Learning to let go, learning to be happy

Written By: Robyn - Nov• 10•14
Subscribe to me on YouTube
Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

I have always been an incredibly driven person. Some may call it overbooked, too many irons in the fire, or overcommitted. I never saw it this way. I wanted to be involved in as many things as I could. However, I finally learned when you do that, the person who suffers the most isn’t those around you, it’s yourself. When you commit to too many things, the person who gets left out of the equation is yourself. I was prioritizing work first, and everything else behind that, and left myself for dead last.

This is what happened to me. I was working a full time job which I liked, but I was having to spend nearly 10 hours a week driving there and back, and I had a hard time saying no, even when it required working on nights and weekends. I wanted to make a difference, and was willing to do whatever was needed to make that happen.

However, that was only the tip of the iceberg. I was also freelancing for several publications including weeklys, monthlys, and bimonthlys. Then I had all my livestock. And being on a National Board. And a house to keep clean, meals to cook and laundry to do. I had hit my breaking point, and I wasn’t happy.

My first change was with my job. I liked what I got to do, but I didn’t like the drive, and I felt like I was wasted a lot of my life (and money for fuel) driving every day. So I approached the American Boer Goat Association with a position that I thought could benefit the association, and they agreed. I would be allowed to work remotely from home, which completely cut out my commute. While this was a major perk, the best part is that now I get to work in the industry that I am most passionate about – goats.

I get to think about and talk about goats all day. Now for some this might get old, but not for me. I get to attend shows and expos and talk goats with other producers, those interested in just getting started, and those who know nothing about goats. We talk genetics, reproduction, nutrition and current issues. It’s heaven for me. I also got to take over their magazine, which has been a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for that publication.

My second change was to let go of some of some of the freelance writing I was doing. If it wasn’t paying back financially very well, if I wasn’t treated with respect, or if I felt it just wasn’t the right fit, I let it go. This included letting go of writing for a publication which I had written for every week for more than 3 years. It turns out this was the best decision I made, even though it was hard at the time.

I wasn’t getting paid very well for the amount of work I was putting in, and the stress made me irritable. Now I only write for a couple of monthlys and bimonthlys, and not only has my writing improved, but I actual enjoy writing again. It’s not just a job that I have to do to get by.

I also decided not to rerun for the board position that I was on. I did run for president, but had made the agreement with myself that if I didn’t get it, I wasn’t going to rerun for my current position, because I felt like I had become ineffective and that someone else would do a better job. That is hard to admit, but it’s the truth. Fresh people mean fresh ideas, which means progress.

I took up long distance running, which helped me clear my mind since I can only focus on the task at hand when I run. It helped me drop weight, which made me happier with my body, which improved my mood.

Working from home dramatically cut my stress level for my livestock, and I’m no longer worried about something going wrong when I’m not home. Now if it happens, I fix the problem, and can get back to working without getting an ulcer.

I also took up teaching at a university, which has always been a goal of mine. I was offered an adjunct professor/instructor position within the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University, teaching two online classes for the Master of Agriculture and Master of Agricultural Education majors. It’s been a great experience, and I can’t wait to see what opportunities lie ahead there.

For the first time in years, I was able to read on an airplane flight instead of working diligently on my laptop. It’s hard for me to remember a time when I did that. It was lovely. I very much enjoy reading, and am trying to make reading a priority.

Things aren’t perfect, yet. But I’m getting there. I hope to finally get my house organized this fall. I’ve found my stress level drastically decreases when I’m organized, and as I get older, having a clean house is more and more important to me.

I also hope to find some time for art. I used to love oil painting and drawing. The last time I picked up either was more than 6 years ago. I also used to love playing instruments, and it’s been even longer since I’ve done that.

I am still continuing to work on making myself a better person. I could be more patient, and I could be more flexible. I still get flustered in situations when things change unexpected (I like routine and planning), but I’m getting better.

However, the one thing I am absolutely sure about is that I’m happier now than I have been for several years, since I graduated from grad school. If that isn’t something to celebrate, I don’t know what is.

Posted in On the Farm | 1 Comment »

Heading back to the blue and gold

Written By: Robyn - Nov• 01•14
Subscribe to me on YouTube
Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

I am a big proponent of youth organizations. I think they help young adults learn responsibility, respect, determination and perseverance. They also give students opportunities to develop real world skills like leadership, communication and professionalism.

FFA, in my opinion, is one of the best youth programs in this country. FFA is geared towards high school students, and was a program that I participated in. FFA students can compete in all sorts of contests from speaking to livestock judging, and this year, 2014, FFA has the highest membership it has ever had with more than 600,000 members.

That is incredible to me. Ag teachers and volunteers across the country help guide these students into adulthood, where they will hopefully become productive members of society.

I have a passion for FFA, but I did not have the ideal FFA experience when I was in high school. I joined as a freshman, and enjoyed the experiences of that first year, from learning to creed to attending the State FFA convention. I won the Star Greenhand award that year, and was my class representative on the officer team.

However, my sophomore year all but killed that passion that I started with. Our chapter was struggling, and I did not feel like I was getting out of the classroom what I was looking for. Many students would have loved the opportunity to mess around, but I was there to learn. So my junior year, I decided to quit FFA.

I wish I would have stuck it out. Not because I wanted to sit all class, but because I missed out on opportunities like being on the officer team and competing in state career development events. I never competed at anything above the chapter level.

My senior year I decided I wanted to show livestock at the county fair, and since I wasn’t in 4-H, I rejoined FFA. I worked hard, and the spring of my senior year, I purchased two hogs, three lambs and some turkeys to show. I’d never shown livestock, but I wanted the experience.

It turns out, I loved it. My gilt was the Reserve Grand Champion Bred and Fed, and I was hooked. I kept her back and started my own sow program, which I still operate today. When I was able to move my hogs to college, I did, and I competed in jackpots and at the county breeding show.

When I aged out, I looked for another species I could show, and that’s how I landed on goats. I purchased a few dairy and a few Boer goats, and that started what is now a 50 head goat operation.

My supervised agricultural experience (SAE) included horses, hogs, sheep, goats and placement at my parent’s farm. I decided my senior year that I wanted to pursue my state and American FFA degrees, because I wanted to know what it felt like to earn something above the chapter level.

Because I had left my junior year, I wasn’t eligible until I was 21, because you have to have a membership for 4 consecutive years. I worked hard on my application, and in June 2009, I received my state FFA degree. In October of the same year, I earned my American degree. It was a dream come true.

When I look back at my FFA experience, it would have been very easy for me to give up and leave for good when I didn’t get what I was expecting. But I decided to give it another go, and if I hadn’t, I don’t think I’d be in the career that I am today.

It’s because of this that I promote FFA. I know what the program is capable of in the hands of the right ag teacher. I have numerous friends I graduated college with who are now ag teachers, and I love seeing the difference they are making in their student’s lives. It takes a lot of commitment on behalf of the teacher, but the rewards for the students long term are priceless.

I have had the opportunity to attend the the National FFA convention five of the last six years, and this one was my fourth in a row. I’ve recruited for Colorado State University, Sigma Alpha Sorority, and now for the Junior American Boer Goat Association. I still love the experience, and hearing young people get excited about agriculture, and especially about goats.

I know that FFA will remain a part of my life. I’ve had the opportunity to judge state CDE contests, and in a few weeks, I will be giving workshops at a district leadership conference about agricultural communication and advocating for agriculture. If I can make a difference and inspire even one student, it will be a success.

#GoFFA

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

Taking control of my health

Written By: Robyn - Oct• 19•14
Subscribe to me on YouTube
Facebook Follow
Twitter Follow
Pinterest

I’ve always been athletic, from the earliest time I can remember. I grew up in gymnastics, and loved playing sports. My fondest memories of high school were my athletic experiences, and sports taught me a lot of hard work and mental preparation. One of my greatest accomplishments was winning a state championship in both the shot put and discus, but I knew those awards were earned because of the time and dedication that I spent every day on my craft.

Even though I was athletic, running was not something enjoyed, well, ever. I was decent at a short sprint, but anything above that I dreaded. This last May, I decided to do something that for the months following I wondered, “What the heck am I thinking??”

What was this awful thing that I had done? I signed up to run a half marathon. Now, I had never ran farther than a 5K in my life, and the last time I had run that was my freshman year of college. So what gave me this hair brained idea?

Well, I have a friend from high school who was a cross country and actually enjoys running. She convinced a friend of mine from college (we all worked together at Farm Bureau) to run this half marathon with her, and therefore I got nominated too. I needed a reason to try to get in shape, so I agreed, paid my money, and then began to dread what I knew I’d have to do, because I don’t quit things.

My first run was on June 24. I ran a mile, and thought I was going to die. I was slow, awkward and heavy, and the next day I hurt. All I could think was, “There is no way that I can do this.”

However, I kept at it, and pretty soon I was running three miles and feeling ok about it. Then I ventured farther, and when I finally got up to half of my race (6.55) miles, I was estatic. It wasn’t as hard anymore, even though some days it felt like I was running through molasses. Running was becoming of part of life.

I kept pushing, and one day I had the feeling, “I CAN do this. I can be a runner.” It was very freeing, because I knew I had passed my mental block, which was just as much of a hurdle as getting my body in shape. My mind had to follow.

When I told people what I was doing, I was surprised at not only how many people encouraged me, but also how many said, “Are you sure you are ready?” A half marathon is a daunting task, but it’s not as bad as I had imagined it. I just had to train, and I knew that I did everything that I could. It wasn’t easy, and I missed weeks of training due to illness. But I never gave up.

On race day I was nervous, but I felt like I could do it. Crossing the starting line activated my competition attitude, and it was game on. The first few miles felt pretty good, but it was actually the middle of the race when I felt the best. I enjoyed the cheering, the encouragement the volunteers gave us, and the freedom of focusing only on the task at hand.

My goal first and foremost was to finish. I hoped to complete it in 2 hours 30 minutes, and I ended up finishing at 2:29. Not bad for my first attempt. The finish was exhilarating. I turned the corner to the home stretch, and the adrenaline hit and I sprinted to the finish. I was handed my metal, and my first instinct was to cry. Not because I hurt, or couldn’t breath, but because I had done it, in the time I wanted, and I never walked.

I was told that training for this would not help me loose weight. Those people were wrong. Running helped me shed more than 20 pounds, and trim down. However, more important than that it allowed me take back control of my health. Like many Americans I had become more sedentary than I liked, and sitting at a computer for hours a day and eating out didn’t help. I wasn’t happy with how I looked and more importantly, how I felt. So I changed it.

Working every day on the farm helps keep me strong, but I needed the cardio to stay fit. Being healthier has helped me on the farm to be more productive, and all it took was some determination, being more conscious of what I was eating, and the dusty county roads.

Posted in Personal Life , | No Comments »
<<12345>>