Life is farming. Not a straight line. Not a quick fix. It is soil and soul. Sweat and surrender. It is the patient art of becoming, not by force, but by faith. You do not “win” at farming. You work it. You do not command the rain. You prepare for it. So, if you want to live well. Do not just chase the fruit. Understand the field. As the African proverb says, “However long the night, the dawn will break.”
1. You Are the Farmer. Your Life Is the Land: Everything you plant, your thoughts, your habits, your words, will grow. The soil does not care if it is weeds or wheat. It multiplies what you sow. Ask yourself daily: What am I planting? Remember: No farmer blames the field for not producing crops they never sowed. As the saying goes, “You reap what you sow.”
2. Storms Are Inevitable. So, Build Roots: The rain will fall. The winds will howl. But deep roots do not fear storms. They welcome them, because they know that the rain that bends them today feeds their strength tomorrow. Let adversity grow your depth. Let pain teach you perseverance. African Proverb: “Rain does not fall on one roof alone.”
3. Farming Is Not Fast. But It Is Faithful: No one plants today and harvests tomorrow. You water. You wait. You weed. You work in silence while others scroll and sprint. Real success is like a seed: Invisible at first. Inevitable with time. Remember “The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.”
4. Even the Dirt Has Purpose: Farming is not clean. Life is not either. But the mess is where the miracle happens. Compost feeds the next crop. Failure fertilizes wisdom. Do not run from the dirt. That is where the gold grows. As an African Proverb well put it: “The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.”
5. Every Season Speaks. Listen. In Spring, plant bold ideas. In Summer, fight weeds and stay focused. In Fall, harvest and give thanks. In Winter, rest, reflect, and sharpen your tools. Life is seasonal. Do not rush the process. Do not compare your planting season to someone else’s harvest post.
Keep in mind: Life is farming. Life is agriculture. It is not about perfection.
It is about process. About showing up with muddy boots and a grateful heart.
You are not late. You are in season. You are not behind. You are becoming.
Bless the land. Trust the rain. Sow with purpose.
And above all, never stop growing.
Salamane Yameogo,
Empowering Human Potential.
