Whistling wings and a distant “quack” broke the silence as the first signs of light crested the horizon to the east. Soon families would be waking up across the United States to prepare for Thanksgiving Dinner. But the five of us hunkered down behind the little cover we could find in anticipation of the morning’s hunt. Time would tell what kind of day it would be, and our hopes were high.
Turkey has become a staple for Thanksgiving meals across United States. It is likely that Native Americans and Pilgrims did enjoy this dish during the first Thanksgiving. However, with the same certainty waterfowl was included among the table fare. This simple fact makes hunting ducks on Thanksgiving one of my favorite days of the year.
Duck hunting can be hit or miss. Many days are spent staring up at empty skies just hoping for one opportunity to shoot a duck. Other day’s ducks fall into the decoys making you feel like a legend. The bad days make you appreciate the good ones, and this past Thanksgiving was good day
Heavy rainfall this autumn has created hundreds of acres of ideal waterfowl habitat. Personally, I don’t remember this many ducks hanging around for this long. Although the change of percipitation has prevented us from hunting our normal spot, there is plenty of open water to throw out a few decoys, get under some cover, and shoot some ducks.
In the state we hunt each hunter is allowed five mallard ducks and one bonus duck. You can do the math, but with five of us hunting that is a lot of ducks. It wasn’t long and we realized this particular morning was special. Large flocks of ducks were decoying making my brother look like a calling wizard. The target rich environment enhanced our shooting accuracy and we had our limit in less than two hours.
As the last duck fell, I reflected on what just happened. It was almost ten years ago that Rod, Garrett, and I shot a limit of ducks on Thanksgiving. Today we experienced it together with a couple of other buddies. I was Thankful.
How Does This Apply to Business
The New Year is approaching and soon I will be setting new goals, creating business plans, and looking towards the future. Before I do this I like to set aside some time to reflect on the past year and write down three things that happened over the past 12 months that I am thankful for.
Often we get caught up in the negative aspects of our personal and business lives. Misery loves company and it is easy to find someone to drown your sorrows with. Don’t fall for this trap. Instead, surround yourself with positive people that practice gratitude. If you are reading this you have access to a computer and internet, so trust me you are doing pretty good at life. Here are three questions to ask yourself during this reflection process.
1. What is one obstacle I had to overcome over the past twelve months? How did this make me a better person?
2. What was my favorite memory created with my family?
3. What surprised me this past year?
Reflect on a few items you are thankful for. Express gratitude to those that helped you. Then get back to work.
Until next time remember…You’re Going to Have to Earn It.