1928=best year ever

Few people in life are lucky enough to find that one thing that makes them come alive. That one thing that they want to do for the rest of their lives, regardless of how much money it may make them. I'm one of the lucky few. I've found my calling in life: agriculture. More specifically, getting youth involved in agriculture. And I have the FFA to thank for that. And before you ask, no it does not stand for the Future Farmers of America anymore. In my dad's time, the main focus was cows, sows and plows, but the organization taught you so much more than that. You learned how to be a leader. You learned valuable skills like team building and public speaking that are more than necessary to be a successful professional in today's economy. You learned what it meant to be passionate about something. That much hasn't changed. The FFA taught me so much more than leading a group of people in proper Parliamentary Procedure or how to give a perfect prepared public speech about the disappearing family farm structure. I learned that I can actually like the person I am. Before my FFA days, I was S-H-Y to the extreme--and I don't even think that describes it well enough. I hated talking to people. The idea of introducing myself to someone was equivalent to physical pain for me. Eating a bug sounded more appealing than giving a speech in front of a group of people. So you can imagine my reluctance to join a group where all three of the above mentioned were pretty much the norm for a member. After much prodding from my dad, I joined. And my life was never the same. I LOVE giving speeches. I love getting up in front of a group and talking about a subject with which I'm knowledgeable and enjoy talking about. I would pay good money to go back to my FFA State Officer year where I was expected to travel around and give workshops and meet new people on a weekly basis. I have never been prouder to own an article of clothing than I was the day I got my new FFA jacket. Slipping into that blue corduroy with my name and office embroidered in corn gold stitching, I felt invincible. In short, the FFA changed my life (gosh, does that sound as dramatic out loud as it does in my head??). It made me realize that life is about more than just going to work and making money. It's about finding something that you love and doing it well. It's about going to work and feeling a spark of passion for what you're doing. So thank you FFA. Thank you for helping me find the me that I never knew existed. Thank you for giving me a wonderful year as a state officer with wonderful people that I still consider to be like brothers and sisters to me. Thank you for instilling confidience in me and helping me realize that I am a valuable commodity and have skills that are useful in today's economy. Happy FFA Week to all past, present and future FFA members. Let's count our blessings that those 33 farm boys in 1928 decided to start a path to prepare us all for a better future. :)

Living with purpose

I've been feeling very.....unsettled lately. I read books about finding your purpose in life, finding that one thing that lights you up and brings you alive. I heard a quote the other day--"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive." I love the quote, but with all due respect to the author, it's just not that easy. I know what makes me come alive: youth in agriculture, the FFA, painting, event planning. Yet getting a job in any of these have, what seems like, unsurmountable obstacles that I haven't been able to get past. Ag job after ag job comes open and I apply. And I'm always given the "You're great, but we went with someone better" speech. Okay, maybe not that harsh, but it always feels that way whenever you're on the receiving end of that message. I try to convey in my interviews that I have passion, drive, energy--everything I think a successful employee needs. But it seems that the job always goes to someone older, more experienced, with more connections. And I am left, yet again, to wonder how I'm supposed to get a job in the field I majored in. Did I make a mistake in my beginning college advising session? I feel like my major should have come with a warning label: "You're going to graduate college and feel invinceable, but this won't last. You'll be 2 years out of graduation, still looking for that mythical "perfect" job." Don't get me wrong, I'm not naive. I knew that I wasn't going to find "the job" as soon as I graduated college, but I thought I would at least get an entry level agriculture job and eventually be able to move my way up the ladder. But with every interview I have, the more discouraged I become. I wonder if I should give up on the agriculture idea all together, or at least until the economy picks up a little. So I go to my second passion: painting and creativity. As most of you know, I have a job on the side where I paint a variety of different things. When I've had a discouraging day, I think, "Is this something I could be doing as a career??" Then the reality hits: what if I fail? what if I don't make enough money? how would I get good health insurance? what about benefits that I would get from a normal 9-5 job? I say that I'd like a job that I feel passionate about, despite what the paycheck is, but the reality is a little different. Dreams and passion don't necessarily pay the bills. And how would I promote my business to be successful enough to make up for the paycheck that I would normally be getting? I can't afford to open a shop as of right now, as much as I'd love to do something like that. I have my "daydreaming days" where I think about opening my own craft store and offer event planning services. I think about days filled with handpainted signs and planning Disney-themed birthday parties and elegant weddings. I guess instead of focusing on the things I don't have, I need to find the good in the situation that I'm in. Maybe God is keeping me in my current job to teach me something....as hard as that lesson may be to understand. Rick Warren wrote in his book "The Purpose Drive Life" that "If you're alive, there's a purpose to your life." While I don't think my current situation is my purpose in life, I do think that there's a purpose to why I'm there. And maybe I'm not meant to know that purpose. Maybe I'm supposed to suck it up until God puts something better in front of me. So I guess my daydreams will have to do for now. At least until I figure a way to find the things that make me come alive into a full time job.

Warning: Complaints Ahead.

What's the secret to getting a job right now? Is there some code word I don't know about, some certain experience I'm supposed to have listed on my resume, some personal connection I'm supposed to have that will guarantee my being hired to a company of my liking? Yes, I know I have a job. Yes, I know I should be thankful that I have somewhere to go every morning that enables me to make money and pay the bills. But is that all there is to life? Go to work, do your job, get paid, pay bills? What about ENJOYMENT? What about passion, drive, commitment, JOY?? I guess I was raised differently than some people, but I always thought that I would want a job that I loved, not just one that I focused on how much I made at the end of the day. Don't get me wrong, my current job is a good place to work, but it's not what I went to school for. It's not what I feel passionate about. It's not what I want to do with the rest of my life. What good is an agriculture degree at a financial institution? Is it bad to feel like I'm wasting my 4 years of college, my degree and the money paid to get it? I want to wake up every morning and look forward to going to work. I want to feel passionate about the work I'm doing. I want to feel like I'm making a difference. How am I supposed to get a job in agriculture and feel all of those things if no one will even give me the opportunity. Sure, I've had plenty of interviews, but the job always ends up going to someone that already works for that company. I can't tell you how tired I am of the phrase "Thank you for your interest in this position, but at this time we're selecting a candidate whose qualifications better meet our needs." A.k.a. "they already work for us, so they get first dibs." How is anyone from outside of the field supposed to break in? How are you supposed to gain that experience if no one's going to give you the chance to earn it?? I know I'm supposed to have a constant go-to attitude and be positive during my job hunt, but it's so discouraging. How are you supposed to remain eternally upbeat when you're repeatedly told you're not good enough? If someone has these job-landing secrets that I know nothing about, please pass them on. They'd be greatly appreciated.