You can get everything you want out of life by helping others get what they want. At first glance, this saying doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. Conventional wisdom tells us that if you want something that you have to work hard for it. While I believe that this is true, I think that the definition of work needs to be expanded.

Think of it this way, if you want a garden to produce vegetables you need to do a lot of things in order to make this happen. You need to prepare the land. You need to specifically arrange how you plant each seed. You need to care for each plant as it starts to grow. You need to water the plants and make sure they have enough sunlight. Putting up a fence so that neighbourhood critters don’t get into it is also a good idea.

Come to think of it, a garden is a lot of work. The work pays off in dividends though if you are patient. There is just something unparalleled about tasting the fruits of your labour, as it were. Homegrown crops always taste much better than store bought ones. Maybe it is because we can taste the effort and hard work we put into our gardens.

I sometimes think that life works much the same way as a garden. People are like plants in a lot of ways. They need just as much care, loving, and time that a plant does. Think of all the ways you could work to improve your relationships. Think of ways that you could help people in your daily life. Think of ways you can help a stranger.

Doing little things everyday can sure add up to a productive garden. A compliment here and there, a favour with no expectations of it being returned, a kind act for no other reason than it is the right thing to do; all these things can go a really long way.

If life is like a garden and we treat everyone with caring and respect, than our efforts will come back to us. I like to think that what you give, or put into your life, is what you get out of it. Therefore, helping others ultimately helps yourself in the long run. You might not see the benefits of it right away and you shouldn’t look for them either. They will come your way if you help other people get what they want out of life.