The Fiddleleaf Fig Tree Parable

A while back, while wandering through Costco, I noticed a fiddleleaf fig tree. Somewhere between the hard-shell kayaks and hardcover book table was this towering giant of a plant.

Possessing poor judgment and a desire to impress my wife, I bought it.

Everything was going great until I realized I needed to transport the thing home. It was eleven feet tall.

Possessing poor judgment and a minivan, I folded the seats down and stuffed this fragile, tropical plant inside, tearing off several of the branches in the process.

It never recovered.

Over time the leaves began to fade and fall, a fungus invaded, and that was that. Accepting defeat, we pruned off the one remaining stalk with a green leaf, placed it in a vase with water and are hoping for the best.

That stalk stands as a memorial to my foolishness and haste.

That fiddleleaf was doing fine for years before I came along and mucked things up by choosing the lazy way out.

Warren Buffet is supposed to have said: "it takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it."

Your reputation, like the fiddleleaf, is a precious, fragile thing. Treat it accordingly.

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