Hamburgers: love 'em or hate 'em?

I used to hate hamburgers. Absolutely hate them. But, when I got older, every time they were put in front of me, I had to eat them. Why? Because of the pure fact that I wish I liked them. I believed if I ate enough burgers, eventually I would acquire a love for the food and desire to eat it, maybe even crave it. And now, I do. Hamburgers are one of my absolute favorite foods!

You may think I am completely crazy, but studies have proven “we don't just eat foods because we like them, we like them because we eat them.” The more we eat foods, the more accustomed to them we become, and we even begin to like them as we grow up and continue to make it a habit to eat them. As a kid, I was a very picky eater; at one time my sister even told me I couldn’t be a part of the family because I didn’t like hamburgers and my family ate them so often. (I can laugh about it now!) However, after eating hamburgers for so long, I gained a long tolerance for them, then a liking, which turned into a desire.

I don’t know if all this food talk is getting you hungry or just curious about why I am talking about eating food. However, this same concept can be compared to our strengths. The past few years I have been exposed to the Gallup CliftonStrengths Test, and ever since then, I love seeing strengths in those around me. This has led me to realize the talents I have,  the choice I can make to develop them further into strengths, and helped me realize why my talents have been developed into my top five strengths.

I love the analogy I have heard about the 34 talents being compared to a person working at  a desk. On the top of the desk are our top 10 talents, readily available and easy to grab at, with the top 5 being directly in front as we have developed them into our strengths. The next 10-12 are in the side drawers, so it takes a little bit of time to get to them but they are still available with little work. While the last 10-12 are in the recycling bin, so you have to get up from the desk, and shuffle through the bin to find them. However, we can strengthen our talents and move them from one part of the desk to another through our usage of them, just like we can eat certain foods to make ourselves like them.  The creators of the StrengthsFinder assessment help me understand this by sharing: “Talents, knowledge, and skills -- along with the time spent (i.e., investment) practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base -- combine to create your strengths.” (Learn more at: http://strengths.gallup.com/help/general/125543/difference-talent-strength.aspx)

I have taken this strengths assessment three different times, and every single time “Achiever” is in my top 5, but only recently rose to the top strength for me. This is because, as I have gotten older, my desire to succeed has also risen. Sure, when I was little I wanted to be good at school (I once cried because I got three wrong on a spelling test), but that desire to achieve was not present up until the last two years when I was filling out scholarship applications and competing in different events for FFA.

2016 Minnesota FFA 1st Place
Parliamentary Procedure team -- HLWW FFA 

I used my talent of achieving nearly every day of my senior year, and it became so evident that it floated to the top and truly became a strength -- “Achiever” is like hamburgers. I worked toward developing that talent into a strength, or eating that food on a regular basis. This is a strength I now KNOW I can rely on and love, it’s always there (just like the hamburgers). If I wouldn’t have even looked into the possibility of eating another hamburger, I definitely would not eat them today as frequently as I do. Similarly, that “Achiever” talent would not have became a strength and could not have gotten to where it is today without my work to develop it.  We all naturally have things that we are good at, but to truly excel we must practice, improve, and put in the time to develop the talent into a strength. In other words, you could say:

We don’t only practice strengths because we have them, we have strengths because we practice them.

What are you naturally good at? Have YOU ever noticed that the more you do something the better you become at it? What are your hamburgers?  As we begin another school year, we have the chance to make the choice to take our talents to the next level - to make them a strength. How can FFA help you continue to strengthen your talents? How are you going to ensure that you work toward developing those possibilities and talents into strengths?  

Stationed by the door,

Maddie Weninger

When Life Gives You Lemons...

After 3 days in a hospital bed, this girl needed to see
blue skies again, so Mama found a wheelchair and
we went for a stroll. 

This summer did not go according to my plan. During the crazy month of June, I started to get sick. And not just your common head cold. Nope. I was down and out for the count. Turns out, I had Mononucleosis (more commonly known as Mono). After eight long weeks of still not feeling much better, countless blood tests, no answers as to what was really going on with me, passing out while showing sheep at the county fair, a four day stay at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, more tests, a whole lot of rest, amazing doctors and even better family and friends, an Epstein Barr Virus diagnosis, and Lyme’s disease treatment, I am on the mend.

When I first got sick, I was really upset. Upset at myself for getting sick. Upset with God for making me sick during the most important year of my life so far. Upset with life going on around me while I sat at home and watched. Upset because I was not going to be able to show cattle this summer because I did not have enough energy to walk out to the barn and spend hours doing what I love to do most. The absolute most difficult moments though, were when I witnessed the rest of my state officer team going and doing events -- without me.

My perspective began to turn around with the help of a few key people in my life. First of all, I am pretty sure my mom is Wonder Woman. Honestly. Throughout July and August, Mama Teresa was there for me for whatever I needed; whether it was a glass of water, forcing me to eat something, grabbing me an extra blanket from across the room because I was too weak to get it myself, or just a conversation to keep my mind busy, Mama was there. I am so blessed to have her. Throughout the summer, she constantly reminded me, “You have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved.” She never gave up on me. So I never gave up on me.

After one terribly long day full of no results and the waiting ensuing once again, I got a phone call from a familiar voice I had not heard in awhile. I was taking the evening to read my Bible but I was only getting more and more frustrated with my situation. My phone rang, I saw her name and caring face pop up on my screen, wiped my tears, and answered the call. “Hey Kylee!” Emily’s chipper voice came through the phone. Through a blubbering mess, I updated her as to the new tests I had done that week and what results we were still waiting for. I expressed my anger with my situation and Emily’s positivity began to rub off on me. When we hung up the phone almost three hours later, both of us felt so much better. The phone call that started with sullen tears, ended in tears of laughter. I am extremely grateful for friends like Emily.

Now, there is a famous saying that goes like this: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Taking those tart little citrus’ and turning them into a delectable, sweet refreshment of summertime is an art.

It was during conversations with Mama, Emily, and a few other individuals close to me, I realized something. This life is full of lemons. Some are sweeter than others, but we all have this cute, yellow citrus in our lives. Whether those lemons be challenges, bumps in the road or major hurdles. But what if we didn’t have to make lemonade? What if we made something else?

I like to look at that famous saying a little differently these days: “When life gives you lemons, make apple juice... and leave life wondering how you did it.” Who needs more lemonade? We have the opportunity to overcome the “sour” lemons in our life and look at it all from a new perspective. Maybe from an apple’s perspective instead…

During challenges in life, we have two options: 1) give up, OR 2) make apple juice… and leave life wondering how we did it.

I won’t deny it; there was a point this summer where I just wanted to give up. But then I would realize how much worse it could be and decided to make apple juice out of my lemons. I took the opportunity I had at home to spend time with my family before I left for college. I prepared myself for the upcoming months as much as possible. I called friends I hadn’t talked to all summer and caught up. I watched a couple of my brother’s baseball games I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend. Going out to the barn to help my brother work on lambs became a normal occurrence. I supported my team from the sidelines as best I could. But most importantly, I took care of myself. I made apple juice out of my situation because I did not want to sit and bathe in any more lemonade.

You do not have to be extremely sick in order to make apple juice; every day new lemons are thrown our direction and we can either make lemonade or apple juice. 

Which will you choose to make?

Stationed by the ear of corn,

Kylee

What lies at 32 Feet

Did you know that a rhinoceros can only see approximately 31 feet in front of them? Did you also know that the average rhino can run about 35 miles per hour (mph)? This is why a group of rhinos is appropriately named a crash. Now you might be wondering, why I am spewing out random facts about rhinos, but I assure you they are actually very interesting creatures and we can learn a lot

from them. For example, even though rhinos can only see 31 feet in front of them, they still charge fearless forward at 35 mph. They do this while not knowing what is in front of them. Maybe this is why rhinos have that big horn in front of them to make the impact of running into something less harmful to their bodies. So why do these creatures travel so fast? I know if I could only see 31 feet in front of me, I would never attempt to drive a car going 2 mph, let alone 35. Alass, rhinos stampede on to see what lies at 32 feet in front of them. Maybe it is their next meal or maybe a mud puddle they can bathe in; but one thing this is for certain, they will not find out unless they step into the unknown and see what lies at 32 feet.

 In the book The Baranian Way, the author Erwin Raphael Mcmanus talks about groups of

rhinos like the rhinos described above. While reading this, and learning the many facts about rhinos I now know, it sparked my interest about what opportunities lie out of our sight. I know from experience that FFA provides many opportunities to us as members, especially opportunities we never imagined were possible.

The summer before my senior year of high school, I decided I would put my name into the hat and run for my county's royalty program. I with 7 other girls of Wright County were all running to become one of three ambassadors for our fair. We spent time together preparing our speeches, interviewing, and making memories. I would be lying if I said I didn't think I had a good chance of being one of those three ambassadors. I was confident in my abilities and was looking forward to coronation day. After waiting on stage for what seemed like forever, it was finally crowning time. We stood in a line as the girls danced around us with the crowns. The first girl got crowded, and I was

beyond excited for her. Then the second one, both girls were ones I had become very close with. I thought that even though there was only one crown left, I still had a chance. I waited, and just like that a crown was placed on the head of a girl next to me. And that was it, I didn't get a crown that day. I was sad, but I did not regret the memories I had made with those 7 girls and the fun we had together. Little did I know that even though I did not receive a crown that day, the good Lord had other plans for me, and a few short months later I was elected to serve Minnesota FFA.
          Sometimes when we see an opportunity lying at our feet, we jump at the chance to grab it. For us as FFA members this might be the chance to compete on a CDE team or serve as an officer. Even though these opportunities are available to us, not all of us get the opportunities we pursue. As the old saying goes, “when one door closes, another one opens.” Maybe for you, this door lies at 32 feet, just out of sight. Do not let failure discourage you, and next time you do not get the opportunity that lies within your sight of 31 feet, I implore you to take a couple steps forward and see what lies at 32 feet.  


Stationed by the Emblem of Washington,
Spencer Flood 

Live It Well

My mind was racing as I crammed the last box into my already stuffed Subaru. As I looked over my house one final time, I jumped into the seat, mom’s homemade muffins in hand, and headed out of the driveway. After a long two and a half hour drive, my roommate Elysia and I made it to our final destination. We pulled into the parking lot and looked at what would be the next four years of our lives.

We started unpacking the car, carrying boxes to and from our room, including our fish Ardawg, laughing and joking as we went, finally getting settled. I sat back at one point, looking at the people surrounding me as we unpacked. My best friends, Tanner, Emma, Taco, and Colton, sat around in my room laughing about something (maybe how much the boys had freaked our roommates out) when I noticed how genuinely happy they were. This made me wonder: What makes a person genuinely happy?  

With this question in mind, like any new college student, I looked towards Google to see what answers I could find. My first search was ‘genuinely happy people,’ wondering if people like my friends would show up. I clicked on the first link to find “20 Secrets Genuinely Happy People Never Told You,” and was caught by the first line of the article.

“Happiness is a choice, and genuinely happy people make the choice to be happy, everyday!”

It was a pretty moving way to start an article, so of course I kept reading. Most secrets included avoiding stress, learning to say no, loving their flaws, dealing with fear head on, taking risks, encouraging others, and most importantly, loving life as it is.

Is this truly what makes people happy? This question stuck in my head as I started to ask myself what truly made me happy and how I happened to love life. As I thought of this, I reflected back to my drive from FarmFest earlier this August. On my quiet drive, I chose a playlist of one of my favorite artists and started listening. A few songs in, an unfamiliar one started playing.  You’ve had it happen too. That one song that’s on the album you download but never actually listen to. However, it quickly became one of my favorite songs. One line in “Live It Well” by Switchfoot caught my attention and became my motivation for the rest of my year.

“Life is short, I wanna live it well. One life, one story to tell.”

On this thought, I started to think about what my story was and how that made me happy. My story is full of horses, FFA members, laughing with my family and best friends, great cups of coffee with my dad, and adventures in the great outdoors, because each piece made me happy in some way. You see, everybody’s story makes them happy in some way, however, we do have a choice to be genuinely happy. We can be happy for a variety of reasons: maybe for ourselves, others, and even the world around us. When we choose to be genuinely happy, we chose to live life well. One choice equals the other and can turn into a series of great memories as we develop our own sense of happiness. As FFA members, we can choose to live it well this year too. When we live well, we live fearlessly. We live life as it is, accepting our flaws, avoiding stress, choosing happiness, and in the end, truly living life the way it should be. When we truly live life well, we can celebrate life and the people around us, whether it be members, advisors, or even our supporters. This year, I choose to be happy and to live it well, and this school year, I challenge you to do the same.

How will you chose to be happy this year?

How will you live life well?

Stationed by the flag,

Eleora

Cotton Eye Joe and County Fair

The last week of July, Katie and I were blessed with the opportunity to attend the State Presidents' Conference in Washington, D.C.  From selecting proposals from all around the nation to make our organization better to talking with legislators about the Student Agriculture Protection Act, every moment was phenomenal.

Those five days will last in my mind as one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had, but one seemingly insignificant part of it taught me more than I ever would have expected.

On Friday night, 103 representatives of all 52 state FFA associations pooled together everything we had learned and took time to celebrate it.  We danced.  Now, I love swing dancing, but line dancing has always been hard for me to pick up.  It takes lots of instruction and lots of practice for even the simplest moves to stick in my brain.  The members in that room were from all over the country, and what we’d learned back home about dancing varied a ton.  As we started dancing, the first line dance came on.  It was amazing, but one I had never seen.  In the back with another new learner, I mimicked the moves, but at the end of the song, I was woefully behind.  A couple songs later some other officers quickly formed a line, started moving and kicking their feet in unison, and drastically left me in the dust.  I was a little closer to having the right moves this time around, but I still wasn’t there.

Then, a song came on that I knew!

Where did you come from, where did you go?

Where did you come from, Cotton Eye Joe?

When I heard these lyrics, I was confident I knew every step.  We line dance to this one back home in Minnesota FFA!  I started with my hands together in the air on the right, moved them to the left, and looked over to see my friends from New York jumping through the air, clapping between their legs, and pulling off moves even a gymnast would struggle with!  Goodness, I think my mouth actually dropped open watching them! Nevertheless, I grabbed my new friend Ethan, mouthed “teach me,” and tried it out.

After the rest of the song (and a little bit of extra practice with Ethan), I was satisfied.  I knew the dance well enough to bring it along to my next adventure: home.  

If we take a look at the only two lines of “Cotton Eye Joe” I really know the words to, we will see the question, “where did you go?”  We also see a question asking where we came from-not just once, but twice.  I think the person who wrote “Cotton Eye Joe” really knew what they were talking about when they decided to ask it this way.  

The places we come from, whichever line dance version they teach, are what send us to the amazing places we go.  And we’ll go to a lot of them in our lifetimes!  The thing is, when we go to those new, amazing places, it is important to remember our roots.  Knowing where we came from is what keeps us in line with our values and what is truly important.

This past week, I was able to get in touch with my beginnings while showing back home at the Goodhue County Fair.  After putting in days at the fair and reconnecting with old friends, we reached show day.  Before stepping into the ring with my goat one of my last times as a 4-H member, I looked up into the stands.  There was my dad, some of my closest friends, the lady whose son taught me what to look for in a goat, and the owner of the first goat I ever showed. Then, I saw Mark, the man who helped me into the ring my very first time.  

For a moment, I flashed back to the summer after my sixth grade year.  I had been helping my dad and his students with the Cannon Falls FFA Kiddi Barnyard by holding chicks and rabbits when one of the member’s parents came in saying they needed a person to show a goat.  Chase, an FFA member a couple years older than me, had two goats entered in the same class.  

I was nervous, but after some encouragement from my dad, I walked over to the show arena to help.  Mark showed me where to set the goats feet, how to hold the show chain, and which way to walk around the ring.  Seeing I was nervous, he confided, “Emily, it’ll be easy.  The worst thing that can happen the goat getting away, and then I’ll be right there to catch it.”

And you know what? The goat got away.  Mark was right there to catch it.

I’ve become a much better showman in the six years since.  Because of the community members and mentors like Mark, who have given me tips, encouraged me, and handed out the opportunity to be an active part of agriculture, I continued to grow.  Knowing the people who invested in me as a shy sixth grader has shown me how much the agriculture community truly cares.  Remembering the common values we share, about loving people and caring and providing for other families and the land we use, motivates me to continue moving forward.  Coming back home reinforces my passion and reminds me who I am.

Whether home looks like certain people, values, or is shaped just like Goodhue county, looking back to our roots allows us to keep pushing forward on the right path. The people back home had been with me the whole time I was at our nation’s capitol. Their encouragement had carried me just as much as the wings of the plane we rode.  The confidence Mark had in me as he put a show chain in my hand six years ago transferred to my voice as I talked with congressmen during State Presidents' Conference.  Thinking of Sophia, a younger goat showman who leads just like I do, gave me the courage to run for chair, and then vice chair of a committee on the national level.  Remembering the time I let go of that goat in the show ring graced me with humility as I shook the hand of the United States' Secretary of Agriculture.

Every time I look back at where I came from, I’m amazed how far I can really go and inspired by all the people who have invested in me.  Keeping home in my heart, I can go even farther.

Let’s look back to those questions in “Cotton Eye Joe.”

Where did you come from?  

Where did you go?

Where did you come from?

Think about what's brought you to where you are. How can you carry your values, the people you've learned from, and home with you every day? Whether you keep in close contact with your community, share about them in conversations with other people, use skills you developed back home, or even reflect on a picture of you showing in shorts, (wait, that's me!) looking back will propel you forward. Decide to start your day focused on your faith, choose to capture and revisit your path in journals or pictures, or call home to thank your mentors tonight. Checking back in on where we come from helps us steer where we go next.

We are already capable of reaching phenomenal heights.  When we remember where we came from and those who invest in us, we can go even greater places.

Stationed by the plow,

Emily

Change: Heads or Tails?

It's already August, which means all of the stores are set up with supplies to get students ready for school, but students are trying to squeeze every available moment out of the remaining summer days. However, August means a few different things for me now than it did last year. Last year August meant putting off school shopping until the week before classes and seeing what schedules my friends had. This year, August means packing up my things and moving 146.5 miles away, hoping I'll be making new friends in the classes at college.

Emily and I went to the zoo with our new friend
Matt after orientation. 

I attended college orientation last month to get to know a little more about what my life would be looking like for the next four years. Emily and I both attended the same orientation session, and we learned a lot about the classes we would need to take and the different requirements we needed to meet for graduation. They covered all of the logistical things like dorm rooms, meal plans, and student IDs. I knew about campus security, transportation, and sporting events by the end of the first day, along with a variety of other things. Our orientation leaders even covered making new friends, which Emily and I managed to do while we were bowling during the social time that evening.

I left orientation the next day with a schedule, a new T-shirt, and a whole lot of pride for the Golden Gophers. However, as excited as I was for all of the opportunities at the University of Minnesota, I kept thinking about some of the words I had heard throughout my time on campus.

New. Different. Exciting. Unique. Transition.

I found these words were used to cover up a word I haven't always liked: change.

Everything is changing and quickly. Since orientation, I've spent a lot of time talking with my high school friends discussing what we'll be doing this coming school year. Friends that used to be ten minutes down the road will be living hours away. I won't be able to visit the ag. classroom (my second home) very often at school. My family will also be downsizing my beloved flock of chickens since I won't be home anymore. For awhile I wasn't really sure I was ready for this change. But there are different ways to handle change: two different sides. Optimism and pessimism. Heads and tails.

On the flip side, I am excited for all of the things I will be able to try in college. I have the chance to make more friends and build those relationships. I have the chance to study the things I'm interested in and create my future. I have a chance to live somewhere different and be a part of a wonderful new community.

That's the thing about change. Just because life is changing doesn't mean it isn't awesome. Our reaction to change has two sides, and we can pick which side we choose to look at. Often we forget about all of the chances that come along with change.  Once we choose to flip the coin and see the new opportunities we have instead of how worried we are, we can find greater value in change.

Change in life is the only constant. We all face it.  Maybe you’re moving to a new town and school, maybe a friendship has changed over the summer, or maybe you broke your arm and are out for the volleyball season. How we react to situations like this can make all the difference. We can emerge from changes as leaders or coaches, find new friendships and opportunities, or even grow closer to those around us in spite of - and sometimes because of - change. We have choices when we face change.  Next time you are faced with a change, I hope that you choose to look to the bright side to find growth and new opportunities. It all comes down to how you choose to look at it. Optimistically or pessimistically. Heads or tails. Except it really isn’t a coin toss at all. It’s all up to you.

Stationed by the rising sun,

Katie Benson

Wake up Smiling

Every morning when I wake up, the very first thing I see is a sign on my wall with a bunch of inspirational phrases in different fonts and sizes. But, being the person I am, I usually focus on the one on top (because more than one is waaay too difficult to remember). It reads: “wake up smiling,” so that is exactly what I strive to do every day when I wake up: smile. But I can’t say I have always had this sign, and I also can’t say I have ALWAYS woken up smiling. In fact, it used to be far from smiling.

When I was a kid, even up until about two years ago when I received this sign from my sister, I had the WORST attitude when I woke up in the morning. Not only did people want to avoid me for over an hour after I woke up, they wanted to be over a mile away from me. My family can vouch for me on that one. I had a case of the crabbys every morning, and it seemed like nothing could stop that from happening.

One day, my mom began to realize my attitude was affecting my personality and the events happening around me. Being that she and my dad are both teachers, they are always looking for ways to educate those around them, especially their own children in struggling times. This meant it was time for me to get a talking-to. I’ll never forget that in every situation I was down in the dumps, my mom would tell me (in different tones of voice depending on the situation): “Tomorrow is a new day, and your attitude when you wake up will determine what the rest of your day is like.” Again, being the sassy teenager I was, I would take this frequent comment from my mom as a “typical teacher move” and ignore it, waking up even grumpier than usual and choosing to NOT change my outlook on life. 

However, I didn’t realize that because my mom had this positive attitude she was and continues to be one of the happiest and most grateful people at all times in everything. Not only does she see the good in bad things, but she also sees negative experiences as growing times. This leads her to have a contagiously happier life and make those around her strive to have good attitudes as well.

Recently, I heard a shocking fact that only 13% of the United States workforce is passionate about their jobs. It makes me think about the attitude people are waking up and going to work with. Are they in the same boat I was in? Work performance is known to raise when we are passionate about our jobs. This is why my mom “hasn’t worked a day in her life,” because she truly loves what she does with her students each and every day through the challenges. Without an attitude like my mom has about life and her passion for students, what is the point in doing what we do?


My mom is willing to have a good attitude when she wakes up, and she continues to have great day after great day, regardless of what happened yesterday or the day before. I realized after about the hundredth time of my mom telling me “tomorrow is a new day” and showing me it is true that I could enact that belief in my life and it made all the difference. I began to love the work I did every morning in school and strive to make an awesome day no matter where I was. What steps can we take to make sure that every morning, we wake up smiling and have a good day?

Stationed by the Door,

Madeline Weninger