Post-It Note Wisdom #2 - Am I Dreamin' of the 'tater Hole?
Last week we started a series of what I call "Post-It Note Wisdom." These are bits of wisdom
that will fit on a post-it note that you can pop on your planner, or computer, or wall as
reminders to help you make progress, get unstuck, to the thing! Our first bit of wisdom was
"Life accumulates!" This is tattooed on my inner right wrist, but my husband suggested it might
be more effective if I stuck a post-it note on my forehead! And so, my post-it note wisdom list
began! I've got a dozen or more of these tidbits, but don't worry... I won't share them all just
yet. Neither your forehead nor mine is big enough for all that!
This week, the Post-It Note wisdom is a question: "Am I dreamin' of the 'tater hole?" Yeah, I
know. It sounds a little off. But it's a really good question if you understand the backstory! So
here goes...
My mother often characterized herself as a "realist." My dad sometimes called her a "ruin-the-
fun-er" or a "put-er-down-er." Mom's practical nature wasn't much for flights of fancy. She had
dreams and goals, but they tended to be very practical in nature. When I dreamed of going to
college, her response was that poor people like us didn't get to do that. So, I'm not sure she
knew exactly what to do with me and my siblings who had dreams of a more exciting life than
down on the farm was likely to provide.
On our farm, potatoes were a dietary staple, and Mom, Dad and all four of us siblings planted
rows and rows of spuds. Keeping them free of weeds and bugs, nurturing them to maturity, and
harvesting them was hard work, but necessary to keep us fed through the winter. In the fall, Dad
would turn the garden with a plow, revealing hills and hills of the potatoes which we picked up
and stored in buckets and sacks. Mom went through each container to eliminate any cut or
rotting pieces, and she stored them in a little concrete building outside the house where they'd
keep a consistent temperature through the winter and spring until the planting/harvest cycle
started again. In old days, people would dig a hole to store the potatoes in. Thus... a 'tater hole.
If we paused in our labors at any point-leaning on a hoe as we chopped weeds, sitting for a
moment on the bucket as we picked up the potatoes, or dragged our sacks of potatoes to the
wagon a little too slowly-Mom would ask, "Are you dreamin' of the 'tator hole?" Clearly, to
us anyway, code for "Get back to work!"
The 'tater patch is an unlikely place to find wisdom; however, "dreamin' of the 'tater hole" was
Mom's way of imparting the wisdom that dreaming about a thing does not make it happen!
Dreaming of a cellar full of potatoes would not till the land, plant the seeds, weed the garden,
dust the plants for bugs, plow them up, harvest them and store them for winter. It's like the
Little Red Hen Golden Book came to life in our potato patch. Dreamin' of the 'tater hole meant
you don't get results by waiting for something to drop in your lap or for the easy button to
arrive on the scene just for you. You get results by focusing on the actions that make it happen.
When my siblings and I got a little too "dreamy"-whether it was my dream to be an actress
and perform on Broadway, or my brother's dream to be a marine biologist (the closest ocean is
600 miles away), or my other brother's dream to be a rock-n-roll legend (how many times can
you listen to the rifts of Cream's "Smoke on the Water", the Who's "I Can See for Miles" or
Lynard Skynard's "Freebird" without begging for relief? Asking for a friend), or expectations to
win the lottery or be "discovered" and get rich and famous-she reminded us we were
"dreamin' of the 'tater hole."
I don't think my mother, a self-described realist who was secretly an optimist, was against
dreams or goals. She wasn't even against BIG dreams or big hairy audacious goals (their debt-
free live and savings were testimonies to that), but she understood the reality that dreams
without a workload, a plan, concrete effort to reach them, were impractical and useless. The
survival of her family depended upon her ability to assess the workload, complete the work
required, and then enjoy the fruits of achieving her dreams. Her "ruin-the-fun-er" practicality
ensured that she met her goals every single year and over the long-haul of her 74 years.
Dreamin' of the 'tater hole was not about discouraging the dreams or the dreamers, but about
acknowledging that the dream alone is not enough. The dream doesn't make it happen. The
work does.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, said, "Before you dream about the view from the
summit, ask yourself if you're willing to keep your head down, focus on the path, and spend
your life walking up the side of a very big hill. It takes years of walking to earn a minute at the
top."
Mom would have agreed. Her practicality embraced realistic steady growth, and consistent
work toward the goals, never giving up. The kind of dreams we dreamed didn't seem at all
possible to her. But if they had, she might have advised, "instead of only dreaming of
Broadway, why don't you get started in local theater? Instead of daydreaming about being a
marine biologist, why not set a goal of finishing high school with good science grades? Wanna
be a rock-n-roll legend? How about playing some local venues with a band? Do the work, day
by day, consistently making progress until you reach the goal.
When it came time for me to apply to college, I put her principles into effect. I researched my
options, I applied for financial aid, asked for scholarship information, and worked full time at a
data entry company at night so that I could go. Puttin' 'taters in the hole, not just dreaming
about it.
Listen to these Proverbs from Scripture that affirm this principle:
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is
richly supplied.
Proverbs 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we
do not give up.
Proverbs 12:24 The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not
stand before obscure men.
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,
Proverbs 6:6-8 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any
chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
What are the things you dream about? I believe the Holy Spirit speaks to us in dreams...not the
just the kind that come when you are asleep, but the kind that you think of in the daytime, that
sparks your passion and reveals a way you can impact the world with Kingdom service. Do you
have a burden or a passion to feed the hungry? To heal the sick? To make clean water available
to everyone? To teach children to read? To be a stay-at-home mom? A career mom? A CEO?
Or maybe to write a book? Or start a podcast, or make movies that glorify God?
Until you DO something, you are dreamin' of the 'tater hole." And dreamin' of the tater hole
does not put taters in the hole.
What are you waiting for? What single step can you take today to inch you closer to that dream?
You may find that a single step of faith opens doors that no man can shut. That God will move
mightily when you quit dreamin' and take the best next step.
So Post-It Note Wisdom #2: a question. Are you dreamin' of the 'tater hole? Put the stickynote
where you can see it, then go to your calendar. Schedule your move. Anticipate the harvest that
will come if you are diligent. You'll find that the steps you take will Accumulate (sound
familiar?) into something amazing!
Post-it Note #1: Life Accumulates
Post-It Note #2: Am I dreamin' of the 'tater hole?
Oh my Father! Thank you so much for the wisdom handed down to me by my mother who
loved Your word and taught me principles of Scripture. She was so very wise, and she gave
You glory for every tidbit she passed along. She was a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
Thank you for timeless wisdom that applies, even now, when we are so "technologically"
forward, when we think we've smarter that previous generations. The simple truths of Scripture
still work! Thank You that we can count of You and Your Word!
Thank you for the dreams you place upon our hearts! I pray we would be faithful to take the
next best step, moving always toward You and becoming who You've created us to be. I know,
Lord, that when I step out in faith, You are faithful. My successes bring unequalled satisfaction
when I have heard Your voice, stepped out in faith, and WON. Thank you so much for giving
me many dreams of my heart! Thank you that you aren't done with us!! I can't wait to see what
you do!!
In Jesus's name, Amen!
I'd love to know what you think of Post-It note wisdom. I've even thought of writing a book...
expanding on these principles with details, more stories, real-life examples. If Post It Note
wisdom intrigues you, leave a review and let me know what you think!
And The His Power at Work Mastermind is nearly ready to kick off the next round. We look at
how to set goals and do business like Jesus. It's a refreshing way to think about your business
whether you are a CEO, entrepreneur, stay-at-home or work-at-home mom, or just exploring the
next chapter for you. Find details at talkandpray.us/mastermind.
