🌱 PREPARING THE SOIL

Blog Series: The Power of Seeds:

The Joy of Planting Seeds

to Empower Students to Grow and Lead

Blog 2 of 8 | “Preparing the Soil”

Are You Ready to Grow?

Have you taken the time to prepare yourself—your mind, your team, your department, or your organization—for growth?

Have you cultivated the mindset, values, and environment needed to support it?

Whether we turn to leadership literature or Scripture, one principle is clear: growth begins with good soil.

Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, put it this way:

“You must prepare the ground, plant the seed, cultivate, and water it if you expect to reap the harvest.”

In the Bible, Matthew 13 and Mark 4 speak of soil (our hearts, our minds) and its role in determining how well the seeds we receive can grow. If the soil is rocky or shallow, growth is limited. But when the soil is rich and prepared? That's where transformation happens.

Growth Is a Process—And a Partnership

Just like plants, we don’t grow overnight. Before we can blossom, we need to prepare the soil—in ourselves, in our teams, in our departments, and in our communities.

This isn’t a solo journey. Growth is both personal and shared. The individual must be willing to cultivate their mindset, and leaders must be committed to helping nurture and support that process.

In my work with students, one of the most powerful tools we use is the growth mindset and helping students change their paradigms. I encourage students to see challenges not as roadblocks, but as opportunities. Not everyone embraces this idea immediately—but I’m committed to showing them the value of this mindset shift.

From Obligation to Opportunity

Many of my students are invited to join leadership development programs like Toastmasters. Occasionally, I’m asked, “Do we have to join?” Rather than saying yes or no, I now encourage a different perspective: “What if you saw this not as a requirement, but as an opportunity?”

I want students to say, “I get to do this” instead of “I have to do this.” I want them to embrace growth—not as a checklist item, but as an investment in who they are becoming. I want their minds and hearts to be open—ready to receive the seeds of knowledge and wisdom being planted.

Keep Digging: Growth Takes Time

Preparation builds confidence and competence. And growth often begins with discomfort.

Some students start Toastmasters feeling nervous—even terrified—to speak in front of others. That’s normal. Whether you’re giving a speech, starting a new job, or launching a new project, it’s okay to feel unsure.

What matters is that you keep going.

Growth requires us to dig deep:

• Deep into our spirits to find courage.

• Deep into our minds to find creativity.

• Deep into our hearts to find resilience.

  
  

Your potential, passion, and purpose are already within you. You just need to keep digging.

Growth You Can’t Always See

Like a seed growing roots underground, progress often happens before it's visible.

You may not see results right away. That’s okay. Trust the process. Every time you speak up, learn something new, or stretch out of your comfort zone, you’re building strong roots.

Toastmasters supports this growth journey beautifully. Each speech, each project, each moment of feedback helps members grow from the inside out.

🌿 Final Thoughts: Don’t Rush the Bloom

Before a plant or a tree breaks through the ground, it spends time growing strong roots—roots no one sees.

In the same way, people won’t always see your late-night studying, your extra effort, your quiet persistence. But that doesn’t mean growth isn’t happening.

Don’t be discouraged if the results take time. Growth has stages. Stay patient. Stay faithful. Keep preparing your soil.

If you’re cultivating your mind, your spirit, and your skills—growth will come.

💬 Let’s Reflect:

• What kind of "soil" are you cultivating in your life right now?

• Are you seeing your development opportunities as a gift—or a requirement?

• What’s one way you can dig deeper today?