F UT URE F O CUS
•••
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE;
GROWTH IS OPTIONAL
JENNY MATHEWS
“THE OAK FOUGHT THE WIND AND WAS BROKEN,
THE WILLOW BENT WHEN IT MUST AND SURVIVED.”
I
n my neck of the woods the
farmers are busy nurturing
young summer crops, waging
war against weeds and pests
and anxiously monitoring
weather reports and the blue,
searing hot skies which seem to
stretch forever. We long for the
gentle curtain of cloud to be
drawn across the sun and soft
veils of soaking rain to descend
upon our dry, thirsty land –
but we won’t complain if the
skies turned angry with dark,
thunderous clouds which spit
tongues of lightening and send
torrential rains either! From our
earthly perspective, it requires
generous doses of determination
and faith to stand firm and
remain positive, trusting even
that the good Lord has his eye
upon us and to recognise that
He is our provider always.
Diverse challenges confront
farmers witnessing the fields
wither in the heat. A Colorado
State University study revealed
that skill is required to manage
our businesses in such times
since stress and depression
cause farmers to become
vulnerable. Among behavioural
pattern spikes observed are
increased substance abuse,
on-farm accidents and injury
and suicides. Statistics reveal
increased conflict between
husbands and wives and raised
tensions between parents and
children, with a knock-on effect
into poor school performance
and lower self confidence levels.
The choice lies in how one
reacts in these circumstances.
It all comes down to resilience.
Resilient people are ones who
have well-developed leadership
competencies and a