Flower Quote by Darren Hardy
““A wise teacher was taking a stroll through the forest with a young pupil and stopped before a tiny tree. “Pull up that sapling,” the teacher instructed his pupil, pointing to a sprout just coming up from the earth. The youngster pulled it up easily with his fingers. “Now pull up that one,” said the teacher, indicating a more established sapling that had grown to about knee high to the boy. With little effort, the lad yanked and the tree came up, roots and all. “And now, this one,” said the teacher, nodding toward a more well-developed evergreen that was as tall as the young pupil. With great effort, throwing all his weight and strength into the task, using sticks and stone he found to pry up the stubborn roots, the boy finally got the tree loose. “Now,” the wise one said, “I’d like you to pull this one up.” The young boy followed the teacher’s gaze, which fell upon a mighty oak so tall the boy could scarcely see the top. Knowing the great struggle he’d just had pulling up the much smaller tree, he simply told his teacher, “I am sorry, but I can’t.” “My son, you have just demonstrated the power that habits will have over your life!” the teacher exclaimed. “The older they are, the bigger they get, the deeper the roots grow, and the harder they are to uproot. Some get so big, with roots so deep, you might hesitate to even try.””
About This Quote
Source Story: Wise teacher and pupil parable, 2010
Habits become entrenched over time; early habits are easy to change, later ones require massive effort.
In simple terms: Old habits are hard to break.
Address small habits early to avoid future struggle.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- personal development
- education
- coaching
- change management
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What small habit can you start now?
- How do you handle resistance to change?
Changing deep habits may need professional support.