You never can tell when you do an act Just what the result will be; But with every deed you are sowing a seed, Though the harvest you may not see. Each kindly act is an acorn dropped In God's productive soil; You may not know, yet the tree shall grow And shelter the brows that toil. You never can tell what your thoughts will do In bringing you hate or love; For thoughts are things, and their airy wings Are swifter than carrier doves. They follow the law of the universe- Each thing must create its kind; And they speed o'er the track to bring you back Whatever went out from your mind.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Actions and thoughts create consequences that may not be immediately visible but will eventually manifest.
- In plain terms
- Your deeds and thoughts grow into future results.
- What can you take from it?
- Act kindly because effects compound over time.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What seeds are you planting?
- Do intentions matter?
Another view
It assumes a moral universe which isn't always true.
More from Ella Wheeler Wilcox
So many gods, so many creeds; So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind Is all the sad world needs.
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