By Wilson Love
Do you ever seem to come up short on time or opportunity to fish? Or maybe to hunt, or to camp, or other things you enjoy? Would you like more money to spend on things that are just for fun? Do you seldom connect with just the right people who understand and pursue the same interest as you?
I can help.
No, this is not a “hook” for some marketing scheme, religious cult, or the latest self-help book. I wouldn’t do that to you. The help I’m describing is as old as the world itself and it is absolutely free. However, to receive this kind of help you must do something that can be very difficult.
You must change your mind.
That’s right. It’s all about the way we think. I challenge you to stop thinking about how to get what you want and start thinking of how to give it away. There is an ancient teaching that came to be called The Golden Rule and it goes like this: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. (By the way, if you are not teachable, just stop reading right here because the rest of this won’t help you.)
This rule, in its original form, can be found in the Human Being Owner’s Manual; otherwise known as The Bible. There’s lots of other helpful stuff in this Book as well, but let’s focus briefly here on mind changing for fun and profit.
Conventional wisdom says,
“Take care of number one.”
“Get all you can.”
“Can all you get.”
“Sit on your can.”
“My needs come first.”
“What’s in it for me?” etc.
So tell me, how is this approach working for you? Not good, if you answered “yes” to any of the questions in the first paragraph above. What am I getting at here? How does The Golden Rule play into time, resources, and opportunity?
I’m glad you asked.
The Golden Rule is not just a good idea. It is how life was designed to be lived. It carries with it this powerful truth: the way we treat people is the way we, ourselves, WILL be treated. This is a promise from God and cannot be avoided, no matter how independent we consider ourselves to be as individuals.
That worldly proverb, “what goes around, comes around”, is a mirror image of the Biblical statement, “do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, this he will also reap”(Gal 6:7). The simple point here is that everything we think, say, and do is a planted seed; a seed that will grow and produce a crop, whether we like it or not. We will get back what we give out, and the quantity will be multiplied!
If you want a harvest of corn, you don’t plant potatoes. Is this getting too complicated for anyone? It amazes me when I see self-centered people whining about what they don’t have or what isn’t working for them. If your whole life is about yourself, why would you ever expect to be on the receiving end of good things?
Let me break this down for you.
Do you want more time to get out on the lake and it just isn’t happening for you? Make time for someone else first (plant that seed), and more time will come back to you, providentially. Do you not have the money to buy the equipment you really want? Find folks to help financially first (seed), and then watch as your own finances grow.
This is not a lightning bolt fix or a “slam dunk” remedy for any situation out there. Instead, it is a lifestyle that must be embraced daily to be effective. Whatever you seem to require, make a pointed effort to give away that very thing, no matter how small the gift. This holds true for every arena of life, not just our sporting ventures. Sound crazy? You don’t believe it? Well then, it won’t work for you. You have to mix believing with action. Does a farmer put seed in the ground without fully expecting that seed to sprout, grow, and produce?
I couldn’t speak this strongly without a track record to back it up. Many personal examples of this “law of the harvest” come to mind, but here’s an obvious one: For many years I had very limited access to the best places to carry on my outdoor addictions. Most of my time was spent on local game lands, but I often took along someone who needed experience or lacked opportunity otherwise. Briefly said, I planted a lot of good seeds and the harvests have been incredible.
I’ve fished from Florida to Lake Erie, turkey and deer hunted from the Mississippi to Murfreesboro, and elk hunted in the Rockies, to name a few. How do I know these trips were a supernatural harvests and not just planned events? Because most of them were by invitation. I didn’t plan them at all. The Golden Rule is not just a good idea. It is how life was designed to be lived.
Plant some good seeds today if you want a better tomorrow.
Wilson Love is Owner/Operator of The Practical Outdoorsman, a retail and consignment store.
