OUR TRUE, BEST SELF

There is a banana tree and an apple tree in the garden of a man named Ben.

Ben loves bananas, so every time he goes to the garden, he often strokes the banana tree, ignoring the apple tree. The apple tree is very sad every time it sees this scene.

Sometimes Ben took his friend to visit the garden, passing by the banana tree and the apple tree. Ben praised the banana tree and said he didn't like the apple tree. The apple tree felt sadder and sadder, even wishing it would become a banana tree to be loved by Ben.

One day, the apple tree and the banana tree had the opportunity to go to Harvard to study for a PhD so that they could grow and bear fruit better. During this time, the apple tree decided to learn the technique to produce bananas.

After four years of PhD study at Harvard, the apple and banana trees returned to Ben's garden. The banana tree continued to produce large bunches of bananas, with plump fruit. The apple tree used the technique it had learned and also produced bunches of big, plump bananas, even bigger than the banana bunches of the banana tree. And the banana bunches of the apple tree ripenned quickly, into golden bananas.

One day, Ben brought his best friend to the garden, proudly sharing that the trees in the garden had just come back from studying techniques at Harvard, and were producing large, ripe, golden fruits.

As he passed by the apple tree, Ben saw a bunch of ripe, golden bananas, so he excitedly picked one to eat. As soon as he put it in his mouth, Ben spat it on the ground and felt disgusted - because the banana tasted like an apple.

Ben was angry, seeing that the apple tree had "tricked" him. He continued to criticize the apple tree.

The friend patted Ben on the shoulder to calm him down, telling him to try the banana from the apple tree.

The friend took a banana from the  bunch of the apple tree. He took a bite and could feel the sweetness of the apple in the form of a banana. The friend felt excited. He asked the apple tree how it could produce fruit in the form of a banana. The apple tree told the whole story.

After hearing what the apple tree said, Ben was stunned and said nothing… As for Ben's friend, he approached the apple tree and said, "I like the taste of apples, so no matter what form you take, I still like you… Ben likes the taste of bananas, so even if you take the form of a banana and inside you taste like an apple, Ben still doesn't like you… You have your value when you are yourself and with people who appreciate that value…”
The friend turned to Ben and said, “The garden has this fruit and that fruit. Thank you, Ben. I have had fresh apples. If you do not want to take care of this apple tree anymore, I can take it home and plant it in my garden.”

Ben was shocked to realize that it was his behavior that forced the apple tree to change into a banana. He realized that he did not like apples, but someone like his friend liked apples - the apple tree had its value.

And he realized, he was the one who chose to grow the apple tree in the first place.

The apple tree, as if relieved of a heavy burden, decided to return to itself, taking better care of its apples, whether Ben kept it or not, and not expecting Ben's friend to take it home or not. The apple tree realized that it was most valuable when it nurtured its own best core values.

***APPLICATION CORNER***

Ms. Hong Mai's application perspective:

+ Set goals that are truly important and reflect inner desires, in harmony with the important values ​​you are aiming for;

+ Open up people's perspectives and respect their speed and intensity of development on that journey; not clinging to expectations and desires according to one’s standards

By @Viet

+ ​​The possibility and limitless potential of human beings: we can transform into any version that we truly desire and that is true and most satisfying to us

By @Thuy

+ a companion, a person who opens up a new perspective to help us ‘name’ what is important, focus on nurturing what is important

By @Nam

+ In terms of awareness, we have not actively chosen where we were born, but we can develop our awareness so that we ‘choose’ where we go to help ourselves develop truly, the best

+ In work, we get to choose where to work, we develop awareness – and thinking – skills to increase the quantity and quality of choices

Rely on creation so that human resources can develop their true, best version.