I’m sure it’s no surprise to any of you that I’m an inspired person. Meaning, I’m constantly inspired by other people and the different environments I inhabit. I think being open to inspiration is such an important part of living, whether that’s during your daily work or life, creative or spiritual endeavours, or for mental and physical health.
What I didn’t know when I started writing this column, is how important the role of inspiration is to our lives. For example, in Scott Barry Kaufman’s story “Why Inspiration Matters” in Harvard Business Review, he points out inspiration awakens us to new possibilities by “allowing us to transcend our ordinary experiences and limitations. It also propels a person from apathy to possibility and transforms the way we perceive our own capabilities,” he says.
Kaufman outlines research results on the topic, concluding inspiration can be activated, captured and manipulated, and has a “major effect on important life outcomes.”
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Being open to inspiration has many benefits such as more likelihood to set and attain “inspired goals.” And inspired people reported higher levels of important psychological resources, including belief in their own abilities.
“Mastery of work, absorption, creativity, perceived competence, self-esteem and optimism were all consequences of inspiration, suggesting that inspiration facilitates these important psychological resources…. Finally, inspired individuals reported experiencing more purpose in life and more gratitude,” said Kaufman.
I wonder, what inspires you?
I am inspired by many things: people, new ideas, books, nature, art — the list is long. In my work environment, I am inspired by my colleagues, farmers, other ag writers and, of course, our Grainews columnists.
Each columnist, in his or her own unique way, heartens, motivates and even challenges me. From every column, I take away something inspiring to ponder over the following weeks or months.
Which brings me to an announcement.
It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Stuart Chutter, who will be appearing in the pages of Grainews as a columnist.
Stuart is a first-generation purebred beef producer who raises his livestock near Killaly, Sask. Stuart is passionate about regenerative agriculture and the elements that build a solid foundation for a healthy farm and a healthy farmer. Nutrition and fuel for performance, health, recovery and resiliency are the elements he says are building a strong foundation for his farm and soil, and within himself.
Stuart’s first column from our Mar. 7 issue of Grainews explores what it means to him to be a regenerative farmer and its connections and parallels with the challenges and growth of training for an ultra marathon (which is anything longer than 42.2 kilometres).
I hope you find his first column as inspiring as I did. It has transformed the way I perceive my own capabilities. No, I won’t be running an ultra marathon any time soon, but his story did motivate me to action — I dusted off my runners and committed to more walking, renewed my dedication to a healthy lifestyle and I’m dreaming of a five-kilometre run … someday. That is all down to Stuart.
While we’re on this topic, I wanted to draw your attention to a group of inspiring people. The folks at the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) work tirelessly to promote safety and health in agriculture. Did you see the association’s story from our Feb. 28 issue on how to prevent tractor rollovers and runovers? This story highlights the quality of information CASA provides.
Next week is Canadian Agriculture Safety Week (CASW) from March 12-18. The theme this year is Safety is Our Promise and is part of the three-year safety campaign, “Your Farm, Your Family, Your Success.” The call to action for CASW 2023 is to encourage farmers, farm families, farm workers and farming communities to commit to #FarmSafetyEveryday.
An easy way to celebrate CASW is to join the AgSafe Ribbon Campaign to declare your support and raise awareness about safety. You can download a virtual AgSafe Ribbon from the CASA/ACSA website which you can share on social media.
You can use the AgSafe Ribbon to start a discussion about farm safety with your family, friends and community, declare you are a farm safety champion and share why farm safety is important to you. Remember to use the hashtag #FarmSafetyEveryday if you join the ribbon campaign.
In closing, I’d like to leave you with two questions. What or who inspires you? How will you live “safety is our promise” this year? Drop me a line at [email protected].
Have a happy and healthy March,
Kari
