Finding Joy in Life’s Trials

It is safe to say that if you are reading this, you are facing a challenge of some sort. Perhaps it is at work with an issue that is overwhelming you. Maybe it’s a problem with your finances or your health. Or perhaps it is a relationship issue with a family member, friend or neighbor.

Life is full of challenges, and it has been said we are best defined by how we respond to adversity. I am not sure I like that, but I think it is true. How we respond when a child throws a tantrum in the busiest part of the store, a driver cuts us off in traffic, or the manager overlooks us for a promotion does indeed say a lot about our character…either good or bad.

James 1:2-4 are three Bible verses one can also struggle with. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Our culture today promotes “living life on easy street,” but in reality, none of us would probably enjoy living there. Every day brings challenges of its own, and handled correctly, those adversities enhance our personal, spiritual, and emotional maturity and can make us better. When we embrace life’s challenges and seek to positively overcome them, we grow in a positive direction.

How do you respond to adversity? Take the challenge of learning more about yourself when you read, “Are You a Carrot, an Egg, or a Coffee Bean” elsewhere in this newsletter.

Life’s Joys and Challenges Help Us Identify Our Strengths

I am back in the swing of things after maternity leave, and I will admit, it was not easy. For various reasons the transition from “stay at home mom” to “full time working mom” did not go as I had envisioned. I believe I was trying to control too many pieces, and I was not willing to ask for help. I do not know if it was my pride or my foolishness (probably both) holding me back, but I quickly learned that I could not do it all. Though we are far from perfect, everything is going MUCH smoother thanks to an understanding boss and our nanny.

Situations like this happen to all of us every day. We add and add to our “to do” list without asking for help or delegating. It is natural to think you must do it all, however, you cannot be everything for everyone, and that is OK.

Do you try to fix everything for everyone? Do you find yourself getting overwhelmed by your workload?

Take time to identify your strengths, as well as your areas in need of improvement. Look at what motivates you and compare that to what creates unnecessary stress. We tend to overwhelm ourselves with daunting tasks that are out of our area of expertise, and that takes the joy out of our everyday jobs, and sometimes our personal lives. By looking at your strengths and weaknesses, you might find that a colleague is not only better at something, but they enjoy it more than you do, and vice versa! That is great; share the load and trust in your team to help you and your business grow.

Let us help you find the right people to balance your team. When you have the right people in the right seats, the sky is the limit for what you can accomplish!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were hard. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as the daughter solved one problem, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first, she placed carrots; she placed eggs in the second, and in the last, she put ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and put them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

A bit about the Cruise from our very own Recruiter, Jim Fleming, who is a Co-Founder and the Cruise Director:

The Amish Country Tractor Cruise began in 2010 as a way to raise funds for scholarships for ALAH FFA Members pursuing a post-secondary education.

The cruise follows a different route each year. It averages about 40 miles per year. The average speed is 12 MPH.
The cruise arrives and departs from Yoder’s Kitchen. Host farmers have R & R breaks and lunch.
For 2021, we had 147 tractors from eight states and served at our luncheon and program.
It takes 40 plus volunteers to make it happen and significant cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
The cruise route is approved by the State of Illinois.
As part of their registration fee, drivers get their lunch and a t-shirt.
For 2021, the oldest in attendance was 97. The Oldest Driver was 95 while the youngest driver was 16. Danville, W.VA was the furthest traveled. Oldest tractor was 1929. Tractor in the family the longest was 71 years.
Tractor Cruise Day is the only day of the year that Yoder’s Kitchen opens early.
Amish are allowed to participate provided their tractor meets the requirements.

Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?

If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people, plus a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff's lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”