Because we live in such a fast-moving world these days, bombarded by hysterical Chicken Little cries that “the sky is falling,” it’s often difficult to maintain a positive perspective. I believe the antidote is to slow down for a minute and consider the power of faith, hope and confidence.
You may have seen examples of these ideas as part of the “Six Little Stories” making the rounds on social media feeds. Although the source appears to be unknown, the meaning behind them is powerful and worth contemplating as we embark on a new growing season.
Here are three of the “Six Little Stories.”
• Once all villagers decided to pray for rain. On the day of prayer, all the people gathered, but only one boy came with an umbrella. That’s faith.
• Every night we go to bed without any assurance of being alive the next morning, but still we set the alarms to wake up. That’s hope.
• We plan big things for tomorrow in spite of zero knowledge of the future. That’s confidence.
Yes, the world is complicated. But if you make the effort to include faith, hope and confidence in your daily routine, you have a better chance of sustaining a positive attitude and being productive in your work.
As a farmer, weather is always a wild card over which you have no control. But if you subscribe to faith and hope, they will give you confidence to make the best of the circumstances with which you are given to work. The cotton industry is also fortunate to have organizations — like the National Cotton Council — that have your back.
In Cotton’s Agenda, NCC President and CEO Gary Adams says, “The NCC strongly advocated for legislation to provide relief and recovery assistance for producers affected by wildfires, Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and other natural disasters in 2018 and 2019…. The result was the Wildfires and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+) for 2018 and 2019 crop losses due to hurricanes, wildfires, flooding and other covered disasters.”
See all the details on page 6.
And remember, if you do find yourself praying for rain during the 2020 season, don’t forget to bring your umbrella.