MindWorks
Consider Your Crop
Renita C. Gabriel, Psy.D, contributing editor
A few weeks ago my husband and I went to the store to shop for groceries as is our Sunday afternoon ritual. On that particular Sunday however, we did not have a shopping list with us, so we decided to shop based on what we thought we needed. Well as you can probably imagine, when we returned home we discovered that we had purchased several items that we already had in our refrigerator and/or cupboard. In some instances, the older food spoiled and had to be disposed of, in other cases we were stuck with a quantity of food that we would not be able to consume before it would spoil (i.e., squash). All I could think of was “What a waste!”
How many of us can relate to this story or one like it where we didn’t take stock or inventory of some area in our life only to later discover that we had an abundance? How many times have we said to ourselves, “If only I had ___________” or “If only I was more___________ then I would be able to do (or be) ____________.” How many times in those instances can we say we truly assessed what we already had?
Being that we are in the season of harvest, what better time to consider our crop? For our purposes “crop” refers to the manifestation of the investments we’ve made in our lives. I’m no farmer, but I understand the basic principle of sowing and reaping which is essentially that, “one reaps what one sows.” A harvest by definition is a mature crop, or the result of what one has sown. What have you sown? Or put another way, what types of investments have you made in your life (e.g. time, resources, etc.)? Where have you sown? Or more simply put, in what areas of your life have you invested? (e.g. spiritual, interpersonal, emotional, etc.). You may be surprised when you sit down and assess your life in this way. Many of us will see that we have an over abundance of crop that is sitting and spoiling while not being used, which brings us to the next question “What do I do with my harvest?” Perhaps the most intuitive answer to this question is to use it. How and where we do this will depend on several factors; however, when to use it is evident — the time is now.
Consider that in this time of recession and lack, many of us are having to find alternative ways to acquire resources or ways to cut back so that we can make ends meet. The situation is dire and contributing to the compromised mental and physical health of everyone impacted. One study showed that the use of antidepressants has more than doubled between 1999 and 2005 in the U.S. and it is on the rise. Another study conducted in Britain showed that 71% of the individuals who lost their jobs within the previous 12 months experienced symptoms of depression whereas more than half experienced stress and anxiety as a result of the recession. Those numbers are disturbing and in and of themselves can contribute to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. But we can have hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. How you may ask? You guessed it- by changing our perspective. Most of us don’t realize how much our emotional states are affected by our thoughts and the things we tell ourselves. Did you realize that hallmark symptoms of depression are feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness? And how are those feelings reinforced? Exactly — through our thoughts, which in a depressed and/or anxious person become distorted and unreasonable tainting the lens through which they view life. Persons who are depressed for example, tend to discount the positive and focus on the negative. They are unable to give a realistic assessment about themselves. All they see is what is wrong, what they lack and how it will never get better. When we take a step back and do a realistic assessment of what we have in life, we can begin to combat the distorted thinking mentioned previously.
Once we discover (or rediscover) the abundance in our lives we can begin to rely on our crop to bring us through these difficult times. Perhaps you have a real knack for organizing and planning events, or you are great with people; maybe you have spent time developing your spiritual life or you have several fulfilling relationships in your life. Now is the time to draw on these resources. Whether it’s by stepping out on faith in a new career or continuing to use knowledge you acquired to encourage others and yourself, it is imperative that you rely on your crop during this time of famine. If you do not, you could run the risk of being without or wasting a perfectly good piece of squash ;-).
The take home “TIP” for this article is:
Take inventory — Gather your “crop” for the harvest by considering what are the types of investments that you have made in your life (e.g. time, resources, etc.) and where? (e.g. spiritually, interpersonally, physically, etc.). It is probably best to write this out on a piece of paper so it is visible.
Identify how and where to use the harvest — Depending on what your harvest is (for example a person who has spent time investing in relationships may be very adept socially and may decide to pursue the creation of a social club or host a gathering).
Put it into practice — Once you have taken inventory and decided how best to use the harvest — go for it!
