“Business is a lot like an acorn—the creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
I am looking for acorns—ones that have forests within them. What does that mean in the business I’m in? It means I am looking for those with vast circles of influence, ones who have friends and contacts and business associates all squirreled away in the nooks and crannies of the oak trees of their life. The squirrels who tuck those nuggets away for a cold, blustery winter will be fat and happy when the spring thaw arrives.
The leaders in this life don’t travel alone; they have followers; they have
influence
over many. They have a certain spark. How will I find them? By opening my mouth and speaking to everyone and anyone in my path, by smiling at those who pass by, especially those without a smile. To lighten and brighten the lives of as many as I can—and to let them know there is hope, there is a way, there is
always
a way
—to their dreams, to get out of debt, to do whatever it is they were put here to do. IF, as Jim Rohn always said, “they’re interested.”
So, I’m looking for acorns that hold inside them great forests. Forests full of trees that will push their roots deep into rich soil, through the rocks, withstanding the droughts and fires and high winds. Those trees will stand tall against adversity; they will grow to great heights where the sun still kisses their branches at the very end of day. They will bend, sometimes to their utmost limits, but never break. And, at the end of the day, they will provide shade and shelter for those who dwell beneath in the understory.
