Shine your positive light

Does the world around you seem too hectic and frenzied? Then your best response is to be extra calm, peaceful and patient.
Does the world around you seem too greedy and selfish? That’s your opportunity to be extra loving, giving and sincerely compassionate.
Does the world around you seem too confusing and aimless? Then choose to be extra focused and purposeful.
The world outside reflects back to you the energy you give it. If you don’t like what you see, you have every opportunity to change it by changing the way you are.
When you’re a beacon in the darkness, your light will shine for a long, long way. When you’re the difference that makes the difference, your efforts will bring abundant fruit.
If things around you seem to be at their worst, that’s when you can accomplish the most by being your best. Shine your positive light in the face of negativity, and you will change your world.

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

I welcome you all to a new dawn!

How do you want your harvest to look like this year? Are you setting goals or resolutions you would like to achieve this year? It takes a keen understanding of the Law of the Harvest that states, “We Reap What We Sow”, in order to achieve our goals.

This is the time of year where many of us are dreaming of what we want to accomplish in the next 365 days. 

We desire a better life, but in the process we often fail to recognize and correctly utilize the timeless principles necessary to get us where we want to go.

This is a perfect opportunity to review the Law of the Harvest and how it applies toward achieving our goals, whatever they may be. These aren’t just theories.  They are the time-tested truths that are the keys to achieving your goals.

Illustration of this law

A farmer that desires a bounty of corn has to do many things just right to be able to sink his teeth into a fresh, juicy ear after harvest.  He has to:

• Carefully prepare the soil.
• Plant the seed correctly at the proper time.
• Guard the tender new plants against weeds and pestilence.
• Water faithfully.
• Fertilize in just the right amount.
• And eventually gather his harvest, but not too late or too early.

A good farmer knows that he doesn’t have full control over the process.  He can’t direct the weather or the growth of the corn.  He just does his best to work within the system of nature. He also knows he can’t rush the process.  There is a time for planting, a time for care and growth and a time for harvesting.  Any deviance from the natural cycle will result in a less than stellar result.

Furthermore, the farmer knows he has to plant the right kind of seed to get the crop he wants.  He can’t plant thistle seeds and expect corn to grow.  This is ridiculous.  He knows he will reap exactly what he sows.

This is the Law of the Harvest.  It is a law of nature and from it we can collect a lot of valuable information that will help us achieve our goals in life.

 Ten (10) Lessons From the Law of the Harvest

Correctly applying the Law of the Harvest will mean the difference between success and failure.  It is extremely powerful and applies across the board in life.

Here are some of the most important lessons we can learn about reaping what we sow:

1. We have to know what we want before we begin.

The Law of the Harvest says we have to begin our endeavors knowing exactly what we want in the end.  You have to prepare properly and plant the right seeds to reap the expected harvest. 

Write down your goals plainly and clearly.  Refer to them often to keep you on track.  Be specific about what you hope to accomplish.  The better you define your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.  Paint a clear picture in your mind of what your life will look like once you reach success.  Focus and reflect on this picture often to achieve it.

2. We have to be adequately prepared before we even start.

Some goals require a good deal of preparation before they are even plausible.  We might have to go to school or complete some training in order to become qualified.  Don’t try to skip this part of the process.  It will almost surely lead to failure.

The farmer can’t just go out and throw seed on unprepared soil.  There is a lot of work that has to be done before he can even put the seeds in the ground.  It is unrealistic to expect success before we prepare adequately.

3.  There is a proper time to sow seeds of change.

Timing is everything.  Farmers spend a lot of energy trying to discern exactly when to plant their crop.  Bad timing often results in disaster.  The climate has to be right for the seeds to take root and to thrive.

Often, we get an idea and then immediately try to implement it without giving any thought to the environment around us.  Taking some time on the front-end to do proper research and evaluate how our ideas might be received can save us a lot of heartache.

4.  There is a right way and a wrong way to sow seed.

Planting is a careful operation that must be done just right for the seed to flourish.  It must be planted deep enough, but not too deep.  There must be proper spacing between seeds and they must be sown in the right kind of soil.  Farmers are very careful to be sure their crop goes in the ground correctly to optimize the results.

In the same way, we have to be careful about how we launch our new ventures.  Our efforts can die if they don’t get off to a good start.  Plan exactly how to start your march toward your goals to maximize your chance of success.  A good start often leads to a good finish.

5.  Many things will come and try to rob us of our harvest.

Negativity, doubt and external forces will be obstacles to our success.  Things seldom go exactly as planned without any opposition.  It is how you deal with these challenges that will determine the outcome of your effort.  Be ready and expect to have to guard your endeavor from these thieves!

Farmers know they’ll have to deal with pests, drought, freezing temperatures and many other hindrances to have a successful harvest.  If they ignore these attacks, then the battle will be lost.  They know that every season presents its own unique set of barriers that must be overcome.  Get ready to defend your sprouts!

6.  It takes a lot of diligent work to realize a good harvest.

Don’t underestimate the task at hand.  Any goal worth setting is going to require a great deal of work to bring it to fruition.  Many people start out strong at first, but fizzle out before they reach the finish line.  Thomas Edison said, “There is no substitute for hard work.”

Farmers know that Mr. Edison was right.  They are up before dawn and don’t come in until after sunset.  They rest after the harvest is in the barn.  We should expect to do the same.

7.  Our effort may require a little outside assistance.

Modern farmers use fertilizer and pesticides to assist their crops in growing to peak maturity.  These aides help to protect the plants during their critical phases of growth and they ultimately increase what is gathered at harvest.

We shouldn’t ignore the need for similar assistance with our goals.  We often fail because we try to go it alone.  Don’t be afraid to talk to others about how they succeeded.  Also, bringing in an expert to help with critical phases of your endeavor can really help.

8.  We can’t force it and achieve the results we want.

There are no shortcuts!  If you’ve made it this far in my list, then you must really want to succeed.  Your enthusiasm makes you vulnerable to trying to speed things up.  Don’t let yourself be sweet-talked into selling out to a shortcut.  If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.  Always use this as a filter to protect you from scams.

Farmers know that there is a season for planting, growing and harvesting.  They are each separate and distinct from one another.  They also know that you can’t rush or force nature.  She is going to work at her natural pace.  This same thing applies to our undertakings as well.  Don’t try to force things to happen out of sequence or before the proper time.

9.  We will reap a bigger harvest than we sow.

If you’ve ever planted a garden, then you know you can expect a much larger harvest than what was sown.  A farmer puts a handful of seeds in the ground and gets back baskets full of corn.  He is patient and attentive to the natural process because he understands this lesson.

We have to believe this too so we can remain committed to our goals.  Again, picture in your mind the best possible outcome from your endeavor.  Yes, it will take a lot of work, but the rewards will be worth it!  Be able to summon up this positive picture in your mind when the going gets tough.  The harvest will be worth the effort!

10.  The harvest comes at the proper time.

The farmer waits.  He knows that even though he can’t see his plants growing beneath the soil that they will soon sprout.  He has realistic expectations for when the harvest will occur.  This helps him from becoming impatient and giving up.  Can you imagine if he walked away too soon?  He’d miss everything!

We too must have proper timelines defined for our goals.  You can’t expect too much, too soon.  If you do, then you’ll become disillusioned.  Set milestones at proper intervals to gauge your progress.  You can always adjust your sights along the way.  This will help ensure you don’t give up before the harvest season has arrived!

There are many helpful lessons we can gather from the Law of the Harvest.  We will be much happier with our results if we apply this valuable wisdom to the accomplishment of our set goals for the year.  

We really do reap what we sow!

 MEET YOU AT THE TOP!!!