Opportunities Abound For Those Who Will Nathan Lawson Director, Kentucky Beef Council Why is it that we tend to expect things to be without adversity? In The Testing Time, Paul Harvey said, “Storms are a part of the normal climate of life. We sometimes think our generation has been especially discriminated against, but there have always been storms to test men.” We (myself included) have a tendency to think that things should always go well and we instinctively look for someone or something to blame when it doesn’t, discounting the value found in our struggles. We easily forget that there are only highs because of lows, rewards because of hard work, and blessings realized through trials. Our needs become eclipsed by our wants and the joy of the journey is robbed by our longing for the destination. History has proven that challenges will always confront us, but haven’t our greatest opportunities often been born out of times of misfortune and hardship? I believe that now is one of those times, a time of disguised blessings, opportunities in waiting for those who would. In If you were to get to know our children, you would discover one of the banners that waves over our family is the banner of “want to”. Born out of a desire to teach them diligence and hard work, we have made a habit of using the phrase, “want to”. From doing chores to school work, from brushing teeth to pursuing their dreams, they are learning to want to. What stands between us and excellence, is often the “want to”. The beef industry is full of men and women with the drive to work and do good work. Our highest hurdle is sticking together through challenging times. There are simply too few of us (roughly 0.8% of the US population) to be divided.
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At a glance, the world we live in seems to be full of voids, and imbalances many of which have been created by a lack of willing individuals to stand in the gaps. Yet, for those who will there are tremendous opportunities. What we do in the midst of these trying times will determine the rewards that will be reaped by the future generations of our industry. I’m counting on a generation of doers who will see opportunities rather than obstacles.
