First Fruits
The 2nd espresso hits the bottom of your belly like a Molotov, exploding fire into your spirit and whipping energy up your spine.
“I’m ready!”
But ready for what?
“Ready to give my gift to the world, of course!”
But which gift? And more importantly, which world?
To whom shall you bequeath your first fruits?
Choose carefully, for this is how you build your life.
What the hell are “First Fruits”?
My mother told me that my father (maybe) coined this phrase and its corresponding philosophy. Boy, how cool would that be! The jury is still out as for its validity. Like most ancient truths, there are few new ones. He may have picked it up somewhere else. I’ll have to ask him…
…But I digress…
“First Fruits” is the dedication of a prime block of energy. First thing in the morning is when most of us access our hottest, cleanest-burning energy. Other folks find their prime block at witching hour, and prepare their feast of first fruits over a fire burning of midnight oil. And others still find that their inspiration begins to sparkle and crack on the commute home after the day job.
Your fruits ripen when your prime block begins…and quickly wither if not plucked and enjoyed.
So, withering sucks. But why else is intentionally giving your First Fruits important?
Knowing when your energy peaks is very important, but not as important as dedicating this prime block to a prime initiative. This is the “giving of your first fruits”, and it is a paramount consideration for purpose, happiness, and overall effectiveness.
Like a farmer who cherishes her literal first fruits of harvest, she may give these special treats to those emotionally closest to her. So we should also consider; “What aspect of my life is most deserving of my first fruits?”
Many of us unconsciously hock our produce at bargain basement discount rates to “the dreaded merchant of morning phone-email”. In other words, we wake up, check our mobile device with bleary eyes, and immediately begin pouring our purest problem solving skills into our day job without a second thought.
Hey! No bad! No stress!
Your current mission may be to climb that day job’s corporate ladder, and assigning the prime block to your employer may be the very best strategy to achieve this goal. Just be sure you are consciously and intentionally dedicating your prime block of energy.
What a life of unconscious First Fruits giving might look like
If you are unconsciously and accidentally giving your first fruits to a soul-sucking day job, think for a second what you might be denying of the prime time? Do you have a passion project that you keep promising yourself you’ll spend time on in the evening after work, only to find yourself unable to get inspired at that time of day?
We promise ourselves “First work, then play.” Or “First commitments, then spontaneity.” Or “First small tasks, then the deliciously deep rabbit hole passion project.”
First fruits are often squandered blindly in favor of responsibilities. Unfortunately, this misalignment kills both; our inspiration is snuffed out having never been given a ripe fruit, and our responsibilities become unbearably burdensome when they are the only thing we focus on.
What an intentional regimen of First Fruits offering can do for you
Think for a minute what giving beautiful attention to the initiatives you hold most dear might do for them. If you could give your first fruits to the truly deserving projects, they would surely grow and blossom and in turn yield delightful fruit of their own.
Procrastination evaporates entirely if you stop trying to do certain things at certain times, and instead align your first fruits (your prime block) to your most valued projects.
Days, months, and even years of creative blocks may dissolve in this flood of inspiration.
A virtuous circle has been completed.
Inspiration honored and used wisely begets more inspiration.
Giving fruit grows fruit.
Your Turn
What things in your life ought you be giving your First Fruits to, that you haven’t been?
Tell on yourself in the comments below! We’ll gently hold you accountable to change ;-)
