16. The Lemon Tree
Insight: Difficulty is a part of life; positivity is its solution.
A man had planted a lemon tree in the courtyard of his home. It was a year-round lemon tree and gave many lemons. Suddenly, the leaves on the branch began to dry. The number of lemons also decreased.
One day, a neighbour gave unsolicited advice: “This lemon tree is of no use now. Cut it down. Plant another tree in its place.”
The man thought, “This tree has given me lemons for years. In summer, when lemons were not available in the market, it never left us without lemons. Now, just because the leaves are drying, should I cut it down? No… No…
From the next day, he began sitting beside the tree and speaking to it lovingly: “See, dear lemon tree, you will become green again. Fresh lemons will hang from every branch, twice as many as before.”
He cleaned the dry leaves, loosened the soil around the roots, added fertiliser and watered it generously. Soon, a wonder happened. The man’s positive thoughts and loving efforts had a remarkable effect on the lemon tree. It became lush green. It began producing twice as many lemons as before.
The man said to his neighbour, “Dear, many problems will come in life. We should not uproot and throw them away. We should care for them. We should maintain a positive attitude and find the right ways forward. If a problem arises in the family, and we give it time, empathy, love and opportunity, remarkable results will come.”
Thus, a positive vision in any situation can lead to success.
Resolve: I will maintain a positive attitude and care for the problem rather than discard it.
Some things do not need to be cut away; they need care, time and faith.
Guruji’s Words of Grace
- To give up negative thoughts and accept positive thoughts is positive thinking.
Benefits of positive thinking:
- It prevents the waste of time.
- Mutual affection is developed or preserved.
- An atmosphere free from agitation, filled with happiness and peace, is created.
- One is protected from negative perceptions about people.
- Self-introspection rises, and the nourishment of ego stops.
- Enthusiasm, inner joy and bliss continue to grow.
- The speed breaker that stops a person’s progress is a negative thought. Negative thoughts are the root cause of sorrow. Having weak thoughts in our mind is a major cause behind many illnesses. Thinking positively and keeping a firm mindset often helps people get out of difficult illnesses.
16. The Lemon Tree
Insight: Difficulty is a part of life; positivity is its solution.
A man had planted a lemon tree in the courtyard of his home. It was a year-round lemon tree and gave many lemons. Suddenly, the leaves on the branch began to dry. The number of lemons also decreased.
One day, a neighbour gave unsolicited advice: “This lemon tree is of no use now. Cut it down. Plant another tree in its place.”
The man thought, “This tree has given me lemons for years. In summer, when lemons were not available in the market, it never left us without lemons. Now, just because the leaves are drying, should I cut it down? No… No…
From the next day, he began sitting beside the tree and speaking to it lovingly: “See, dear lemon tree, you will become green again. Fresh lemons will hang from every branch, twice as many as before.”
He cleaned the dry leaves, loosened the soil around the roots, added fertiliser and watered it generously. Soon, a wonder happened. The man’s positive thoughts and loving efforts had a remarkable effect on the lemon tree. It became lush green. It began producing twice as many lemons as before.
The man said to his neighbour, “Dear, many problems will come in life. We should not uproot and throw them away. We should care for them. We should maintain a positive attitude and find the right ways forward. If a problem arises in the family, and we give it time, empathy, love and opportunity, remarkable results will come.”
Thus, a positive vision in any situation can lead to success.
Resolve: I will maintain a positive attitude and care for the problem rather than discard it.
Some things do not need to be cut away; they need care, time and faith.
Guruji’s Words of Grace
- To give up negative thoughts and accept positive thoughts is positive thinking.
Benefits of positive thinking:
- It prevents the waste of time.
- Mutual affection is developed or preserved.
- An atmosphere free from agitation, filled with happiness and peace, is created.
- One is protected from negative perceptions about people.
- Self-introspection rises, and the nourishment of ego stops.
- Enthusiasm, inner joy and bliss continue to grow.
- The speed breaker that stops a person’s progress is a negative thought. Negative thoughts are the root cause of sorrow. Having weak thoughts in our mind is a major cause behind many illnesses. Thinking positively and keeping a firm mindset often helps people get out of difficult illnesses.
