FRUIT
Watermelon, cool and sweet after a long mountain bike ride. It’s 90+ degrees outside; my body is overheated, exhausted, dirty, and sweaty, and I want to be refreshed. The watermelon hits the spot.
Everyone has a favorite fruit (and I’m not going to get into what is/isn’t a fruit); I like apples, berries, and melons – there are not too many fruits I don’t like.
Here’s what I want from FRUIT:
- Refreshment
- Nourishment
- Enjoyment
What is true about nature’s fruit is also true about our life.
OUR LIFE IS TO BE FRUITFUL
Our life is to be fruitful; to live a meaningful and productive life, we need to “bear” fruit. What does that mean?
The fruit of our life can be seen in three areas:
- Our personal life – is measured by our growth and maturity.
- Our professional life – is measured by the honing of our skills.
- Our key relationships – are measured by the intimacy and depth of our friendships.
Quick Fruit Scan:
Here are a few reflective questions you can ask about the quality fruit your life is developing:
- Refreshment – are you REFRESHING the people around you? Are they better off because of your interaction with them? Are you receiving REFRESHMENT from key relationships? (Note, a refreshing relationship must go both ways; if not, you have a boundary issue).
- Nourishment – are you GROWING as an adult? To grow, you have to go outside yourself, learn/hone your skills, and improve on character flaws.
- Enjoyment – more often than not, do you wake up excited for a new day to live life, be productive, and interact with those you love?
So what kind of fruit are you producing?
Are you feeling good about your fruit or maybe disappointed or discouraged?
If you feel good, what seems to be working for you?
If you feel discouraged, what will you do to change and start growing the fruit you want in your life?
Three Suggestions for Improving Your Fruit
Suggestion 1: Get connected. Jesus is clear in the Biblical book of John; if you are connected to Him, you will grow fruit. Moreover, our connection to other emotionally healthy people will help us grow. They can provide feedback and encouragement that we need to address the character flaws in our life – but we have to ask them for feedback.
Suggestion 2: Find a mentor or coach. Ben Franklin said, “A failure to plan is a plan to fail.” This is where coaching is so powerful; my role is to help my client identify the growth they want to accomplish and then create a system that outlines the plan for the development.
Suggestion 3: Be curious. Develop a teachable attitude, don’t be a ‘know-it-all.’ Being curious keeps you in a humble stance in life. Being humble will draw others to you and help you to learn, grow, and change.
One Last Thought
Make it a point to do a “fruit check” regularly. Examine your life. If you are in a slight depression, you might be growing “rotten” fruit (relationally, professionally, or personally). So do a fruit check and address your rotten fruit at the root level. Again, this is my area of expertise, so consider a free consultation to see how Relationship or Professional coaching would benefit you.
Terry Porter is an Executive Life Coach. Working with clients to clarify and pursue their life dreams.
I am a Certified Relationship & Leadership Coach, and I will guide you through creating plans and systems to enable you to live a life of purpose. My unique services—fueled by my life experience and technical training—will help you reach your goals and impact the world.
