Why You Need To Be Like Bamboo

Personal development can sometimes get a bad rap in some intellectual circles, labeled generally as hoaxy, New Agey, feel-good cheerleading in vain.
That is how it turns out, sometimes. Like every product, there’s going to be some with better quality and some not so much. The consistent success of personal development teachers speaks for the difference.
Just taking personal development for what it is, though, how could that ever be a bad thing? If you’re not busy growing…you’re busy dying, yes?
However, as usual with life there’s still a big complication. It’s called impatience.
My students are often not newbies to the personal development space, having taken one or more courses before, whether with me or with other teachers.
This begs the question for people: “How many courses do I have to take?”
Answer: as many courses as it takes for you to do what you say you’re going to do.
It’s a progression. Where you are on the ladder will determine how many programs, how much learning, how many books, how long it’s going to take to get there.
Learning and personal development are musts. And having impatience is not an option.
In a lot of cases nothing happens after the first course. You know the info is good if you’ve chosen a proven teacher, but it’s really just the appetizer. Most people aren’t ready to take on the whole enchilada at that point.
After the second course people start getting a little hit. After the third course, you start to really get some good understanding about your life and what’s going on but still nothing major.
However, then come the doubt-devils: “I should give this up. What a waste of time all this personal development crap is. I don’t even feel good. In fact, I feel worse than I did before when I was a factory worker in the dark. What a drag. Business is hard. Life is getting harder. Relationships are harder.”
“How will I know when I’m ready?”
When you jump and the water is blissful, you’ve done it.
Now is it always going to be blissful? No.
Have you noticed even if you go into a pool and it’s pretty nice, if you stay in the pool for an hour, you get cold and you’re all wrinkled? Even that pool has to be changed a little bit.
You have to love growth. And you have to keep on growing.
If you do then one day you’re going to wake up and things are going to click for you. Your money, relationships and house are going to be there. Your life is going to be beautiful…unless you get impatient.
Don’t be looking. You’ll see it when you see it.
All of sudden you’re going to see…
Money, success, relationships and happiness are all coming my way.
My life is finally together.
Is it perfect? No. Is it together? Yes. Am I feeling great? Yes. Most days are amazing. I’m so fortunate. I am doing well financially. My relationships are good. I’m feeling good. Life is good.
How did that happen?
The best way I can describe it is through a story, maybe some of you have heard, about this boy who plants two seeds. The next spring one of the seeds becomes a corn stark, but the other doesn’t appear to sprout anything.
This happens five years in a row; the corn stalk becomes this amazing cornfield but the other seed … nothing. However, within three months of the last time the boy checks the crops, all of sudden there are 20-foot bamboo shoots that tower all over the cornfield.
Five years with nothing and all of a sudden, explosion. Why was that bamboo able to grow so fast and so strong?
Because for those five years, it was growing its roots, its foundation. It was setting the structure for huge, sustainable growth in its life.
Some people are corn seeds. You give them a little bit and they sprout. But when people grow really quickly and have big success really fast, they usually don’t have the structure underneath to sustain it. The first wind that comes, it’s over.
Realize that like the bamboo, you are growing, developing, and learning for that day and in time you too will tower over the field, you will tower over your own doubt in yourself.
Everyone has a story of sudden growth or realization that changed life for the better after a period of stagnation. Be patient my friends.
The Ultimate Life Makeover
Here’s a free training I’ve been doing that’s really been making an impact on my student’s lives.
It’s called the Ultimate Life Makeover where you’ll learn a 7-step system to design and create your Level 10 life.
Click here to get complimentary access to that training today
For Your Freedom,







Thanks Harv, I have always believed in being a life long learner.
Kia Ora THarv. My learning over the last 2months has been exponential, in all areas of my life. One of the highlights has been “Don’t try to push anything. Create ‘space’ for the things you want to show up. ” And they have.
Thanks Harv, a lot of points made in the article are a reflection to my own journey. It takes patience and a passion for learning to grow and get better at what you love.
Hi Harv!
I am beginning my second training with you today. Hope this new one be the missed piece I am looking for. I love to learn and grow, I think I’ll be in this path forever, but I am really impatient to see the results. I felt like your inspiration was directly to me.
The truth is all the teachers sell their courses with a huge promise that with this program you will grow to the moon, so we really put all of our best efforts on it and really expect that happens.
Anyways, I can see me like a bamboo, so thank you for remind me that. I remember you said nothing changes outside, before it changes inside.
Great article!
Thank you for reminding me once again that when I ask for guidance the answer appears. For the past 2 plus years I have known that it is again time for a new career move. I have my own private practice (counseling) and I thought I just needed to move my office. So I did. I love my new office but it is clear that there is more expanding and growing to be done. Of late I have been feeling very frustrated that I can not figure out what else I want to do. For the past week I have been praying and meditating for guidance. And today your lesson spoke directly to me. I am reminded to be patient and keep learning. The direction will appear when it is time. Thanks again.
Thanks Harv, this came to my email box right when I needed to hear it. Sometimes we are doinh everything we can think of & it can still seem that things just are’nt taking off for us, but like you said patience is key, and if we continue to do the work, like the bamboo tree soon we will see an explosion!!
Never give up! Keep, keepin’ on! Hold the faith! 🙂
Thanks for the ‘Million Dollar Life Lesson’. Your wisdom is a great help. I am familiar with Bamboo. Once it gets started, it is almost impossible to stop it…
Hi Harv
This what I`ve always believed in, and i have grown a lot as the result. What i always and it has become my monthly routine, is when i get paid the first thing i buy is a personal development book. And every year i take up a new course through the company i work for as they pay for all my studies and i see that as an opportunity that will get me closer to where i wanna be……… I believe in continuous improvement. People often say i will go crazy, lol…… growth is growth and crazy is crazy …..
Great article! Harv
I have been reading all email from you. each email is a different feeling. However with the short introduce for of courses, it make me deep thinking. Dear Harv, I living far from you, i really want to register your courses but I can’t. I am worker of the company and father of two children. with amount money I get, it only enough take care my children, I was read the SECRETS OF THE MILLIONAIRE MIND of you and some author other about the success. And now with preface of Why You Need To Be Like Bamboo, it make me more power . the power for success in future
Thank Harv,
Harv does it again. Hitting the nail on the head. I’m a business consultant and life coach myself. Wish I had discovered this 20 years earlier. My recommendation: read Louise Hay and listen to Harv. You can’t go wrong with those two. BTW, I’m as much a student as a teacher. There will never be a state in which ‘one knows it all’
LLL=Life Long Learning 😉
Danke vielmals, wie immer toll!
One of the hardest tasks in life…. being patient. Thanks Harv!
THarv Thankyou so much for sharing this piece. The lesson of the corn and bamboo seeds is inspirational and Patience really is a quality to develop and practice. Looking forward to keep learning and growing with your courses.
It can be hard. I had forget about my dish. And and. And How could I? And this take much more. I try to keep seeing.
I started small by buying one flat for $70,000 ten years ago and have gradually built up a portfolio of 12 rental properties. The original three properties I bought have doubled in value and are paid off and the others are cash flow positive earning me a good income. I have heaps of equity now but it took ten years before I started seeing the benefit. Hard work and perseverance have paid off.
I love all your teachings Harv ever since I took your course in Millionaire Mind Intensive in Los Angeles, some years ago. I keep on reading your books and teaachings.
i am bamboo for the better part of the last 30 years I used personal development to grow myself and I’m still working on me. Today with my business I am planting bamboo seeds and its gradually coming to fruition as members of my team begin to use my example and develop themselves like bamboo. Our bamboo field is growing one person at a time
I’m so happy to see that I’m not alone in this huge field of seeds! I have been planting for over 25 years and although I’ve had a few sprouts nothing yet has shot up! Thank you for the reminder to be patient. I really needed that:)
Hi Harv
Great story, thank you. I have been working on personal development for most of my life but more seriously for the last 15 years now and believe we continue to learn all our lives – so never stop. Plus thank you for the MDBS (Guerilla Business) course – I am currently working my way through this. Lots of info I already knew but this time it is all in one place so sinks in better. All this will help me on my path to success in my new business I am creating. Thanks again.
Thank you for the nice story about the two seeds, I confirm I am human.
Absolutly we all have to grow from within. I started with Think and grow Rich and then a multitude of great lessons and it is like laying one brick at a time and we grow and develop it works wonders developing the 90% that is under the water.
Thanks Harv is true for my success in my life. I can always . I millioner mind and I heart millioner mind!!! bye
Hi Harv: I want to thank you. I am brand new and I’d like to tell you that I heard your audio Los Secretos de la Mente Millonaria. I live in Colombia, South America, that is the reason I can not assist to your semminar which I’d love to, but I wanted to thank you, I will be at the webminar tonight. I am learning very much important things for my life. Blessings. Diana
Thanks 🙂
Do you have a group on facebook or account on twitter or something like this stuff ?
Regards.
Thank you so much Harv, I am really enjoy with your book “Secret of the billionaire mind” and I am your newbie to learn and grow
Hello T.Harv & Jesse Eker you make a great team to keep in touch with. I change habits every time a message is posted, I’m forever grateful for the changes. Have a great day!
Wow Harv, BLESS YOU a Million times more!!! 🙂 (i know you’re pretty blessed) but i wish you even more! you are an angel (and a bad ass one!) Thank you for helping so many amazing people do the amazing things they came here to do by doing what you came here to do with loving integrity!
I Am a Bamboo!!! Duh~ of course! perfect! Love this story!!!
Bless you! seriously! you’re a gift! :-)))
Harv I’ve been following you for years now, and even when I sometimes can’t see it others can. Just last night when I was out with my family I told them that I was worth more and than I know I’m worth more than I have. I’ve been saying this for years, but it was my wife who noticed something else I said, a small statement I added to the one above. She told me that this is the first time she’s really realized that I’m making growth. That my beliefs are slowly changing to a possitive light.
It’s weird sometimes that when we get caught in the roots and not seeing results that others can see them for us.
Thanks for what you do Harv. Without your material I’d surly be dying not growing.
Hello Harv !Your lesson encourage me a lot.They all valued and happy reading. Thank you Harv Eker !