During a recent coffee talk, my friends introduced to me to “AFGO”, a tongue in cheek abbreviation. AFGO represents your chance for another growth opportunity, plus an expletive. Another Freaking Growth Opportunity. In less than a week, I received my very own AFGO.
It’s weird when someone thinks you’re something you don’t think you are. And you want to say, why do think that? I never said I was that. I think I’m a creative writer not a business writer but in this case, I decided to try it out for size.
I met with a marketing person in need of written words to publish for a local organic farm. I discovered she and this farmer have soul purposes. Even though I didn’t see myself as an informational writer for hire, I agreed to help. It was more than the promise of vegetables and free lunch. I knew I needed to pay it forward and acquire karmic purpose too.
All my remaining resistance melted when I heard she wanted to healthily feed children in local schools with a salad bar in the future. The farmer practices sustainable farming, caring for the environment, and organic vegetables. He’d fed people through the food bank donating the “uglier” vegetables to the tune of fifty thousand pounds last year. And he has a rehabilitative work program on his farm through the Department of Corrections. Last but most, he offers affordable certified organic vegetables. That was unheard of in my local grocery stores.
The piece for the farm took a couple of hours to write. My husband was on board with all that purposefulness when he helped me edit the piece. He said he’d like to pay me back for the same editing services he’d received recently from me writing a letter to our senator. As a Libra, he fights for just causes regularly. He also informed me that our abbreviation for pound, “lb”, is a derived from the word Libra and its symbol of the scales of justice.
I say yes to the just poundage that is consciously consumed fresh vegetables. I say yes again to a community that has pride in its contribution to its members and its earth. Talk about a growth opportunity. Keep your mind open and you never know when you might stumble on some gratitude. Give what you can even when you don’t think it’s possible. Writing for a cause I believed in got me to write out of my comfort zone and allowed me to grow in a way I didn’t expect. And even now reading this later, has again reminded to keep redefining myself, my priorities, and my possibilities.
