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.