Perseverance story: Which tree will grow more and why?

Every summer, a young boy would visit his grandfather’s farm, a place filled with the scent of fresh soil, the sounds of rustling leaves, and the warmth of the sun shining down on endless fields. He loved spending time there, learning about nature and the wisdom his grandfather carried with him. One particular summer, the boy arrived just as his grandfather was preparing to plant a few new trees. With a twinkle in his eye, the old man took his grandson to town to pick out saplings. The boy admired the young trees, imagining the tall, strong trees they would one day become. When they returned to the farm, his grandfather turned to him and asked, “If I plant one of these trees inside the house and another one outside, which do you think will grow the biggest?” The boy thought for a moment and then confidently replied, “The one inside, of course! It won’t have to struggle against the cold winters, the strong winds, or the hot sun. It will have it easy, so it will grow the biggest and strongest.” His grandfather simply smiled and nodded. Without another word, he planted one sapling inside the house in a large pot, where it would be shielded from the harshness of nature. The other sapling, he planted in the open field, where it would have to face the wind, the sun, and the changing seasons. “Let’s see what happens,” he said. The years passed, and the boy, now growing into a young man, returned to the farm every summer. He spent his days running through the fields, helping his grandfather with the animals, and watching the plants grow. But he had forgotten all about the experiment until on his third summer back, his grandfather reminded him.

“Come with me,” the old man said, leading his grandson first to the tree they had planted inside. It had grown, but it was small and weak. Its trunk was thin, its leaves pale, and its branches drooped as if they struggled to hold themselves up. Then they stepped outside into the golden sunlight and walked toward the tree that had been planted in the open field. The boy gasped when he saw it. The outdoor tree was tall and strong, its thick trunk standing firm against the wind, its vibrant leaves stretching joyfully toward the sky. Birds perched on its sturdy branches, and its deep roots clung tightly to the earth. “Which of the two trees do you think is the biggest?” asked the grandfather. “The one outside, of course!” the boy answered, astonished. “But I don’t understand why. It had to deal with so much more than the tree inside. It had the storms, the heat, the cold, it had to struggle!” His grandfather chuckled. “Yes, my boy, but because it faced challenges, it grew stronger. Every gust of wind forced its roots to dig deeper into the soil. Every storm made its branches tougher. The heat of the sun made it resilient, and the cold taught it endurance. It had no choice but to grow strong.” The boy looked at the tree again, this time with a deeper understanding. “Learning and growing in life work the same way,” his grandfather continued. “If you always choose the easy path, avoiding difficulty, you will remain weak and untested just like the tree inside. But if you push yourself, take on challenges, and step outside your comfort zone, you will grow stronger and wiser, just like this tree.” The boy listened carefully, letting his grandfather’s words sink in. “This is why discipline is important, my boy. If you only do what is easy and comfortable, you will never reach your full potential. Just like this tree, you need to face challenges in order to become the best version of yourself.” The boy looked up at the strong, proud tree once more. He now understood that struggle was not something to fear, quite the opposite it was something to embrace. From that day on, he carried his grandfather’s lesson with him, choosing to face difficulties head-on, knowing they would make him stronger, wiser, and ready to reach for the sky.