I was talking to a coaching client recently about all the uncertainty in the world right now.
Between political unrest, world events, the price of oil, and AI becoming such a dominant force—with real concerns around job loss and cyber security—I was reminded of a story from when I was 26 years old.
At the time, I was living in Vernon, Texas, where I grew up. I was in the process of selling my business—a service station—along with my modest house, because I’d gotten what I call a “God whisper” to step into the unknown and move to Dallas.
I didn’t have a job offer. I was just going, and I planned to start a detail shop to make ends meet.
At that time there seemed to be so much uncertainty in the world.
This was during the Cold War. Every day, it felt like the world was on edge with political tension between the U.S. and Russia, and even nuclear threats. There was a real sense that things could fall apart at any time.
I remember talking to a mentor at the time and saying, “What’s the point? Why even try? It feels like the world could come to an end.” I truly believed it at the time. Ambition seemed pointless.
He then asked me if I had ever heard what Martin Luther’s response was back in the 1500s to the question of what he would do if he knew he was going to die that day.
“I would plant a tree.”
For some reason, that resonated.
So I went out and bought a peach tree and I planted it in the front yard of the house I was selling.
It was symbolic. It was like a stake in the ground. It was my way of saying: regardless of what’s happening out there, and all the things I can’t control, I can control this. I can invest in the future. I can choose to believe there is a future.
That same year, the Berlin Wall came down before our eyes, and shifts took place in the world that seemed almost impossible before.
Little did I know, a few years later, that decision to sell everything and move to a new place would lead me into the seminar business, doing large events all over the country, and eventually partnering with Jim Rohn and many other strategic relationships over the past 30 years.
Jim Rohn would say human beings are resilient. And when asked about the future, he said:
“Six thousand years of recorded history reads like this: opportunity mixed with difficulty.”
So if you’re facing uncertainty right now, here’s a simple question to consider:
What can you do today—symbolically or practically—that represents belief in your future?
Because planting the tree wasn’t about peaches. In the middle of uncertainty, it was about choosing faith and optimism.
As my 18-year business partner, mentor, and friend, Jim Rohn would tell me, let’s do something remarkable!
Kyle Wilson
