On Blueberry Hill

Michael Gifford

THE HARVEST

"Go to the back corner of the field," the attendant said. "Those bushes haven't been picked over yet." A novice at gathering blueberries, I dutifully set out toward the far reaches of this large blueberry field. But I never made it there. Instead, I found all of the sweet, juicy blue fruit I could glean within seconds of entering the field. I discovered bush after bush loaded down with berries. What's more, these berries were the plumpest and, as I discovered later, the best tasting I had ever eaten.

Naturally, my curiosity was aroused. "Why were these berries overlooked?" I asked myself as I tossed my harvest into a bucket. Suddenly I took note of my position. I was kneeling down and leaning into one of the bushes. That's when it struck me. Yes, these bushes had been picked over, BUT ONLY ON THE EDGES AND AT EYE-LEVEL! My predecessors in harvesting had grabbed off all they could get as quickly and effortlessly as possible and then they quit. They never even saw what I soon discovered were by comparison the biggest and most delicious pick of the crop.

THE APPLICATION
"Just take whatever you can get quickly and easily. Don't sweat. Don't bend down. Don't inconvenience yourself in any way." Most of the people who had picked blueberries in this field before me had taken this approach. Sadly, this is the approach that many people seem to take toward life, and even operating their businesses, as well.

Take a lesson from the blueberry field. The sweetest fruits of success are found by those who refuse to settle for average and aren't afraid to work for the best. Remember that the next time you feel like giving less or quitting. That little extra might be all you need.

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Michael Gifford has been has often been called “The Go To Guy.” In his many years as an entrepreneur, he has been involved in business start-ups, aided in business expansions, registered a patent and trademarks, and authored a number of books and articles. Currently he serves as President of New Heights Marketing, Inc. in Sugar Hill, Georgia. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this article provided that this resource box is included in its entirety.