Agribusiness Leadership provides the necessary tools to unveil the fundamental principles of
Empowered Leaders that Trust themselves and the relationships they lead and leaders who are curious to discover who they are and who they lead.
There are some jobs on the farm that just seem designed to test your patience. Moving electric fence is one of them.
The grass is shoulder high. The thistles catch every pant leg. The wire tangles when you don’t want it to. And this year, after finally getting some much-needed rain, everything is soaked. Every step through the pasture leaves your boots wet, your jeans heavy, and your frustration climbing.
That was me.
About halfway through the job, I could feel it happening. My shoulders tightened. My thoughts started looping. Why does this always have to be so difficult? I just want to get this finished.
Nothing around me had changed. The grass was still tall. The thistles were still there. The fence still needed to be moved. But something else happened. That morning, before I walked out the door, I had written my daily statement in my journal.
Today I choose to be present in all I do. Those words came back to me right in the middle of my frustration.
I had a choice.
I could continue feeding the thought that everything was working against me, or I could intentionally choose a different thought.
So I did.
Instead of seeing waist-high grass as another obstacle, I realized something. A few months ago I would have been praying for grass like this. The moisture soaking my boots? We haven’t had enough of that either.
The very things frustrating me were actually signs of something I’d been hoping for all season. The circumstances hadn’t changed. My thinking had. And with that, my attitude changed too. I slowed down. I noticed the pasture instead of fighting it. The work became lighter. Before long, the fence was moved, and it felt like the time had passed far quicker than I expected.
That’s one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through The Factor Journey and Pressure Free
We don’t always get to choose our circumstances. But we do get to choose the thought we give them. That doesn’t mean we’ll never feel frustrated. We’re human. Frustration is part of life. The difference is that we don’t have to stay there.
Your “Today I Choose…” statement becomes an anchor when pressure shows up. It gives you something intentional to return to before your emotions take over. Instead of reacting automatically, you pause, remember who you want to be, and choose your next thought.
That one decision changes everything that follows. I’ve found something else too. When I’m intentional, time seems to disappear. I’m more engaged in the work. I’m less distracted by what isn’t going my way. And when the job is finished, I don’t carry the frustration with me into the rest of the day.
The fence still had to be moved, the grass was still wet, the thistles were still sharp. But I was different. Maybe that’s the point. Leadership isn’t about waiting for better circumstances. It’s about becoming the kind of person who can choose a better response in the middle of the circumstances you’re already in.
So tomorrow morning, before the day begins, ask yourself one simple question:
Today I choose…
Because that choice may be the most important one you make all day.
Unreasonable Hospitality – Will Guidara
Farm Marketer podcast featuring Arlen Motz
