The Seed

By Antony Makonese

"The Seed" is a small book but packed with great life lessons which appeals and is relevant to both the young and old. It is a book one can devour at one sitting and at the same time, it also provides perpetual reference material.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Antony Makonese
• Release date: Jul 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223730484

Book preview

Acknowledgements

Iwrote this book after I was inspired by a Backstory quote from Gareth Taylor (Country Manager, Taxify) in the November 2018 Financial Mail magazine.

The question fielded to Gareth was Nominate your eighth wonder of the world

His answer was - I think every seed is a wonder. It baffles me that all the genetic coding for a huge acacia tree or a protea is present in a tiny seed, lying dormant until it is planted.

I dedicate this book and give special thanks to the following:

my wife Pellah, daughters Tanaka Laura and Kundai Chairmaine, son Tinoda-Ishe Jayden, my mother Kumbirai and my siblings - for the continued support and encouragement in all that I set my mind to do.

3 readers who bought my first book (Growth from Stepping Out of the Nest) in the first month of publication in September 2018 – the fact that you bought my book is a testimony that it was a worthy addition to your library and reading list.

my former bosses in the corporate world for pushing me to give my best in everything that was expected of me.

my dear friends and colleagues – thank you for always being there as my sounding board. 

Dr Charity C Jinya for reviewing and editing this book.

Last but more importantly, I give special thanks to you the reader who has added this book to your library. I hope and trust you will enjoy the read and get one or two life lessons from this book.

Please forgive my inordinate reference to golf in some sections of the book. It is because it is the only sport I can play with some semblance of average. I love the sport of golf because it has also taught me some important life values such as integrity, punctuality, time keeping, respect of others and decisiveness. Above all it is a sport where you can participate without necessarily competing against other players, but you compete against the playing field (the golf course).

Prologue > I am who I am.

Msasa tree

Today I stand deep rooted to the ground;

My branches are home to birds’ nests;

I provide shade from the scorching heat;

I am also used to provide heat energy;

I am who I am because of my origin - the seed.

Flower

I provide beauty to the world;

I generously release elegant scent;

Bees get their nectar from me;

I bring colour and fragrance to the world;

I am who I am because of my mother - the seed.

Maize/corn

Humans consume my products when tender and when they are dried up;

I am the reason behind many bountiful harvests;

I find my way to the granary for future use by people;

I