Nurturing Vs Pampering
A young man from the
city visited a village for the weekend and struck up a conversation with a
farmer. He showed the farmer a photo of his terrace crops and said, "My
crops are not growing; they look dull and aren’t yielding much." The
farmer asked him how he was taking care of the crops. The young man explained,
"I nurture them very well. I water them as much as possible and keep
adding manure; in fact, I spend a considerable amount of time with my crops.
With a smile, the
farmer replied, "There’s a difference between nurturing and pampering. The
crops need to be nurtured, but they should also grow in harmony with the
natural environment. When we overwater them, it becomes heavy for the crops to
thrive. Adding too much manure makes the soil too wet, making it difficult for
the roots to penetrate.
The young man thanked
the farmer, took his advice seriously, and began to implement the changes. As a
result, he enjoyed a yield that met his needs.
Now, let's relate
this to the workplace. When we overemphasize employee engagement, we may create
a workforce that relies excessively on external sources of motivation and lacks
intrinsic drive. When the engagement diminishes, so does their motivation.
Similarly, when it
comes to children, too much pampering can lead to dependency, as giving more
than they deserve may prevent them from learning the value of what they
receive.
Whether it’s plants,
employees, or children, we must recognize the difference between nurturing and
pampering. Ask yourself what you are doing more of in your life.
M.L. Narendra Kumar
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