#1 Career Lesson for You from a Farmer
The big red International tractor pulled a giant cylinder down the gravel road. To the naïve eye, one might have thought it was full of milk, or perhaps a flammable liquid. Not quite. The naïve nose would quickly figure out its load. The cylinder was a manure spreader, full of liquid fertilizer.
Farmers save up this black gold for months, waiting for an opportunity to spread it around. After a harvest, the farmer goes about his stinky business. He does the dirty work, literally, of transferring the liquid manure from its holding tank to the big spreader. He’s done it so often he barely notices the stench. Once the giant cherry red manure spreader is full, holding close to 4,000 gallons of pig poop, he drives out to his field and fertilizes the land.
On a sunny Friday in late August I sat on the back porch and watched the farmer work. The clock had just struck noon and after four hours of writing it was time for me to come up for air – although the air was not as fresh as I’d have preferred, thanks to my farmer friend. It was also time to take a few minutes break to feed old Bally the Dog, my 8-year old chocolate lab. He’s better than an alarm clock and knows exactly when lunchtime has arrived.
We went out to the garage where he inhaled his food. I watched the tractor in distance, over the small creek on what once was my father’s 240 acre farm. Three years ago my family sold most of the land and built a new house overlooking the old homestead. It was there that I watched the tractor fertilize a recently harvested wheat field. The farmer would work from sunrise till sunset, splaying the fertilizer out thirty yards wide behind him, eventually covering every inch of the land.
This thankless job is one of the most important, but under-appreciated, roles of being a farmer. A farmer’s field requires fertilizer for fertility. As do our minds.
As a writer, I need to read good writing, so I subscribe to the email newsletters of Seth Godin, Ryan Murdock, Mark Ford, Neil Strauss, Porter Stansberry, and Steven Pressfield. But my favourite author is my long time virtual mentor, Bill Bonner.
While watching the farmer cover every inch of his wheat field with stinky black gold, I pulled out my old Blackberry and read the latest email newsletter from Bill. He is a true wordsmith and a sage storyteller. He knows how to draw in the reader with the vivid detail in his personal anecdotes. He had written the following passage that inspired me to share today’s message for you.
The summer is slipping away. In the morning, mists hang over the fields. The chestnut trees have already turned a rust color. We start a fire in the kitchen fireplace to keep our mother warm.
It wasn’t much of a summer in Europe this year. Still, we’re sorry to see it go. This weekend we will pack up the house… turn off the water… close the shutters… and head for the airport.
We’re headed to China first. Stay tuned…
The depth of his details, the personal nature of the note, and the romanticism of the setting, all harnessed the power of my imagination and engrossed me in his letter. It’s why I keep reading his emails even if they reach the same apocalyptic conclusion every day (“sell stocks, buy gold, the end is near!”). It’s those few magical storytelling paragraphs he includes each issue that bring me back to satisfy my curiosity and to teach me a writing lesson, too.
Bonner fertilizes my mind and writing skills.
You might not be a writer. Perhaps you have a real job. Maybe you’re a manager or a CEO like ETR’s Publisher, Matt Smith. If so, your mind needs to be fertilized with advice on how to hire people, how to lead them, how to deal with conflict, to bring out the best in your protégés, and how to have the best meetings possible.
You need to fertilize your mind with books that Matt recommends, like Top Grading (for hiring), The Hard Things About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, and The Secret of the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish (one of my favorites, too).
We all need to fertilize our minds by attending events, going to seminars, and learning from mentors both in-person and through their products. This is how you develop your knowledge, grow your skills, and become better at what you do.
Like the farmer that learns over time when to sow and when to reap and when to fertilize, the more you know – through experience, coaching, and seeking out secrets to success – the better you will be. Whatever your career, whatever your passion, you must fertilize your mind every chance you get. That’s how you become so good they can’t ignore you. It’s how you make great breakthroughs in life. It’s how you earn the right to live the life of your dreams.
If you’re interested in living the writer’s life that I do, here’s the GREAT news for you.
You have a hobby, I’m sure. There’s something that you read about, passionately, every day or week. And there are MANY ways for you to make money from this Passion – all thanks to the Internet. There’s never been a greater opportunity in history to make money with your passion.
One woman I’ve read about, Penny Halgreen, makes six-figures per year from her passion for knitting.
Robert Phillips, an ETR author, makes six-figures from his passion for golf.
Young Michael Dunlop makes six-figures from his passion for helping other young entrepreneurs succeed online…and his brother Josh makes six-figures from his passion for photography.
My friend and International man of mystery, Simon Black, makes seven-figures from his passion for living a sovereign, multi-national, free lifestyle.
Ryan Murdock makes six-figures from his passion for writing.
Bedros Keuilian makes seven-figures from his passion for helping others build fitness businesses and online info empires.
And I make Profits from my Passion of helping others transform their lives both physically and financially.
It’s time for you to turn your Passion into Profit.
It’s time for you to live the Internet Lifestyle of your dreams.
It’s time for you to go from zero to your first sale – and even your first 5-figure launch – In just 30-days with the Blueprint that we’ll be teaching at the www.OnlineInfoWorkshop.com in November.
I can’t wait to see you there, to hear about your passion, and to direct your passionate energy into a profit stream and done-for-you success blueprint. All you need to do is bring your energy and idea to the weekend event, and we’ll take care of the rest.
See you soon,
Craig Ballantyne
PS – The Early Bird Registration Discount ends on September 14th.
Go here right now and reserve your spot while saving hundreds of dollars.
And get ready to turn your passion into profit.