100 Reasons for Gratitude and Thanksgiving

Do you ever wake up grumpy? “No, I let him (or her) sleep” is the old joke. A grumpy or negative attitude can infect all our minds, but it doesn’t have to. An attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving does not come naturally for most of us; however, it is possible for all of us to cultivate gratefulness and thankfulness to be more our “normal” approach to life.

How, you ask, can I maintain a positive and grateful attitude? One simple way is to make a list of all the blessings in your life. Several years ago, at a Rotary meeting, a member handed out papers that were marked from 1 to 100 and set forth a challenge. “Begin writing down things you are thankful for,” he shared with us, “and don’t stop until you get to 100. By completing this exercise, you have the capability to recalibrate your entire thinking process.” As we do this, we start to see that blessings often come in strange packages. Whether good health or a challenging disease, a healthy family or a sick child, a good job or looking for a new one, there is always something good and a reason to give thanks in all things…if we make a conscious effort to do so.

Yes, life throws us curveballs. Hard times occur and bad things happen. When they do, gratitude and thanksgiving are typically not our first response. However, it is in the valleys of life when we grow strongest. When difficulties arise, we need to remember what the scripture verse above challenges us to do: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.”

This Thanksgiving, the challenge is yours. Make up sheets 1 to 100, share them with your co-workers, friends and family, and take time to compile your own list. Keep that list. Periodically look it over, add to it, or do a new list each year. As you do, your heart will grow more grateful and your outlook more positive. In addition, take time to read “The Positivity Pledge” elsewhere in this newsletter where you will find excellent tips on making your life more positive. Then, have a grateful and truly thankful Thanksgiving!

6215 Senior Commodity Trader - Eastern US

Highly respected East Coast Agriculture Company is seeking a Senior Feed Ingredient Trader. This position has the opportunity to be remote for the right candidate.

5751 Spring Wheat / Durum Trader - US / Canada

Growing global commodity trading company is seeking a Spring Wheat / Durum Trader to support and build their North American wheat trading activities. Successful, self-starting traders who work remotely will be considered.

7660 Corn Germplasm Representative - Northeast Indiana

Corn seed Germplasm Representative to focus on standard conventional hybrids. You will evaluate hybrids by establishing trials and making notes and observations then market these products to a growing number of farmers. The successful candidate will meet with client Product and Sales Managers to make the appropriate recommendations based upon inventory.

5741 Grain Location Superintendent / Assistant Manager - Central Ohio

An exceptional opportunity in central Ohio for a highly motivated individual who possesses office and mechanical abilities along with a desire to learn. You must have the initiative to work hands-on, help lead a crew, and figure out solutions to challenges as they arise.

6228 Regional EHS Manager, Northeastern US

A national feed company is seeking a Regional Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Manager for their four Northeastern facilities.

5744 Commodity Merchandiser - Iowa

Respected agricultural company is seeking a Commodity Merchandiser with excellent problem-solving skills to work with their commodity team to keep ingredients supplied to their plants.

3881 Vice President of Agronomy - Northeast Indiana

This role is responsible for a $25.0M agronomy division with six locations in 11 counties. This leadership role will be responsible for all sales, marketing, and operational activities. You will create and manage the department's budget and sales forecasts as well as purchase and price chemistry, fertilizer, seed, and other services.

6229 Feed Ingredient Trader - Illinois

Expanding food and feed ingredients trading company is seeking a self-starting Trader to add value to their growing business either remotely or in the company headquarters in Illinois.

Author William Blake wrote, “The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” As I read those words, I thought how true this statement is. This goes hand in hand with the scripture, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) When the early settlers gathered for the very first Thanksgiving, they had already endured so much, but they knew they had much to be thankful for and wanted to share it. True, they did not have much, but they felt the need to share what they had with others and to give thanks in all circumstances. The keyword here is “all.” All means all, not just when times are good; even when times are not so good, we are to give thanks.

A farmer friend of mine told me a few days ago how thankful he and his family were. Harvest had just been completed and tillage and equipment clean up still needed to be accomplished, but he was thankful. Thankful they had a good spring and growing season. Thankful they had good yields. Thankful they sold the crop and received a good return. Thankful they had no major breakdowns and thankful they made it through without anyone getting injured. Knowing this friend as I do, he would have been just as thankful even if the circumstances would have been less than desirable.

How about you? Has this been a good year for you, or has this been one you would just as soon forget about? It can be quite easy to look around at the world and become depressed; instead look up and give thanks in all circumstances. I know from personal experience this can be extremely hard to do. 2021 has not been the easiest year for me, but still I am able to look up and be thankful for what the Lord has provided for me. I am thankful for the beautiful sunrises and sunsets I have seen this year. I am thankful for the people and businesses I have been able to help. I am thankful for the people I interact with every day, and I am thankful for you. Blessings to you this Thanksgiving!

The subject line of this article may already have you rolling your eyes; of course, we all know the power of positivity. We recognize we should always look on the bright side, turn a frown upside down, and keep our chins up. But we all have bad days that just seem like it would have been a better idea to never leave the house, and we all have frustrated moments where we need to blow off steam.

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to need these venting sessions more than others? Have you noticed that many of them might work in your office or on your team?

Developing a positive perspective can be a natural skill for some, and a very learned skill for others. Whether you identify this in yourself or with others throughout your organization, there is much that can be done to pursue a pledge of positivity in the workplace and beyond. Knowing that it is a logical thought process that we have the ability and power to choose our attitude, why does the cliché of “it’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s how you react to it” not make more sense in the moment? If you want to take steps to engage a more positive perspective, where do you begin?

Do you have the grit to not give up and stay true to the course, no matter how difficult it may be? Are you competitive and possess a strong sales mentality where every “no” is just one step closer to a “yes”?

If so, and you have a passion for connecting with and helping people, plus a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, or other areas, please contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you about how a recruiting career may be a great fit for you.

Founded in 1995, AGRI-SEARCH is a professional recruiting firm providing clients with customized recruiting solutions in various niches within the agricultural industry. Our success results from our industry focus, our specialized approach to recruiting, and our staff's lifelong roots in, dedication to, and vast understanding and knowledge of the agricultural industry.

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”