Having Good Character

How many times in your life have you been chatting with friends, and you mention that a particular person is in a class of yours. You've never personally met them, but you know who they are. Your friends then go on to say their opinion of this person because they know them. Maybe they say good things about this person. If this is the case, it is a relief to you because it will make that person that much more approachable if you ever need to go talk to them. On the other hand, maybe they do not know this particular person, but they know people who know this person and those people do not like them. So your friend then proceeds to say negative things about this person whom they do not personally know. Or, maybe your friend goes on to say negative things about this person because they do know them. Whatever the case may be, I think it is safe to say that we have all been in a situation where we hear things about a person that we have never met ourselves. Let's face it. Our friends shape our outlook on things. They could shape our outlook on people, they could shape our outlook on the things we like, or they could shape our outlook on our own opinions. To me, there is nothing worse than when a friend gives you a negative impression of a person. The other things mentioned above are negative, but for now, I would like to focus on when our friends talk about another person negatively before we have even met this person. I think we can all admit that we have been in this position many times before. My question to you is, how did you react? The way I see it, there are two ways you could have reacted. 1. Did you let your friend's opinions of a person shape yours before you even met the person? Or 2. Did you ignore your friend's opinions and shape your own of this person after you got to know him or her on your own? If you chose #1, well, to say the least, I am disappointed. If you chose #2, awesome! I am glad you have the character to know the difference. For those of you who chose #1, maybe it did not even occur to you that you do this. I have good news, you can change. You can acknowledge when things like this happen, and make the personal choice to react differently. It comes down to your character. Do you have the character to recognize that your friends ultimately bring you down in a situation like this? It is up to you to rise above this. Now, maybe your friends told you that a person was not nice to others. I am not naïve; I know that the world is filled with people who are not nice to others. My point is this: if you make the choice to not judge a person based on someone else's opinion of them, you allow yourself to make your own opinion of the person. Maybe you will see that your friend was right. What is even better is when you learn that your friend was wrong and you gained a new friend because of it. Your friend could have had a negative experience with that person and said things that were not true because they did not want you to be friends with them. If you let other's opinions shape your own before you even give a person a chance, you are automatically going to miss out on a potential friendship. The choice is yours. Next time, choose option #2 because it will make you a better person.

Thankful. Blessed.

It has been a long time since I've last posted. Hopefully this doesn't happen again! In the midst of a crazy life, a lot of time has been spent on my part reflecting on what I am thankful for. Even though Thanksgiving was almost two weeks ago now, I still feel a blog on things I am thankful for is very appropriate. Here's the running list, in no particular order.

1. My horses, Sage and Vogue, because I am lucky that I somehow have found a way to support them financially while in college. I never expected to have them during this point of my life. Ultimately, I am just thankful they are still in my life. Also, what is more exciting than having horses? I mean, c'mon, it has been my childhood dream forever, so I plan to live this dream out as long as possible. Not only are they a dream I have had that came true, but they are a true test that I can do anything I put my mind too. After all, somehow I convinced my parent's to let me get them.

2. That brings me to the next thing, or people, I am thankful for. My parents. My parents have done nothing but support me in the things I do. They are always there to help me when I need help. Quite frankly, I'm lucky to have such cool parents. Yes, cool. I said it. I wish I had the maturity in middle school to realize just how cool they were then too. Not everyone can say that their parents will be there when they mess up or change their mind, but I can. Hopefully they know just how much I appreciate them, and how thankful I am that they are my parents.

3. God. I have never been one to be open about my faith, but I do know that I have a strong faith in God. I am thankful for that faith. Growing up, every night I would pray for a horse. I would always say, "God, if you help me get a horse, I'll never ask for anything again." Well, that has proved to be untrue, but He has continued to answer my prayers.

4. Friends. I have the best friends a girl could ask for. I'm not even going to elaborate, because they deserve their own blog post.

5. Music. No matter what I am doing, music helps me. Whether it is working out, studying, cleaning, or just hanging out, there is always the right song to boost my mood. Sometimes, I think I could go insane without music.

6. My boyfriend, Nick. He too, deserves his own blog post, but I want to say a few things. Never in my life have a met someone who "gets" me the way he does. He is the one person I always turn to, and he is always the first person to hear about how I am feeling. Have you ever heard the song, "Crazy for this girl" by Evan and Jaron? Well, change the lyrics a little bit, and it describes how I feel perfectly. No good love songs are written by girls anyways, ha ha.

"Would you look at him/He looks at me/He's got me thinking about him constantly/But he don't know how I feel/And as he carries on without a doubt/ I wonder if he's figured out/I'm crazy for this guy/

Right now/Face to face/All my fears/Pushed aside/And right now/I'm ready to spend the rest of my life/With you."

He knows how I feel, and all I can say is that I am so thankful he knows. And from the movie Juno, "He's the cheese to my macaroni."

7. My brothers, Nathan and Jacob. They are just cool. Each one spices up my life in their own way. Nathan helps me stay gangsta (in a good way) and has renewed my faith that everything happens for a reason, and Jake reminds me on a daily basis why I love being a country girl. It is quite the combo if you ask me, but I love them. I am thankful I have 1 overprotective older brother and 1 overprotective little brother, who has officially outgrown me.

Lastly, the more simple, yet important, things that don't need much elaboration.

8. Food.

9. Shelter (I really sweet apartment I might add).

10. Freedom. We are so lucky.

Ahh, yes. I am so thankful that I am so blessed.

Random Acts of Kindness

A few weekends ago, some of my teammates and I completed a COLT (Chapter Officer Leadership Training) Conference for the Milton FFA Chapter. We paired up and presented workshops on things like team dynamics, retention and recruitment, and how to take a project in your chapter and make it yours. Two of my teammates, Jamie and Molly, chose to do their workshop on community service. Prior to our day in Milton, I only knew the topics that my teammates chose, but not what they were doing in the workshop itself.

Jamie and Molly talked about a number of things in their workshop, but the one thing I took away from their workshop as I sat in the back of the room and listened was how you can do community service each and every day. They talked about how a simple smile or random act of kindness can truly make a person's day. I could not believe how incredibly true their words were and I just hoped that the members of the two teams we worked with that day took them to heart as much as I did. What do those things, a simple smile or random act of kindness, cost us? Absolutely nothing. That is why they are so important, and I firmly believe that if everyone tried to do a simple random act of kindess each and every day, this world would be a much better place.

These random acts of kindness could be as simple as holding the door for the person behind you. Who knows, they could be a germ-a-phob (like me) and really appreciate the fact that they did not have to touch the door handle that thousands of other people have touched. It could be letting a person in while driving who could have been having a bad day. We will never know it, but letting them in during rush hour traffic may have been the only thing to bring a smile to their face that day. It could be paying for the person's meal behind you in the drive thru at Burger King or McDonald's. Maybe they really are scrambling for money during these tough economic times, and the $7.38 they get to keep could mean the world to them. It could be helping someone carry their groceries to their vehicle. Maybe they are elderly and it takes a large amount of energy for them to do that. While carrying their groceries, you instill a a positive image of the youth in their brain and later share the experience with family and friends because it had that much of an impact on their day.

The night before the workshop, my partner in crime, Nick, and I went to Wal-Mart to get some last minute supplies. We were only buying a few pieces of tag board to make flip charts. The lady in front of us in the check-out had a cart full of purchases, and she smiled at us and told us to go first because she would be a while. Her kindness brought a huge smile to my face. Her random act of kindness cost her nothing. When she did this, it made me realize that it had been months since someone had done a random act of kindness like that for me. It stood out a lot to me, and had me leaving Wal-Mart with a smile on my face. It gave me a hope that there still are those generous people out in the world.

When I was younger, my family and I were on a trip together. We were in McDonald's and the place was packed. We just got done filling up our cups and were about to find a place to sit. There was a man behind us who had his tray in his hand and a few little kids to keep track of. My dad noticed that he was struggling, so he grabbed his cups and said, "Here let me help you, what kind of pop would you like?" The man was so grateful; he smiled at my dad and said, "Thank you so much, the world would be such a better place if there were more people like you here." My dad handed me the cups as he filled them and I put caps on them before placing them back on the man's tray. I even reached and grabbed straws for him. I will never forget the smile on his face or the way he looked me right in the eyes, and he said to me, "The world needs more people just like you, too." I was only in third grade, but this experience has stuck with me forever because of the way the man had smiled at me. Since then, I have always been a person who has fully believed that serving others is so rewarding. Very few people do it. But the ones that do truly do make this world a much better place to live in.

Think of the time that someone did that simple random act of kindness for you. They did not have to do it, but they did. Think of how you felt. Maybe it gave you a renewed faith in humanity. Maybe it made a bad day great. Maybe it simply gave you the urge to take this act and "pay it forward" to someone else in the future. Are you the person who serves others? Are you a person who is making this world a better place with these acts? How can you add a random act of kindness to your day everyday? How can you encourage others to do the same?

What I Like Most About Animals

During my animal science lecture last Friday, my professor passed out a piece of paper to everyone in the class and asked us to write down what we enjoy most about animals. I am very much an animal lover and I thought it was weird that never in my life had I ever been asked this question by someone who personally knew my love and passion for animals. I immediately thought about my horses and my dog...and even a lot of other animals I have been really lucky to have in my life over the years. To me, there are a number of things that I like most about animals. However, when I stop and think about it, there are two things that rise above all the others. The two things that stand out the most to me are: how rewarding they are and how calm I feel when I am around them.


First, the rewards. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I purchased a four and a half month old filly. It was something I decided to do because my previous horse had destroyed my confidence I had in my riding skills. I searched for a new horse for over a year and a half, but was having no luck finding one. I decided that I should try raising up a foal for two reasons. One, it was a challenge that I was willing to take one, and two, it was going to put the stalls and pasture my parents put up at our house to use. Five years ago, Vogue arrived at my house with a friend of mine, as well as two of her "tough" guys friends. When the trailer door opened, the guys went in and had to force Vogue out of the trailer and into her stall. The moment of her arriving at my house was something I anticipated for over a week. I was scared. All I could think was, "What did I just get myself into?" Within a week, I started to develop a very close bond with Vogue and everything came very naturally with her. Over the last five years, we've definitely had our ups and downs, but it is crazy to think that she knew nothing, and now she is a horse that knows so much and is very confident in the things I ask her to do. Sure, I got lucky. She is an incredibly smart horse, but the rewards I feel every time I am around her are immeasurable. Vogue has been the most rewarding thing in my life. The rewards keep on continuing; she makes me so proud.


Another thing I enjoy most about animals is how calm I feel when I am around them. Animals always provide this endless amount of love, and it is almost hard for me to understand how anyone cannot do anything but love them. There have been so many times that I will just go out by my horses and watch them graze, listen to them eat hay, or just go sit on them...there really is not a feeling that compares to it. I feel so calm in moments like that. Then there is my dog. I swear, if she were a person, she would be the happiest one I know. She is always excited to see anyone and everyone no matter what type of mood they may be in, what they look like, or if they have had a good or bad day. Just watching her and how she is always so happy just relaxes me and often brings a smile to my face. And it reminds me how I should be the same each and every day.

I have always loved animals and I know I would feel like I had a huge void if they were not in my life. I am really luck to have Vogue up with me at school, but I still really miss my dog, Charlo, and my other horse, Sage. I wish I did not have to leave them back home. If you're an animal lover like me, what is it that you enjoy most about animals? All I know is that I would not be the same person if I did not have animals in my life because of how rewarding and calming they are.

Positively Changing

Change has always been something I really liked. I like getting a new job, meeting new people, going different places, taking a different way to work, etc. To me, change has always been a positive rather than a negative.

Yesterday marked my first official day of going back to college after a year off serving the FFA. It was odd, I have to admit. My life is completely different in so many areas. First, I won't see my family on a regular basis. Second, I have one horse up at school with me and one back home. Third, I won't be working at the Hampton Inn unless I go home on breaks. Fourth, I have to study a lot more again to keep up good grades. Fifth, I am living in an apartment. Sixth, I won't be serving the FFA on a daily basis like I was. All of these are not necessarily good changes; however, they are all changes I am ready for.

I miss my family a lot but I am pretty good about calling home and checking in. It is a good thing for me to get out and stretch my wings to be fully independent. It's weird to have my own place. I love my apartment. My room overlooks a lake so you would never even guess I am living in a college town. Plus, I am so close to campus. I enjoy having Vogue up at a stable because I ride more when I board. It's weird to think about, but I think in my head I feel like I am getting my "money's worth" for board when I go up and ride 3-4 times a week. I had my first "real" ride on her that I had in a long time (a year)--she was awesome. There are so many times that I do not give her enough credit and then she turns around and surprises me. I am really looking forward to that happening on a more regular basis. She's what I plan to refocus my energy into this year, and I am very excited about her training progressing. I miss the FFA so much, but I know that I am ready to do other things in life. And I am continuing to serve the FFA in different ways behind the scenes which is still very rewarding. Lastly there is school, which is ultimately the main reason I am here; however, it is the part I am least excited about. I love learning, I enjoy going to classes; however, this past year I have learned that it's the people in your life that make everything worth it. Which is why I would rather spend my time with these people than studying--but don't worry, I know why I am in River Falls and that is to get an education.

All of the changes that come along with school are the ones I am going to make the most of (which of course includes studying). Most people do not like change, but it really is a good thing because it's how we all grow as people. I would not get to discover other passions in life as soon as I am if I was not up here, I would not get to continue my education and reach my goal of becoming an Ag Ed Instructor, I would not be riding again. Really, change is a great thing even though most of the time people do not focus on the positives of change. If there are any drastic changes happening in your life at the moment, focus on how they are all positive and enjoy them.

A Natural Born Leader

Who do you admire? Who do you want to be like? And more importantly, why is it that you admire this person and want to be like them?

One person I have always admired and wanted to be like was Matt Anderson. If you're reading this, chances are you know who Matt was. He served as the Wisconsin State FFA President during my senior year of high school. He had a huge impact on my life not only because of his passion for FFA, but because of the person he was. He was fun, sincere, and showed a genuine interest in others. Whenever I talked to him, I felt like I was the only thing he was worried about, even though I am sure he had a ton of things on his mind during some of the events we spoke at. Matt was a great person and he always knew just what to do in every situation. For these reasons and many others, I truly admired Matt and wanted to be just like him...and still do.

Two years ago today, Matt passed away in a tragic farming accident. I'll never forget the moment I heard the news and I instantly broke down. How could someone so wonderful who had a passion for life and the things he did pass away? Especially at such a young age? These questions are ones that will never have any answers. Matt's legacy truly does carry on. Bracelets were made in his memory and I have never taken mine off since I got it. It serves as a constant daily reminder for me to live the life Matt lived. He was a great person and I do not know one person who could say a bad thing about him.

So who is it that you admire? Who is it that you want to be like? This person is different for each and every one of us; however, I think that there is one person in each of our lives who will always have that impact on us and the things we do. But more importantly, are you living a life that makes others admire you and want to be like you? If not, how can you change your approaches on a daily basis? If yes, continue to make that positive impact on others because you never know who is watching you in complete admiration.

Life' Simple Pleasures

When I was really young, I use to read the horoscopes with my Grandma. My birthday falls right on the cutoff of being either a Libra or a Scorpio. I was young and did not understand horoscopes, and depending upon which one I read depended upon if I was a “Scorpio” or a “Libra.” My Grandma explained to me that I was a Scorpio because I enjoy the simple things in life. That moment has always stuck with me and whenever I find myself getting caught up in one of “life’s simple pleasures,” I always think of her and how right she was. The following are some of the things in life that I consider to be simple pleasures in life...and the best part: they are free!

1. Fall colors. I really just love this season for a few reasons. It is my birthday. It is beautiful. And National FFA Convention falls during this time. I also love the anticipation of school starting again.
2. Finding money in your pocket. I know that technically I had the money all along, but it makes me feel like I am $20 richer or $5 richer. Maybe even $1 richer. No matter how much it is, I love finding it.
3. Having someone tell you they love you. I just love hearing those words because who does not want to be loved? Plus, this one is self-explanatory.
4. Getting a hug from someone you have not seen for a while. It is a pretty cool feeling to get a hug from someone you have not seen in over a month.
5. Using a towel fresh from the dryer after a shower. When I was younger my mom use to do this for me all the time. It is one of those feelings that bring back childhood memories.
6. Being mischievous. I’ll let you think what you want with this. I like getting into some trouble every now and then. And believe it or not, I have done some crazy things before.
7. Walking barefoot on the beach in the surf. It just feels so free. And it is another one of those things I did a lot when I was younger so it makes me feel like a kid again.
8. Music that has a violin in it. This one is kind of odd, but I love when rock music especially has a violin used as an instrument. It just adds a lot to it for me. Plus I’m a big fan of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
9. Being naked. Take this one as you like.
10. Waking up to the sound of rain. I have always found rain to be very relaxing, and it is a great way to start a day off…especially if I happen to be running late because it relaxes me right away.
11. Sleeping in. Sleeping has to be one of my favorite past times. I need my sleep so I love those random mornings when I do not have to set my alarm.
12. Hearing a song you love. Have you ever been driving somewhere, maybe to work or to go out with friends and a song that you love comes on? It instantly puts you in a good mood and most of the time with me, it makes the day that much better for me.
13. Pulling through to a parking spot. I know this one is weird, but I love when I am going to park and when I turn into a spot I find that the one in front of it is open and I get to pull right through. Maybe that is just because I hate backing up.
14. The feeling you get when you rocked something you put a lot of work into. This is something I have come to enjoy during this last year serving as a state FFA officer. I loved the feeling of heading back to my seat after a banquet speech with the feeling like I had really left an impression and impact on the audience.
15. Laughing. Who does not love laughing?
16. Having a good workout. I love those workouts that seem to just be better than the one the day before.
17. Smiling. It just makes you feel that much better and puts you in a better mood. I also love when someone smiles at me.
18. Not hitting a red light on your way to work. Let’s face it; no one likes to be delayed when traveling from point A to point B. I do not have to travel through a ton of traffic lights on my way to work, but that days that they are green when I arrive at them really stand out to me.
19. A gorgeous view. I live out in the country and I always love those nights where it seems like I am witnessing the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Nature and the outdoors are so beautiful.
20. Waking up and realizing you have two hours left to sleep. I am not normally one to wake up before my alarm, but when I do wake up, I love to discover that I still have two hours left to sleep.
21. Feeling clean. This is usually something I appreciate a lot more when I am coming in the house from doing chores or from a workout. I just love the feeling of being clean after being sweaty.
22. The smell of home. Have you ever walked into a friend’s house and noticed a very distinct smell? Well, I have come to the conclusion that our homes all smell a certain way but we do not tend to notice ours unless we have been gone for a while. It is comforting to come home and know that you are home just based off of the smell.
23. Getting an actual handwritten letter in the mail. This is something that always means so much to me because I know that whoever wrote it took the time to sit down and put thought into a letter for me. It does not seem to happen too often, but my day is always made when it does.

I am sure I will make another list of simple pleasures in life, but for now, these are the things I love and enjoy. Hopefully you can relate to some of them.

My Dream List

I have been very lucky in life. I have been blessed with an amazing family and incredible friends. I have had experiences many people have never had. I have seen places many people will not ever get to see. After reading How We Choose to be Happy, I was inspired to make a list of my dreams. The list below is in no particular order, and I am sure it will continue to grow. Who knows if I will be able to do all of the things listed below, but I figure if I share my aspirations with others I will be able to hold myself accountable to making sure that they happen.

1. Go backpacking through Europe

2. Graduate college

3. Become an Ag Ed Instructor and FFA Advisor

4. Serve as a WLC presenter for a summer

5. Go bungee jumping

6. Get married

7. Visit China

8. Have 2 or 3 kids

9. Live in the moment

10. Jump off a cliff into a body of water

11. Live in Montana

12. Adopt a retired greyhound

13. Become a motivational speaker

14. Fly a plane

15. Go zip lining

16. Take a tropical cruise

17. Live in NYC for a year

18. Get a tattoo

19. Spend a summer working on a dude ranch

20. Visit the Atlantis Hotel in the Bahama's

21. Take a hot air balloon ride

22. Go white water rafting

23. Hike the Grand Canyon

24. Go horseback riding in the surf of an ocean

25. Stay passionate about the things I am involved with

26. Go sky diving

27. Make a difference in the lives of others

28. Write a movie script

29. Learn how to dance

30. Visit the Amazon

31. Be happy in the things I do

32. See the Sahara Desert and tour Africa while I am there

33. Live in a different country

34. Scuba dive along the Great Barrier Reef

35. Celebrate New Year's Eve in NYC

36. Learn something new each year

37. Attend a Super Bowl

It seems like a large list, but one thing that I have noticed about myself is that when I am doing things that I do not normally do, I feel fully alive. By having this list of dreams, I have things to constantly look forward to. We will see what happens and what I actually accomplish. I am confident I will get to do a lot of these things and I am excited for them to happen. My one hope is that I have someone who wants to do them all with me.

Choosing to be Happy

A few days ago I started to read the book, How We Choose to be Happy. No, I am not creating a habit of reading self-help books. I read this book because I knew it would challenge some of the opinions I had. The book did just that. I am not saying that I have a completely new opinion on happiness, but this book talks about 9 choices of extremely happy people. It's a collection of stories from people all over the world who are very happy people. Over a three year study, these are the 9 choices these people made. The book was an easy read, and it literally only took me 3 days to read because I found it to be very intriguing.

1. Intention. This part of the book focused on how we need to have an intention to be happy. Without it, we really can't conquer the 8 other choices that happy people make.

2. Accountability. This part focused on how we need to take complete control over situations that happen in our lives. We can't blame people, where we are, or something else beyond our control. If we hold ourselves accountable, we are able to look at the bigger picture and choose how to make the best out of the situation.

3. Identification. The section focused on how happiness is not on the surface. For example, if you have nice clothes, a nice car, or a nice house, it doesn't mean you will be happy. It also focuses on how we need to identify what is best for ourselves. It's what we need, rather than what we want.

4. Centrality. This part of the book talks about how we need to centralize the things that mean the most to us. This allows us to live out our passions and follow our hearts. It's about doing what we want and not what others want. The book had us create a list of our dreams and talked about centralizing how to live them out.

5. Recasting. This section was about overcoming those situations that make us extremely unhappy like the loss of a loved one or experiencing something beyond our control like a house fire, and how to cope with these events. Recasting is all about thriving during a difficult time so we don't lose those moments of happiness we will never get back.

6. Options. This part simply is about weighing out options during situations when we feel disappointed. It helps us become more aware that we have other opportunities in life and how to overcome roadblocks.

7. Appreciation. This part of the books was perhaps my favorite. It talked about loving yourself and knowing when to put yourself first. It also talked about how we can celebrate others and appreciate those around us. In life, we are told to put others before ourselves. This part of the book challenged that thought on how we become happy by learning what things we need to be happy and not only acknowledging those things, but appreciating those things.

8. Giving. This was all about giving during the toughest times. It talked about a woman who had a dream to become a dance instructor. Through many battles, she eventually opened up her own dance studio. She was highly successful in pursuing her dream. She was so good, that ultimately her students wanted to do what she did and open up their own dance studios. She discouraged them at first, but then thought of how nobody discouraged her from going out on her own. She learned to feel satisfied with helping others who had helped her.

9. Truthfulness. Being honest is often a hard concept because it so easy to tell lies, even simple white lies. But this part focuses on how happier people are the ones who are honest with themselves and honest with those around them. It makes life easier too because then you don't have to remember who you told what to. The majority of this part focused on how we need to be true to ourselves first.

Most of the symmetrization's may not make complete sense, but reading this book as a whole was a good decision for me. It challenged my views and helped me learn about what I was or was not doing to be on the right path to happiness. I haven't considered myself to be an unhappy person, but this book helped me learn to be happy even in those tough situations and how happiness truly is a choice we make. I feel like everyone deserves to live a life of happiness because it's never fun being sad or depressed. Yet we all have those times where we want to blame others, not be honest with ourselves, or help others. This book helped me overcome some of those challenges many of us are often faced with.

Be Yourself

I recently got a Chinese fortune cookie that read,

"The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere."

I could not agree with this statement more!

I've never understood why people have a hard time being comfortable in their own skin. I'm not saying that I've always been perfect at it, but if you stop and think about it, it's so much easier to just be yourself. People will admire you a lot more if you are sincere, genuine and your own person. It's something that gets easier with age in my opinion, but it is something everyone can master if they realize that they will be happier being their own person. If someone doesn't like you, chances are it's because they are jealous of you. Have you ever stopped and thought about why you don't like certain people? Maybe the underlying reason is because you are jealous for what they have or what they do.

I believe people are not their own person for 3 reasons:

1. They are afraid people won't like them

2. They feel a need to impress others

3. They don't truly know who they are yet

The first one is pretty basic. If we act just like the people we hang out, those people are bound to like is. In reality, we can just end up making friends just like ourselves to start. The second one is very true. Everyone wants to be liked; everyone wants friends. To do so, many people feel that if they act, dress, do or a talk a certain way, they can impress others. Try looking at it from a different perspective: impress people by acting the way you want to act, dressing the way you want to dress, doing the things you want to do and talking the way you want to talk. Lastly, it is not until people reach high school that they truly start to learn who they are as a person. It is when things in life really start to matter. Your future is officially beginning in four short years, and you may not know just what you want to do with your life because you don't know who you are. Be yourself, and stay true to your friends, values and morals. If you do this, you will learn very quickly who you are and being your own person will become very easy.

Taking on Opportunities

Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I've been so blessed to serve as a State FFA Officer. My teammates and I had to record member and parent thank you's this past week during convention work days. As I was thinking about what to say to my family, I couldn't help but think that I may have never joined FFA. Ultimately, there were two reasons I joined FFA as a freshman. First, it was the only organization or club in school that I could do something with my horses. Growing up, all I ever wanted was horses. My dream came true when I was in eighth grade. My dad literally turned his back yard into a horse pasture--for me. Second, my older brother participated in my chapter's Food For America program. When I saw him getting involved, I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Now do I think that if I would have not gotten horses and that my older brother would not have gotten involved that I would not have? No. But it amazes me on how certain events can play a role on your life. Maybe if those things would not have happened, I would not have gotten as involved as I did. Who knows!?

I used to always think that I didn't know who I was or where I was going with my life, but FFA has provided such a direction for me. I know who I am; I know what I want to do; I'm proud of the person FFA has made me in to. When all is said and done, what I do know is this: sometimes we don't know what role something we do or someone we meet may play on our life until later on. That's why we need to make the most of each and every opportunity we have because who knows what it could bring for us. We need to appreciate that things go on in life for a reason even though we never know what that reason is right away.

I'm so thankful I found the FFA. It's done nothing but benefit me. I have so many fond memories and so many amazing friends because of it. I'm glad I was smart enough to give FFA a chance because I love what my life has become because of it. It's so important to take on every opportunity because you never know how great something can turn out to be.

Sincere Appreciation

When I was a senior in high school, my FFA advisor presented me with an opportunity to take a Dale Carnegie Training Course. I leaped at the opportunity because students who had taken it in previous years found it to be very enjoyable. I loved this class; in fact, I looked forward to it every week because I liked the people who were in the class with me and the concepts we learned in it have proved to be invaluable time and time again.

My favorite thing of all that I will never forget from the class is how to show sincere appreciation. When the activity was introduced, we all had time to write a thank you to someone who had made a difference in our lives. Then we practiced giving sincere compliments to our classmates. This was our week 8 class, and it was by far my most memorable class. It amazes me how quickly you can pick up good qualities in a person that you've literally only seen 7 times prior--in fact that's why I think this was even so much more powerful to do at that point in time. Giving a sincere compliment involved 1) looking the person in the eye; 2) giving them a 30 second compliment; 3) coming up with something that no one else had pointed out. We did this in groups of 4. To my surprise, I found it more challenging to receive the compliment than to give it. I'm naturally a person who gives a lot of compliments so maybe that's one reason why I found it easy. Another reason I found it easy was because it felt so natural to tell people how amazing they are as an individual.

This year, while serving as a state officer, I cannot even count how many thank you notes I've written. And to be honest, I'm glad I can't count. To me, a thank you note speaks volumes and when it only takes 2 minutes of your day, it's worth it to go that extra mile. I wish more people truly saw a value in showing sincere appreciation. Think of the "feel good moment" you have when you receive a thank you note that compliments you...or think of a time that someone tells you that your clothes are cute, that you smell good, or that you're having a good hair day. Even the simplest of compliments can go far. Next time you give a compliment, go the extra mile to give a sincere compliment. And always, when someone does something to help you, always show them that you sincerely appreciate it. Your actions speak louder than words.

I want to quick talk about my latest "feel good moment." I was at a chapter banquet on Friday night. At the end of the night, I had a chance to talk with the officer team and tell them what a great job they had done. The chapter president, Joy, pulled me aside and said it meant so much that I had come and how my speech had such a good message. Then she kept talking about how much of an inspiration I had been to her over the past year. She told me that many officers in the past had seemed fake to her, but she thought of me as very real and genuine. I was already smiling big time by this point because she was making me feel so good about myself. Then she told me that she always is thinking of how she could be like me and how she strives to be like me. Wow, what an amazing thing to have a person tell you. I'm still on a high from the things she told me that night. It only took her a few short seconds to tell me those things, but the impact of those seconds will last a lifetime for me.

Fear

Tonight I had a chapter banquet to attend. Part of my speech talked about how many people live their lives in fear and how we need to look at each opportunity with the attitude that something good could happen instead of something bad that could happen. On my way back home I started to think about fear. What are you afraid of?

Some people are afraid of typical things like small spaces, darkness, spiders, heights, etc. Not me. I'm afraid of failing. I'm afraid of success. I'm afraid that I will live a life of loneliness. I admit, I can be somewhat materialistic and there are a lot of things I feel that I not only want, but need, even though I really do not. Despite that, there are 3 things that I hope to have in life and they are really quite simple:

1. Get married
2. Have 2 (maybe 3) kids
3. Be happy in the things I do

Ultimately, I feel that if I have a person that will put up with me and love me for me no matter what, I'll be happy to have them by my side forever. Kids would bring an even bigger purpose to my life and being a mom seems so fulfilling and selfless. As of now, I'm okay with not being a mom for a few years yet; but I know it will be amazing when it happens. It would be incredible to know what it feels like to care about another human being more than I care about myself; I feel that a child would fulfill that feeling. Lastly, I want to live a happy life. Who doesn't? I want to feel satisfaction from my career, the things I am involved with and be happy with my family. These things really are quite simple and I feel that if I have these 3 things in life--I will have all I need.

What makes you...YOU?

Have you ever wondered what makes you, well, you? I've always been fascinated by how everyone in the world is so different. To be honest, I think it's a good thing because how boring would our world be if we were all the same? But despite that, we are all different, we are all our own person, and the things that make up who we all are is different for each of us. Attempting to describe myself seems like an impossible task, but if I were to try I would talk about qualities I possess and try to come up with words to describe my personality. No matter what these things are, it still provides no insight to who Emily really is.

I'm hard working, sincere, motivated, dedicated, committed, shy, outgoing, creative, fun, secretive, and caring--just to name a few. But what do those things truly mean? For example, I'm only dedicated to the things that I am passionate about like FFA, friends, family, horses, living life, etc. I'm shy around people I don't know, yet outgoing around the people I love. I'm creative in an artistic way. I like to draw, scrapbook, come up with news ideas for different things in my life. I'm secretive because I can actually keep a secret, which is something I find that majority of people can't do (but that's a whole new topic for another blog post). Even though I've elaborated, it's still hard to know who I truly am.

I have a very dry sense of humor and find many things that are not funny very funny. I laugh at the most random things and myself most of the time. I enjoy the simple things in life, like the sound of running water, hoof beats, violins, sunsets, beaches, being somewhere new, traveling, fall, spring, flowers, the smell of hay just to name a handful. I'm extremely laid back yet a perfectionist in the things I do. I am very hard to make mad. I complain a lot. I'm have self-confidence, but I still have insecurities.

I enjoy spending time with my two horses: Sage and Vogue. They rock my world and I've learned so much from them...I know it sounds weird, but animals teach us things. I love to read leadership, heroic autobiographies and biographies, fantasy and psychology related books. I like to work out, yet rarely seem to get around to it. I like to just be outside whether it's around a campfire, camping, going to the beach or being around my horses. I love the outdoors and I am definitely not a girly-girl when it comes to being outside.

No matter what I say to talk about myself, I don't feel like a person can truly get to know another person by just reading something descriptive about themselves. You don't know a person until you spend time with them and get to know them on a personal level so you know their quirks, habits (good or bad), body language, how they talk and how the act. But I think there is still more to it then that. I think the biggest thing that makes a person who they are is their upbringing. Was it good? Was it bad? Did they experience negative or positive events that will forever shape them? The choices a person makes also plays a role in who we all are. Our childhood, our family, our friends, our experiences, our past...all make us who we are and play a huge role in the people we become.

The Beginning

In June 2008, I was elected to serve as a State FFA Officer. One of the things I was able to do during the year was keep a blog. I've really enjoyed blogging all year and I want to continue to blog as my year comes to an end in June. This will be a way for me to record my thoughts, talk about my goals, and document my life as I make the transition from life as a state officer to being a normal college student again. This is just the beginning to something that I hope becomes a habit.