Opportunities When Things Are Down

Hello,
Several years ago when we were still living in California, in the middle of the summer a strange thing happened. The weather man came on the TV and started to predict rain, not only rain but lots of it. Now you might think so what, what’s the big deal about rain? Well in California it stops raining about the first of April and it doesn’t rain again until about the middle of November. It just stops. You might get a freak shower once or twice during those 8 months but for all intense purposes, it’s over. So for a weather man to come on in the middle of the dry summer, when its 100 degrees and say that in 3 months it’s going to start raining and were going to get almost 50 inches of rain was crazy to me. They even had a name for it “El Nino”. I told my family there’s no way. We have got about 15 inches of rain every year since I could remember. I don’t care what they call it how in the world could you predict 3 times our annual rainfall 3 months ahead of time. Well I was wrong. Like Forest Gump said,” it rained big drops and little drops and it didn’t stop.” It rained everyday in January except one. 30 days out of 31 it rained. Rivers over flowed in the San Joaquin Valley and the snow built up in the mountains. Land that was usually dry was now under water and it was gloom and doom. This was a major disaster and the worst winter in history and things were bad. That was the report on the radio and TV everyday.

A friend of mine stopped by one day, that is in the cattle business and he has been very successful. Not only that, but he is a positive guy. When he drove in I thought to myself, this guy has got to be miserable in this weather. He’s got all those cows and trying to feed in the rain everyday has got to be wearing him down. He walked in and I never seen him so happy. He said this is one of the greatest opportunities in my life. Do you have any Idea come spring how much feed there will be all over this state? There will be lots of grass and hay will be at an all time low. Every piece of ground will be covered with volunteer hay. I bet you a man can almost name the price he wanst to pay because there will be so much of it. He said the sale barns were full of people selling there cattle and he was buying as many as he could afford and scattering them around the country waiting for spring. He said I would love to stay longer but I’ve got to go, there is so much opportunity out there right now. I can’t stay here any longer, I don’t want to miss any of it. There I was listening to everyone on the news telling me how bad things were and I started to believe them. I had forgotten the old saying that when one door closes another one opens. I was setting there in the rain with my rubber boots on trying to stay dry and this guy is running through open doors. I took his advice. I scouted around and found and old barn that would hold about 70 ton of hay and come spring we bought cheep hay and filled that barn up. I bought as many cattle as my little place could hold and started my plan. I think I had about 100 head and I feed them that hay all the next winter and sold them in the spring. I don’t remember the exact number but I think I made almost $250 profit on each animal and there’s no telling how much my friend made.
This economy reminds me of that time in California. Everyone in the media tells us everyday how bad things are and I promise you there is so much opportunity out there if we could just figure out where it is. I don’t remember the general that said this during World War II but this guy was surrounded and people were panicking and they came to him and said what will we do? He smiled and said,” They won’t get away this time“. Because we know exactly where there at, now stop running for cover and let’s attack.
It always comes back to attitude and actions, doesn’t it? The results we get will always depend on how we decide to react to any situation; it’s up to us as individuals. Followers listen to he hipe and are convinced there’s no way out and winners attack. What group do you want to be in, I think I know which one I’m choosing.
Until next month
Thanks for your time
Walt Woodard