Article contributed by Brian Noble.
Occasionally BNI members decide to do their own thing rather than continuing with BNI. Looking back on the history I ask myself “why do they choose to do their own thing? Listening to the conversation of people or chapters who have left BNI I was reminded of a friend who is a Dairy Farmer. I had the pleasure of visiting him one day on his farm and as we were walking through one of the fields he said to me “Brian see those weeds they are taking up valuable space that could be growing grass, but as a farmer I have a choice I can either devote my time to killing the weeds or grow the grass. If I spend the time killing the weeds, yes there is more space to grow the grass but I am not actually growing what the cows need. However if I devote my time and effort to growing the grass, it grows thicker and higher the cows eat more, they produce more butter fat and I make more money. So I have a choice do I kill the weeds or grow the grass.”
This principle applies in life and in BNI. Is BNI perfect? No, after all it is made up of imperfect individuals but it is the worlds leading networking organization. Why? Because the foundation principle of givers gain is helping fellow members, figuratively speaking, grow the grass in their own and fellow members businesses.
So in life as well as BNI we have a choice; do we moan and complain of the things that are wrong. When I hear of complaints and moans it reminds me of the inspired words “I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed” how true that is when we start focusing on the negative we take our eyes off the positive and growing the opportunities. We have shifted from growing grass and we are focusing on the weeds. Therefore my choice and advice is to grow the grass, as we do we will become more successful and fulfilled. The most fertile field is our minds so to have positive and productive minds we need to grow the thoughts and opportunities in the mind and not allow it to be choked with the weeds of stinking thinking. For when we complain our spirit is overwhelmed and we don’t achieve what we should and we become focused on weeds which narrow our vision, restrict our opportunities, hinder our growth and causes us to be less of a person than we really are designed to be.
