Friday, September 21, 2007

Farming = Parenthood

Okay, what do farming and parenthood have to do with each other? Work with me here and follow this train of thought. I am in the process of developing some sales and marketing strategies for my clients and myself. I stumbled across some excellent material which uses the analogy of sales is like farming. I was amazed how easily the metaphors flowed. I was one with the metaphor. Then I said, wait a minute, this works with raising happy, content, confident little boys.

We all know that we :"As ye sow, so shall ye reap!" (Galatians) A big ouch there. How many times have I heard my guys yell at each other and realized they learned that from me. For me my biggest challenge as a parent is to stay present in all our interactions so I can make good choices in how I handle them. Then as I read on in my material I realized that my little guys are clearly my little "seedlings." I need to nurture them and offer them opportunities to grow. I need to give them light and nourishment. I also have to allow them to spread their little pedals to be the best they can be. I also have to help remove weeds, when necessary.

So now as I continue to grow my business, I plan on growing my little guys, using some of the same focus. I am looking forward to a great harvest and enjoying the sowing at the same time. Growing a business and children is a deliberate choice, not something that just happens.