" Each of us has about 40 chances to accomplish our goals in life. I learned this first through agriculture, because all farmers can expect to have about 40 growing seasons, giving them just 40 chances to improve on every harvest. I had an "ah-ha" moment when I realized that this applies not just to farmers like me but to all of us, because we all have about 40 productive years in our career to do the best job we can and to create the change we want to see."
~Howard G. Buffett
I love this quote for a few reasons:
1) It reminds us that if we fail it's not over. It's easy to quit as soon as we see signs of sucking. When we've been working diligently on a project, or sport, or thesis, or whatever it is, it's tempting to give up as soon as we get critical feedback; It's easy to withdraw immediately after we've fallen. It seems like the easiest thing to do. I mean, wouldn't it be embarrassing if we got up and tried again only to fall right back down? Well, according to Howard G. Buffett, we have multiple changes to improve and succeed and in the grand scheme of things, we really do have a lot of time to fail. Each year, just like the soil, we become more rich and a little bit more seasoned and each bounty is more abundant than the last. This brings me to my next point:
2) Patience. We have lots of time. With this in mind, let's enjoy the process more. Let's cut ourselves some slack to leave room for mistakes and slip ups. We have time to explore different approaches, working at things from different angles to see what works and what doesn't, to see what serves and what doesn't. Urgencies and expectations create a rushed and unnatural process, just like the process of genetically modifying foods, I imagine. With food that is grown organically, every piece is different, there is more depth and flavour, and love exists behind it's creation!
3) Lastly, let us not underestimate what we can learn from Mother Nature. There is an intelligence about her, an order, and a sense of persistence. She can't be rushed and nothing she does lacks intention. It's not all about Wikipedia- she is a resource too. May we make time to observe the seasons, the trees, the animals, insects and birds. There are lessons everywhere.
