Sow in tears and reap with songs of joy
We all know the statement from King David, “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy”. How does that work?
Friday morning I was invited to hear Neapolitan Reinhold Schmieding, President and CEO of Arthrex, speak about the history of his company -- past, present, and future. Arthrex now has 2,000 employees and is growing exponentially, producing devices used in arthroscopic surgery, like sutures designed to reattach torn Achilles tendons and specialized knives to shave off human bone. As the son of a dentist Schmieding was expected to go to medical school but he abandoned those plans in favor of engineering and business. While working for an American medical device firm in Germany, he decided to make tools for the growing field of minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. He bought a $50 drafting table and began sketching at night. His privately-held company now makes 94% of its products in the United States.
One thing that struck me was a small table next to him on the podium. He said that for the first few years he lived like a pauper and this table was the first and only thing he had owned from his small lab where he conducted the original experiments. He now keeps it in his office to remind him of what his mission was and is. He said that if you really want to do something that you are passionate about, be aware that it will take tremendous sacrifices. You will have to 'sow with tears' but at the end, and with luck and blessings, you will 'reap with joy'. Everything in life is like this: it may seem limiting at the beginning but it is freeing at the end when you succeed.
This week's Torah portion's name is "seed" and "sowing” -- if you sow it will grow.