“Nature
herself does not distinguish between what seed it receives. It grows whatever
seed is planted; this is the way life works. Be mindful of the seeds you plant
today, as they will become the crop you harvest.”—Mary Morrissey
To truly succeed in life, we have to live in line with the
natural laws as instituted by our Creator. And, one of those laws is the law of
the farm or the law of harvest. In simple language, it says the farmer must
plant in the spring if he wants to reap in the fall. To get good, he has to
respect the season of duty.
In his book, ‘7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness,’ the
business philosopher, Jim Rohn describes the workings of the law in a blunt
tone, as follows:
“Those who rest in the spring do not reap in the fall,
regardless of the need, regardless of the desire.”
From the foregoing, we can see that nature is a stern
taskmaster but a generous paymaster. It rewards diligence in abundance but
gives nothing to indolence.
As a result of this truth, a wise farmer proactively chooses
to till his land, plant his seeds, nurture his plants, and eliminate useless weeds.
He keeps a regular watch on his farm until the time of harvest. In short, the
farmer has to put in the time to complete his part.
At the season of planting, being undisciplined is like
playing with fire; it has real consequences for the farmer. He will pay for any
lapses at the time of harvest. This is why the business consultant, Stephen
Covey asks the following question in his book, ‘First Things First’:
“Can you imagine forgetting to plant in the spring, flaking
out all summer, and hitting it hard in the fall — ripping the soil up, throwing
in the seeds, watering, cultivating — and expecting to get a bountiful harvest?”
Clearly, such expectation is not only foolish but futile. Short
cuts and false hopes don’t work in the farm. The system of the farm is a
natural system that can’t be cheated without a price. You have to do your part,
at each stage of its process. You have to respect the spring if you must reap
come the fall.
However, it may appear possible in other areas of life for— a
while— where people seem to succeed by using quick fix method to circumvent the
process of creation but Covey refutes this false assumption in his conclusion
that: “In the long run, the Law of the Farm governs in all arenas of life.”
Short cut eventually backfires because what is not done right will never yield
its maximum return.
The law— in three simple steps— says if you want good
harvest, plant and cultivate well first. Now let’s examine the process in
greater detail—as it applies to life in general.
Plant,
Cultivate and then Harvest
The law of nature that determines success in the farms also
determines success in other aspects of our lives. As success at the farm
requires intelligence and diligence, so is success in school, in business and
at home.
For example:
If you want the harvest of a good child in the distant future, you must do your
part by choosing a good partner for a healthy seed of life, then cultivate the
farm by raising your child the best way possible and with time, you will get
the object of your desire.
The same goes
for almost all aspect of our lives; what and how we sow invariably determines
the quality of our harvest. This process is described by the founder of Nerium International, Jeff
Olson as “You plant, then you cultivate, and finally you harvest.” He explains further
that to skip the nurturing stage is to gamble with our harvest; we can’t jump from
planting to harvesting. So as wise handlers of our affairs, we should always endeavour
to do whatever we need to do, when we need to do it, whether we feel like it or
not.
However, those who choose neglect and procrastination will be
rewarded with failure. Those who want to harvest without planting are living a
mirage. The moment we understand that the law of the farm is universal
and immutable; we shall be content to receive nothing whenever we failed to sow
and cultivate. In other words, if we want better harvest, then we need to do
better at the gardens of our lives.
Garbage In Garbage Out
Since our future is carved out of our present moments, we
must plough the land and sow properly today for a bountiful harvest tomorrow. Good
harvest can only be expected when we have planted the right seed first.
Afterward, we must continue to invest time, energy and
attention to cultivate our farm. This is true whether the farm is a physical,
mental, social one. In all aspects of life, input determines the output. And the
author of ‘Iron Will’ Orison Swett Marden goads us further. He says:“We must
give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that
produces the generous harvest.”
We need to understand that success comes not from finding an
easy shortcut to where we want to go, but from doing whatever it takes to get us
there. Even if your own ambition has little to do with tangible things of this
world, know that the law of the farm also governs the spiritual aspect of your
life.
So, learn to plant something wholesome in the tender garden
of your soul to reap a bountiful harvest of serenity for life. In this
direction, Stephen Covey still reminds you that: “The only thing that endures
over time is the 'Law of the Farm.' You must prepare the ground, plant the
seed, cultivate, and water if you expect to reap the harvest.”
Finally, diligent
patience to the process creation is the secret of successful farmers. As it
turns out, diligent patience is the ultimate secret of all great men as well.
The Edison’s and Michelangelo’s of this world use the law of the farm to their
advantage; they paid their full due early in time to earn their well-deserved
recognition in the world.
Therefore if
you dream of realizing your full potential one day, know that you have no
choice than to put in the work in the springtime of your life.
