Lesson of Hope:

If you appreciate your parents, you express your appreciation by listening and honoring them. If you appreciate your job, you will devote the necessary time to ensuring the company’s success. For those who love their family, they will show their love by spending time and energy cultivating those relationships. When it comes to us showing our love for life, we will invest time in our growth and development.

When you waste time, you are essentially saying you do not appreciate your time on earth. You waste time by watching mindless hours of television, or read your Facebook feed every ten minutes. Most people waste time by constantly interacting with their cellphone. A study performed by Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their smartphones upwards of 8 billion times per day. The study went on to say that most people check their phones while shopping, watching television, and during leisure time (bathroom, restaurants, sporting events, etc.). How much of your life do you spend on your cell phone?

I have tons of pictures in my phone, and I have started to wonder if I am missing the moment trying to capture the memory? Could I have been a part of the event if I was not trying to capture the photo on my phone? These questions are my attempt to challenge myself to prioritize what matters most. Would I rather enjoy the moment with my family or capture the moment of their joy without me? The events we devote our time to are the events we will be remembered by. If we do not like the way we will be remembered, we need to change what we dedicate our time to. If you want to be remembered as a family person, spend more time with your family. If you want to be remembered as an entrepreneur, spend more time growing your business. If you want to be remembered as a philanthropist, volunteer your time to helping others.

Hope in Action:

George Washington Carver was a scientist and inventor. His work at Tuskegee Institute’s agricultural department included pioneering research on plant biology. Carver invented over 300 things from peanuts (milk, plastics, dyes, cosmetics, paint, soap, ink) and over 100 from sweet potatoes (molasses, postage stamp glue, vinegar, and synthetic rubber). He even invented a type of gasoline from peanuts. To Carver, the applications of peanuts were infinite.

There are accounts of Carver helping solve the cotton crisis by recommending peanuts and soybeans be planted. His thought was they would restore the nitrogen to the soil, which would create the environment for cotton to flourish. Carver’s hunch was correct and his recommendation saved the American Cotton industry. Carver gave speeches to the Peanut Growers Association in 1920, educating them on the many uses of peanut butter. A couple years later, he was summoned before Congress to speak on his support of a tariff for imported peanuts.

While Carver did not actually invent peanut butter, his research earned him the title, “the Peanut Man”. Carver’s name was synonymous with peanuts. He spent his life learning, speaking, and sharing his love for peanuts.

HopeSeeker’s Forecast:

PONDER: Where you devote your time will tell people all they need to know about your priorities. How you decide to dedicate your time is what people will remember about you. CONNECT: Do your priorities of action match your priorities of heart? Do you devote time to things that will help you fulfill your life goal? ACCOMPLISH: Spend a week, tracking everything you spend time on and total the minutes. If your time allotment does not match your priorities, remove the largest time wasting activity over the next week. Repeat this process every week until your time allotment matches how you see yourself.

Forecast Hope | Be More