A farmer’s lesson for us all

Last weekend I went to J.E. Perry Farms to hang out with some friends, family and pumpkins too. We decided to take the tractor ride and wound up being driven around by the farm’s owner, Joseph Perry. He’s been farming since he was 13.

While telling us the story of his farm, he shared the story about his tractor. He bought it at 17 when up until that point the family had used horses instead. He told his girlfriend about the purchase and she dumped him. She didn’t understand why he had bought the tractor instead of a car. The tractor is still in perfect condition and he really enjoys driving it. He loves what he does.

Joseph’s story is a great reminder of the kinds of choices that some people make in their lives. They decide to do the thing that is going to help them succeed instead of things that most people would do. Thus, sacrificing short-term happiness and social acceptance for what they believe is right. The lesson here is that to make progress, you have to make these trade-offs with your money and time. Do what most people wouldn’t even think about doing.

If you find yourself wondering why someone is successful and you start learning about their story, you will find that they have a habit of making choices like the one Joseph Perry made when buying his tractor at 17.