Today I know that without my “spraying period," without the passion and dedication which led me to be one of the best in the field, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I owe my life change to the double-edged sword attitude of being 100% sure and confident in executing what I do (in that time, spraying) while simultaneously being 100% sure "there must be a better way to do it." Looking from a distance and through 25 years old Nimrod’s eyes, I realize that Nimrod's life circumstances led him to spray. I thank young Nimrod for that period, which, no matter how challenging and wrong it was, I wouldn't be who I am and where I am now without it. The ability to look at reality through a stranger’s eyes, even if that “stranger” is a past version of you, is powerful. It enables you to turn the page by understanding, forgiving, accepting, and proceeding to a new clean page. Apply it to yourself; apply it to others. Empathy enables you to turn the page as often as you wish so you can continue impacting the world your way with tranquility, inner peace, and self-confidence. Empathy - is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another's position. Wikipedia EMPATHY Empathy is strength; embrace it. If I can understand and forgive myself, I can further nurture empathy to understand others. This is when I value and thank my many life experiences, making it even easier for me to empathize with and understand others in many other positions and activities. With zero anger, I nurture my empathy to - The general public - unaware of the dangers of excessive use of agrochemicals. Plant Protection and the Extension Service personnel and experts - confident that agriculture cannot survive without pesticide sprays. Doctors and professors, i.e., experts, in and out of universities - do not envision that anything can be better than sprays. National leaders - who listen to their experts and hence see limited versions of the possible future. Investors - convinced that investing in Africa’s agro sector is “toxic” to their portfolio. Business people - underestimate ideas that are not theirs or have not been implemented by them. Farmers - brainwashed into thinking agriculture can’t exist without the massive use of chemicals and machinery. Employees of agrochemical and technology companies - trying to sell "just one more litter/unit of chemical/product." Traders and exporters in underdeveloped economies - ready to sell anything to break even and stay in the "game," including low-quality produce. Friends, acquaintances, and family members - trying to dissuade me from risking my future in developing “impossible” zero-spray crop protection solutions and then aiming my marketing efforts at underdeveloped economies. Good people - fighting for a better, safer, healthier, and more sustainable world. Remove anger and embrace empathy with zero judgment as a tool to change yourself and others. If you can do this, you can change the world. WINNERS' ATTITUDE
Wherever I go, whatever I do, I take with me the empathy and zero judgment attitude. Why? Because if my goal is to bring CHANGE, I need to act with moderation, respect, and understanding of the other! When I understand the other, I change, and when I change, I can change the other. Change starts from within. Here are three examples - IBMA – The International Conference on Business Models in Agriculture is the most important conference for the future of agriculture and farmers in non-developed economies. Period. The conference management is young, full of life and energy, aiming to bring an eco-friendly/Green attitude to agriculture. At some point, voices suggested enabling only "Green" companies to present, excluding the agrochemical companies. However, that would be against our approach of accepting everyone, including those with which we don’t agree. Don't forget, by joining the conference; they would also hear us and others. I hope that, like the IBMA management team, all participants would come with open minds and hearts ready to hear, understand, embrace new ideas and mainly cooperate to bring the long-needed change. IBMA, with its empathy, helps stakeholders switch from old, inadequate business models to new dedicated ones. BIOFEED - Biofeed’s technological solutions, i.e., the Freedome series products, enables fruit fly management without sprays. However, when farmers ask about spraying, I answer, "Of course, you can, if we see a need." This kind of response is genuine and helps the farmer feels safer, secure, and more comfortable shifting from sprays to zero-sprays solutions. Biofeed, with its empathy approach, helps farmers, extension services, and scientists to switch from old, inadequate crop protection technologies, protocols, and methods, into new age improved ones, with less or no sprays and health hazards. DREAM VALLEY – For ages, the agro sector in non-developed economies has been at a stand-still. Those agro economies wish to change but after repeatedly failing with the silver bullet of; “Technologies and Funds would solve all of our problems," they are left paralyzed, without any clear visible way and direction to proceed. History repeatedly proved that regardless of the technology and funds, no one can transform a nation's agro sector without empathy and understanding of the current state and the dreams and vision it has for its future. Get this - Technology and Funds are not a plan, the road, goal, vision, or solution to anything. They are merely TOOLS for those already having a plan, route, purpose, vision, and resolution. Dream Valley, with its empathy motive and well-designed method based on the Israeli agricultural model, helps nations transfer their agro sector. Dream Valley takes those nations from their undesired and unwanted current state into a state of prosperity. This is accomplished using tailor-made state-of-the-art ecosystems, business models, and technologies, resulting in an improved, brighter future for all involved. |