What has showing livestock done for me? How will it prepare me for life? These are questions I could spend hours on hours answering, telling you stories of my experiences, and theories of what my future will hold. One thing I do know is that my future is extremely bright, and I can thank showing livestock and the FFA for that. I had times I wanted to give up and sleep in like my friends instead of feeding livestock, but I know that the discipline and sacrifice I put myself through will pay off in the end. Showing livestock has taught me many lessons, for example:

1. Sleep is for the weak.

2. Livestock eat before you do.

3. Enjoy it while you can.

4. No matter how much you disagree with the judge just know he is always right.

5. Show season will never go smoothly; expect the unexpected.

Perseverance, time management, and take a step back and enjoy it while you have it; these are the things showing livestock has taught me to prepare me for the road ahead.

What is perseverance? Being steadfast in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Showing livestock is every bit of that definition. We buy animals and take risks we probably shouldn’t, but we continue on and we keep our eyes on the goal. We keep our heads up after an unexpected loss, and we look forward to the next show and hope to do better. This is something important that everyone should learn. Whether you choose to be a farmer, a doctor, a teacher, or anything else; you will be faced with challenges. People will tell you that you can’t do it and that you will fail, but you have to persevere.

Time management, this is something that is an important building block of having success in the show ring. When you show livestock you have to make sure you have time to work and feed your animals every single day. You also have to make time for schoolwork, because if you don’t have good grades you can’t show. It will only become more important, and more relevant as we get older. No matter the job, or career you pick time management will be an important factor. I have days where I look at my schedule and think to myself I must be a superhero for accomplishing all of that in a 12-hour day. Managing your time, and putting the important things first will make all the difference.

Live in the moment and enjoy things while you have them. All through high school my life revolved around FFA and showing livestock. Whether it was other school activities, friends, a life, or even boys they always came second to my livestock projects. I will forever be a FFA has been, but I loved the FFA with everything I had. You have to live in the moment, and be able to love the job you’re doing. Going through the motions from day to day is not the way to live. Make the most of it while you can, because before you know it you will be that 75-year-old farmer that is forced to quit, because of the ridiculous reasoning of healthy precautions. We all know whom I am talking about. For me that person is my grandfather. He could be on his deathbed, but his cows still need to be fed and checked on. He keeps saying how he needs to move in town because he is getting too old, but we all know that will never happen. Honestly, I am okay with that. He loves that farm, and making him move in town would be like taking away his oxygen. He wouldn’t be able to function. He always tells me to enjoy the times I am having right now, because one day it will only be a memory.

Showing livestock prepared me for life in ways I can not yet comprehend. I may not understand some of the lessons it taught me until struggles and tribulations hit, but I do know that I will be ready when that time comes. I will persevere when the need arises. I will have good time management skills. I will live in the moment and enjoy it while I can.