If you are easily offended I suggest you stop reading now, this post is not for the faint of heart.
Okay, you were warned. Repeat after me, “It’s my fault! If I am doing well, it’s my fault! If I have areas where I am underperforming, it’s my fault. It’s not my boss, wife, husband, parents, dog, kids, fish or anyone else, it’s me that has to make things better.”
I believe, and history proves, the mass majority of what happens to us is our own fault. We make choices every day and those choices determine what happens tomorrow, good or bad.
I grew up in central California in a little town called Prunedale, okay maybe I didn’t actually grow up, but I did get older. Central California produces the majority of the fruits and vegetables that are grown in the United States. In the picture that accompanies this post, you will notice many of the fields are different colors, that’s because they are different crops. There may be a strawberry field across the road from an almond orchard, an artichoke field next to a carrot patch or a peach orchard.
If you were to go to central California at this time of year and ask a farmer what he or she was going to be able to harvest from the field in the next few months they can tell you. They would know if it will be lettuce or oranges. How can they know? Because they know what has been planted in that field.
Your life is the same way, you reap what you sow. I am reminded of the anecdote of a man at a station putting fuel in his car. Another man pulls up on the other side of the pump and strikes up a conversation, and it went like this:
New Comer: “Have you lived here long, I’m thinking about moving here?”
Local: “Yup, lived here all my life.”
New Comer: “Great, looks like I found the right person to ask, how are folks around here?”
Local: “Well… how are folks where you live now?”
New Comer: “They’re a bunch of jerks!”
Local: “They’ll be about the same here.”
You are where you are today because of choices you made yesterday. The world mirrors who we are because that is what we are planting. We always reap later than we sow and greater than we sow, some of you are hoping for crop failure. 🙂
Ask yourself these questions:
“Do I meet mostly nice people or grumpy people?”
“Are people that like to gossip attracted to me?”
Does it seem like “I can never get a break?”
Have I said “No matter what I do I can’t lose weight?”
I am sensitive to the fact that we can’t control everything that happens in our lives. A spouse may pass away in an auto accident, your employer may go out of business, your family may have a genetic predisposition to heart disease or being overweight?
Even things that seem to be beyond our control are sometimes because of something we have sown in the past or at least because of things we ignored this plant indifference. Could we have seen the writing on the wall about our employer? Have you studied how to make your heart healthier and how to keep the weight off. Even when negative things happen that are beyond our control, we can choose to let them destroy us or make us stronger.
Both of my parents were overweight and I have several family members that weigh quite a bit more than I do. Since I know this is a challenge in my family I am especially diligent regarding diet and exercise. I will reap what I sow, ask me how I knwo that!
There are hundreds, or thousands, or maybe even millions of stories of people who grew up in rough circumstances and still did, or are doing, amazing things. A few examples that come to mind are:
Helen Keller became deaf and blind at 19 months old due to an unknown disease, she went on to publish twelve books, become a sought-after lecturer, and a political activist. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by Lyndon Johnson.
Ben Carson grew up in difficult circumstances, in a single parent home, moving several times and getting behind in school, yet he went on to become one of the most gifted surgeons the world has ever seen, ran for President of the United States, and is the Secretary of Housing and Urban development.
Nick Vujicic was born with no arm or legs, yet he swims, golfs, and writes books. He learned to surf from a girl who lost an arm in a shark attack and is married with 2 children, he is also a dynamic professional speaker. In spite of his circumstances, he decided to smile every day and the world smiled back.
The world mirrors who we are because that is what we are planting. Unfortunately, most people don’t even think about what they are sowing. Every choice you make plants a seed, decide to be happy and it will grow, be grumpy and unkind and that will grow.
Plant love, get love, plant joy, receive joy, plant rudeness, racism or hate…
When I look back at my failures I realize they were all my fault. Once I learned this it changed my life. Eleven years ago, I was divorced, bankrupt, living in a rented house with a broken furnace, driving a jeep with over 100,000 miles on it, and working at a job that was not very fulfilling. Once I accepted that all of it was my fault I gained the power to take control of my life.
Today I live a fairy tale life, I am married to a bright, caring, beautiful woman. We own our home and pay off our credit cards every month and I drive an SL 500 convertible. I own my own business as a Professional Speaker, Author, Business and Personal Coach. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to over 40 states and 20 countries in the past ten years and I’ve never been to college a day in my life. At 57 years old, I am more spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially healthy than I have ever been in my life. I don’t say any of this to brag, I say it to let you know that you CAN change your life if you start planting the right seeds TODAY!
I would love to hear your feedback or answer questions you may have, feel free to reach out to me if you would like helping living the life you were meant to live!
