Making a Difference

Much has been written about what motivates individuals to higher levels of success.  Visit any bookstore (if you can find one still in business!) and you will find rows of books written by consultants, speakers and assorted gurus who all claim to have been given some special insight into what makes us click.  You can attend seminars and conferences or listen to a nearly endless number of CDs and other audio recordings from experts and individuals who have accomplished extraordinary things or endured incredible obstacles.  And if they are a dynamic speaker, you sometimes walk away from the presentation feeling like you are floating on air ready to climb the highest mountains.  Unfortunately, this extra adrenaline is often deflated when the realities of the “real world” slap you in the face.

However, if you spend any time listening to or reading the stories of people who have accomplished great things, you find one common thread throughout these stories.  And that common thread is that people who accomplish great things have a passion for what they are doing and most importantly, feel that they are making a difference.

In last month’s magazine, I shared that in my 20 plus years working for Iowa’s soybean farmers how amazed I have been by farmers being motivated every season to plant another crop based on their desire to feed a hungry world.  Some even equate this to a “calling” or their life’s purpose.   In this month’s magazine, the Iowa Soybean Association announces its support of the Iowa Food and Family Project’s partnership with the Global Compassion Network and Meals from the Heartland to bring hope to the people of Haiti.  I urge you to read the story on page 11 to see how you can help deliver a very special package of hope to families in need in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.  

Iowa’s soybean farmers are also working to make a difference in the future of the State of Iowa by helping provide leadership to efforts to develop a strategic plan for Iowa agriculture.  The Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association, with support from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, have responded to a request from Governor Branstad for a blue print on how best to grow Iowa’s agricultural economy.  The resulting report, entitled AgriScope 2020, will be shared with the Governor and other key leaders later this month.  The January issue of the Iowa Soybean Review will provide a complete overview of these recommendations.

As we prepare to close the book on another year, I encourage you to reflect on your accomplishments in 2011 and spend some time pondering how you can make a difference in 2012.

Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!