“The law of harvest is to reap more than you sow. Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.”–James Allen
Do we really reap more than we sow? Sometimes—dare I say most times—it seems like we don’t. Note, I am saying that it seems like we don’t. Why does it seem sometimes like we are getting short-changed in the harvest? If you are like me, it is because you are expecting the wrong return on your efforts.
We expect that if we do the right thing–if we work hard—good will come our way. And, I believe, it does. It just might not be the “good things” we are wanting.
I struggle with this reality sometimes (truth be told, I struggle with it a lot), but the return on our effort is not always the kind of success that is measured in digits after the dollar sign. It does not always result in promotions, pay raises, celebrity, championships, etc. If fact, sometimes we work our asses off and end up with “nothing”. Former Buffalo Bill, Jim Kelly, was one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. Kelly led the Bills to the playoffs in eight of his 11 seasons as their starting quarterback–six divisional championships from 1988 to 1995 and four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. But Jim Kelly doesn’t have a Super Bowl ring. Jim Kelly is certainly not a failure. No one would dare say he was never worthy of the Lombardi Trophy. Kelly’s career stats are beyond impressive. He has also been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. So, maybe he did reap what he sowed? I would dare say that, where it really matters, Kelly did reap what he sowed and more.
James Allen’s comment that “the law of harvest is to reap more than you sow” by no means is intended to suggest that we should something in return for our effort. Note that the quote continues: “Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap a destiny.” When we sow the right seeds, we reap a destiny—we fulfill our Purpose and reap a legacy.
The best of a farmer’s seed is reserved for future seasons. Likewise, we have the opportunity in whatever we do to sow a legacy—to pass forward the fruit (seeds) of our efforts. It may not be clear to us at the time, but we must trust than when we do the right thing—when we act with discipline and character—we pass this on to other.
The law of harvest is to habitually act with good character and yield a bountiful harvest for others.
“At the end of our life, we ought to be able to look back over it from our deathbed and know somehow the world is a better place because we lived, we loved, we were other-centered, other-focused.”—Joe Ehrmann
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