Sean Dengler.

As I walk through the fields of corn and soybeans looking for any creature, leaf disease, or random imperfection, it is surprising how much each plant grows in a week. While humans do not grow at this exponential pace because humans have years to live and not a few months, these plants serve as an important metaphor.

People should always be growing like plants. Growing through learning will always help. The world is always changing so learning is necessary. For people, it is always good to be growing in some capacity. Improving our knowledge base allows people to put down stronger roots to solidify our confidence when an issue arises.

Having this powerful base through knowledge is like a crop having a strong base during a strong storm. Giving the right nutrients and knowledge will help plants and humans in times when they need it most. Life will throw curveballs so having the strongest base is a necessity for plants and humans.

While humans experience more than a plant that stands in the field, it is necessary to always know one is a part of something bigger. A plant is unique, but together a lot of plants help one another against intense winds and nefarious weeds. Humans do better when they are together. In a community, humans push each other to succeed to be the best. When one person does better, everyone does better.

Humans and crops are still quite different from each other. I have never seen a human standing in a corn or soybean field trying to catch as many rays of the sun as possible. It may not be a perfect metaphor, but taking cues from nature and looking for similarities in nature are key. Nature was here before humans and will be here after humans. Nature knows how to succeed in the toughest conditions to whatever humans put it through. Adopting the mindset of always pushing through and trying to succeed is what humans must do.

Life is hard, but the most important part is to stand strong and to live life. A plant will do its best to make it to the end of the cropping season, and a human can do the same for their life. Build and maintain a solid foundation while constant learning and collaborating with one another will help set oneself up to succeed. Like the crops in the fields or in the garden for each season, humans only have one shot.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.