There was a farmer who grew superior quality, award-winning maize in his farm. Each year, he entered his maize in the state fair where it won honors and prizes. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew his maize: The farmer shared his maize seeds with his neighbours. ‘How can you afford to share your best maize seeds with your neighbours when they enter maize in the competition against you each year?’ the reporter asked. ‘Why bother?’
The farmer replied, ‘Didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen grains from the ripening maize and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior, sub-standard and poor quality maize, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my maize. If I have to grow good maize, I must help my neighbours to grow good maize too.’
The farmer gave superb insight into the connectedness of life. His maize can’t improve unless his neighbours’ maize also improves. So it is in other areas of life! Those who want peace must help their neighbours and colleagues be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others live well. Success does not happen in isolation; it is most often a collective process. So share the good practices, ideas and new knowledge with your family, friends, team members and neighbours. As the saying goes: ‘Success breeds Success.’
Hadith: ‘The best friend in the Sight of Allah is he who is the well-wisher of his companions, and the best neighbour is one who behaves best towards his neighbours.’ (Tirmidhi)
