The Harvest is a time to reap the results of our hard work and dedication. But what happens when our work somehow comes up short? We may be disappointed, in denial, or even devastated by not achieving what we desired, and we may even start to ask ourselves the same questions over and over again:
Why did this happen? What did I do wrong? How could my hard work have gone to waste?
I am currently going through this rollercoaster right now. After countless applications, several prospects, and way too many interviews, I am still left unemployed and at the mercy of trying to find freelance work. Let me tell you something about writers: everyone needs us, but no one wants to pay us. So, finding a full-time, well-paying writing job with good benefits and a non-toxic work environment has been extremely trying. Several months later, after putting in the time, work, and effort to provide adequate writing samples and perform well for interviews, my Harvest has come up bare.
And now I myself am left asking myself those exact same questions: Why is this happening? What am I doing wrong? How could my hard work have gone to waste?
I am trying to remind myself (with great difficulty) that the hard work I put into improving myself is never a waste, whether I see immediate benefits from my efforts or not. Applying for those jobs was not a waste, because those efforts are what will push me forward into the opportunity that is truly meant for me. So far I have had time to practice my pitch, sharpen my skills, and enhance my portfolio, all in my efforts to land the right job for me. Had I not gone through that, had I not done the work to improve myself while applying for those other positions, I may not be as eligible of a candidate as I am right now.
Maybe for you, it's not a writing job. Maybe it's the Illinois State Bar, or your LLC, or your forever home. Maybe there's something you've been working toward that just won't come together or keeps coming up short, and you are left empty-handed. If that's the case, I understand you and the sense of emptiness you may feel.
Even in this, I'd like to remind you that the Harvest doesn't happen just once. Just as we experience drought in our lives, we also experience seasons of abundance. Just as sure as you can expect hardship, continue to also expect good things to come to you.
The Harvest will come. Just not today.
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