Hunters and gatherers are a real part of the world’s history. People would run around and collect what they needed to survive. The would move north in the summer to stay cool and move south in the winter to stay warm, an obvious argument the whole world should have central heating and air in my opinion.

To contrast these people, we can look at the market vendor. The market vendor or salesperson, I will use these terms interchangeably, sits around waiting for people to come to them. They never get up and talk to you as you are shopping wandering around the mall. They never engage you in relationship. They do not move. They stay in their shop or in their doorway at best trying to make you an offer you cannot turn down. They try to pull me by putting the freshest fruits in the door or the prettiest pendant on the mannequin; but, they cannot force you, their prey, into their shop.

The hunters and gatherers on the other hand are the ones who are constantly fishing. Always pitching their lures. They are always on the move. They get close to their prey, analyze their prey, and when the moment is right, they pounce! They take their prey captive and return home to celebrate their capture.

The shop owner chooses not to be like a hunter and gatherer. He chooses to stay at his shop pedaling his wears. He chooses to take in only what comes to him. He has lean years, he has fat years; however, he can never bring in more than what comes to him. In contrast, the hunter and gatherer can gain much. She can catch her prey, bring it in, and celebrate her success. She can move south when her game hibernates. She can move north when the scorching sun threatens her life. She is not swayed by the easy life of the vendor. She runs out and takes life by the horns.

More often than not, life does not happen to her.

More often than not, she happens to life.

The vendor receives what comes to him and never more.

As different as these two are, I am not be satisfied with relating to the vendor. I must continue to take steps to be more like the hunter and gatherer.

Which one are you? Is this who you want to be? What is the next step in growth for you?

Hunting,

–JT