CEC

November 1999

What is Your CEC?

I asked this question of athletes, future All-Americans, the week leading up to the NCAA championships. Their initial reaction was most likely very similar to yours right now. What is CEC? What does CEC have to do with human performance and being competitive internationally?

The simple answer - Everything!

My introduction to CEC came in “Kindergarten Soils” as agronomy professors often refer to “Introduction to Soils”. CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) and AEC (Anion Exchange Capacity) were topics of discussion concerning soil chemistry. Cations, properly pronounced cat-īön, are positively charged ions. Anions are negatively charged ions. Ions are atoms or groups of atoms electrically charged because of the loss or gain of electrons, negative charges.

In simplistic terms, CEC quantifies the amount of nutrients one particle of soil can attain. The higher the CEC, the better the more productive the soil, there is more food available in the soil for the growing crops or vegetation.

Clay soils typically have the highest CEC, there physical properties allow for this. In the interest of space and maintaining your interest, we will quickly discuss a few physical properties of clay. Clay is adaptable, sculptors use clay. Clay soils have the greatest amount of pore space, allowing for greater available water storage. If we equate water with opportunity, clay soils capitalize on the greatest amount of opportunity as it presents itself.
Silt, Sand and Rock are not flexible enough to mold easily. These larger particles claim, ‘this is the way I am, if you do not like it, too bad’. Change requires excessive heat, pressure or force. Their large pore size allows water to easily run thru it, if we are like stones, we are inadaptable, allowing opportunity to run right by us.

Running fast on a cross country course, expanding your business or keeping up with your family activities, also requires a high CEC.

This CEC is Champ-ion Exchange Capacity!
Having a high, CEC (Champ-ion Exchange Capacity) requires us to shed ‘negative’ charges from our lives, positively charged.

What is your capacity for the mental attributes of being a champion in business, in life?
Do you have drive to go the “extra five miles” for your clients, friends and family?
Do you have the fortitude to persevere when your mind and body are begging for relief? The power to keep your word and stay true to your convictions when you may temporarily enjoy record profits simply by ignoring your convictions or going back on your word.

Do you have the capacity to frame pain, whether mental, physical, financial or relational, properly? The champion views pain as an encourager rather than a deterrent. Pain is viewed as a positive force, the greater the pain the fewer competitors, therefore the greater the reward upon completion of the task.

As Christians we should inquire our CEC also, Christian Exchange Capacity. What is our ability, individually and collectively the Christian message of Hope, Forgiveness, Accountability, and Love?

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

Rick E. Meyer
See, Believe, Achieve Inc.
www.rickemeyer.com