You Can’t Plow But One Row at a Time

When I was a young boy working on the farm one of my tasks was to help plow the fields to prepare to plant seeds or young plants. The goal was to plow the rows straight but I would often not focus and the rows would look more like spaghetti than straight lines.

My dad stopped me one day and said “you can’t plow but one row at a time,” meaning if you get the first row straight you can then get the next row straight.

I’ve thought a lot about what Dad said over the years. It’s actually a profound statement of how we should live our lives. It’s about living each day as if it’s the only one you have, because it may just be.

One of my 5 great books is “Chasing Daylight” by Eugene O’Kelley. Eugene started working for KPMG when he was 17 in the mailroom. By 43 he was CEO of this huge international accounting firm. He started having headaches and was diagnosed with inoperable, incurable brain tumor: prognosis, you have 90 days to live.

He did die in 90 days but he did something very courageous and unusual. He wrote this book( his wife wrote the last chapter as he was too weak to finish it). In the book he talks about what he calls “Consciousness of the Moment.”

You see, he realized that by focusing on doing what is most important each day, and really all through the day; 90 days is really a long time. He made a lasting impact on me and many others by teaching us how to live and love life; one day at a time.

Unfortunately too many people live in the past or the future. Those who live in the past are always worried, upset, or mad about something which happened yesterday or 5 or 10 years ago; and there’s nothing they can do to change it.

Those who live in the future are always waiting/hoping for something to happen so they can be happy (when I get that promotion, get married, retire… when, when, when).

Here’s the Key: love each day, live each day focusing on what’s really important to You. Don’t look back, don’t wish for tomorrow. Enjoy This Day. This Is It!

And if you really want to enjoy this day I recommend planting a few “Seeds of Hope,” helping others with a smile, pat on the back, or just a really genuine how are you, and wait for the answer.

When you live life this way, I believe you will truly make the world better, and enjoy all of the Daylight you are blessed to live. Remember, you are important! I believe each of us has a really important God given unique purpose. Live your purpose this day. God bless you.