Adam," a student interrupted.

"At least someone here has some biblical knowledge," the professor acknowledged and proceeded, "From Adam came the first woman called Eve. Now, there were two people on Earth. Adam and Eve activated the multiplication principle, which led to the 8 billion people we have today. But the most exciting part is that each of you is loaded with unlimited potential. Are you aware of it?"

A huge silence fell into the room. Professor Wilson continued, "No human being came on Earth empty. You have something the world needs. And because each of us is Unique, there is no need to envy others. You also don't have to compare yourself to other people. Work hard to bring forth the seed or potential that is in you. Most people are like a sleeping giant. This year, 2024, I urge you to wake up from your sleep. Refine your gift and serve it to the world. Become a slave to your gift, not to your education. Because only your gift will make room for you and bring you before great men."

"Professor Wilson, how can someone identify his gift?" a male student in his twenties questioned.

"Excellent question," Professor Wilson said and called the student who asked the question on stage. The class was watching, not knowing what was in the teacher's mind.

When the student met him on the stage, Professor Wilson asked him, "What do you love to do?" Before the student answered, the professor added, "What do you love to do naturally?"

"I love drawing," the student replied without hesitation.

"Do you have some samples of your work?" Professor Wilson asked.

"Sure," the student replied, returning to his seat and grabbing a folder. When he yielded to the stage, he opened it and showed some paintings to the professor."

"You drew all these beautiful pictures?" Professor Wilson asked, amazed.

"Yes. I've been drawing since I was twelve," the student replied.

"Wow, I'm impressed !" the professor said.

Then, the professor turned to the class and said, "Here are some truths you need to know about your gift."

The classroom was quiet. The students were eager to absorb the knowledge from one of their favorite teachers.

"Truth number 1: your gift is in you. Don't look anywhere else to find your gift. God put your gift where you cannot miss it: in yourself. So, to find it, you must do what I call the self-discovery journey. Examine yourself. What are the things you do well naturally? What is the thing that you love to do even without being paid? Your gift is built into you. Let me give you an example to help you understand. "Look at the fish. Fish never attend swimming school. They don't learn to swim because swimming is built in them, " the professor said.

At this point, all the students gave the teacher a standing ovation.

"Here is the Truth number 2: Refine your gift." Professor Wilson paused, stared at the students, and asked, "Who like mangoes?" half of the students raised their hands. "Okay. Question: would you eat unripe mangoes ?"

"Of course not ?" the students replied.

"You see, unripe mangoes attract nobody. Gold and diamonds attract no one when they are covered by dirt. The same principle is true regarding your gift. Just as men are attracted to ripe fruits, people will come to you when your gift is refined. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and effort to make your gift shine. But believe me, it's worth it. This new year, decide to refine your gift."

"Professor Wilson, last time you said that a man's gift makes room for him. How does it work? Can you please elaborate ?" a student inquired.

"When I say Michael Jordan, what do you think of?"

“Basketball,” the students shouted.

"When I say Oprah Winfrey, what do you think of?"

"Talk show," the students replied.

"When I say Whitney Houston, what do you think of?"

"Music," the students replied excitedly.

"You see, the list can go on and on. None of these people are known because of the college they attended or for their degrees or education. The whole world knows them because of their gift. Their gift made room for them."

"Professor Wilson, is it true that every human being was born with a gift?" someone asked from the crowd.

"Absolutely. No one came on Earth empty, regardless of the circumstances of his birth. The biggest tragedy on Earth is to die without discovering your gift," Professor Wilson elaborated.

"Professor Wilson, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Whitney Houston, all these people you mentioned are famous. Are you trying to say gift makes people popular?" another female student questioned.

"Le goal is not to be famous. It's to serve the world with what you have. Service is the key. The more you serve others with what you have, the more fulfilled you become. Remember, you have something the world needs that no one but you can give. Don't die with your gift still inside. I beg you, don't take your gift to the grave." Professor Wilson answered.

"Professor, how long does it take to refine the gift? Another student asked.

"Don't worry about the time. Just work the gift. Become a slave of your gift. I told you last time that nobody likes unripe fruits. When you refine your gift, people will come to you. You don't have to call them; they will show up, not because they like you. They will come to you because of your gift. I will close with this. True success in life is to die empty, with everything you are poured out completely until nothing is left. Sometimes, life will crush you, but you won't be destroyed. Pressure brings out what is hidden underneath.

Make 2024 the most productive year of your life. Go, Grow, and show the world your glory."

For the second time, the students responded with a standing ovation.