Overnight Success - Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about the fallacy of overnight success HERE but today I want to share an analogy from nature with you to illustrate that further.

The Chinese Bamboo Tree is both fascinating and inspiring. Once sprouted above ground, the bamboo tree can grow two to three feet in a day and can reach heights of ninety feet within just six weeks of pushing through the soil. Not only does it grow at an incredible rate, it is extremely strong and durable. Bamboo can withstand more impact and pressure than concrete or brick and it has a higher tensile strength than steel. That’s pretty impressive when you consider it’s technically a variety of grass.

From a small, tender shoot to a nearly indestructible ninety foot tree in less than six weeks, it seems as if the Chinese Bamboo Tree would be nature’s example of an overnight success. However that’s not the whole story. You see, once planted, the bamboo tree appears to do nothing for the first year. In the second year, there is still no shoot or sprout to be seen. Even in the third year, there is not yet visible growth. In the fourth year, still nothing. But then, in the fifth year, the bamboo tree emerges from the soil and the rest is history. Starting with no visible growth in four years, the now visible bamboo stalk can grow as much as a couple inches an hour – you could literally watch the grass grow!

So here is the question: Does the Chinese Bamboo Tree grow to ninety feet in six weeks or in four to five years? Although it appears dormant during those first four years, nothing could be further from the truth. The tree is busy sending down roots into the ground, anchoring itself in the rainforest floor. The roots also break up the hard soil, allowing it to better absorb water and nutrients. In short, the unseen tree is preparing itself for future growth, but the process is concealed by the very environment supporting it.

Although it grows to be a hardened, towering tree, the buried seed must still be cared for and nurtured as it hides in the soil. It must be watered and protected and allowed to establish its foundation before coming to light. In fact, if the tree sprouts out of the ground too quickly, before the root system has time to develop, the Chinese Bamboo Tree will likely perish. Between the harsh, hot climate, bugs, disease or even a hungry panda, the young tree must overcome significant environmental pressure. If the outward growth is not supported by the infrastructure hidden in the soil, the tree will die.

From the outside looking in, the growth seems to come out of nowhere and happen overnight. But in reality, the expansion of that tree is years in the making. Requiring day after day of care and attention before any visible development, the Chinese Bamboo Tree is really a picture of patience and perseverance, not immediate results. Most species of grass sprout up rapidly but can wither away just as quickly. To create something as sturdy and strong as the Chinese Bamboo Tree, the process is long and tedious. Overnight success takes years.