Each time one of my farming groups comes together I say to them "you know the rules, who is going to go first".
I always want to start a session on a positive note so I want to know the good things that have happened in their life, family and or business since we last met.
The good news stories provide some motivation and positive energy towards what they are going to learn during the imminent session.
Many find it difficult to articulate anything good that has happened in their life.
Many will reflect on good things that have happened for which they have had no direct influence, a good rain or an improved sale price are examples of this.
Besides the good season, good prices and low interest rates, very few reflect on how fortunate they have been during the past two years to have been able to run their farming businesses with limited impacts of COVID-19 restrictions.
On the flip side, our city-based family and friends have had an entirely different situation.
We all have reference points in our brains from which we determine if things are good or bad and these tend to change from one generation to the next.
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One thing I regret is I did not spend more time learning from my grandparents as they lived through two world wars, the depression, Spanish flu and no vaccines for major diseases like polio.
I am sure I would have a different perspective on the pandemic than I do now if I had discussed them with grandma and grandfather.
With the technology and the world changing so rapidly, many may say that what happened in previous generations may be irrelevant to present day situations.
Yes, the circumstances may be different, but I am sure we could learn from their coping mechanisms.
Living in a time with no electronic media meant they were less informed on world, national and regional events.
For many in my grandparent's generation, the world started and finished 20 miles down the road. Ignorance can lead to a blissful state of mind for some.
Now in semi-retirement, I come across a lot of friends and colleagues who are in this same phase of their life.
Most have a huge amount of knowledge and wisdom and it will be an opportunity lost for the many younger people who have not taken the time to tap into their incredible wealth of life experiences.
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Regular readers will know the importance I place on mentors in life and it would pay huge dividends for most to have discussions with selected individuals who they know have been brilliant operators in their field.
Through their commitment to lifelong learning, combined with a whole range of experiences, older people have a high level of wisdom.
Tapping into the thinking and judgements of older generations can speed up your learning and benefit you in so many ways.
If you do this, there is a fair chance you will gain an ongoing friendship and you may be able to cope with extreme events in the future in a slightly better way.