Learning How To Fail

Hmm… weird title. I would say so too, but hopefully as you read you will understand what I mean.

Life is tough, life is not fair, there are no free rides, and the list goes on. While all of this is true, it is a simple reality. However, I think now more than ever, people are not desensitized to failure until much later in life. All throughout childhood and adolescence we are protected from failure. Now I will go ahead and say now, that I don’t really know whether this is a good or bad thing overall, because it is a very delicate argument with valid points both ways. I think I stand on what probably is the less popular side in saying that we are sheltered too much and don’t learn the important lesson of how to fail.

Now I am no one to condemn any parent, teacher, coach, etc. for wanting to see everyone succeed, but the fact remains that failure is a part of any progressive society and lifestyle. If we never try anything new we will never expand our horizons and grow. Confidence is a big part of being comfortable and successful, and the best way to get confidence through experience. Often times, to me anyways, experience is a term we use for our failures and our reactions to them.

Now, let me bring this back to earth from a 30,000-foot perspective. As I am starting my career in sales I am quickly beginning to realize that failure is simply a part of the job. I will agree that failure is a negative term, but I’m keeping it simple. Not everyone is going to want to work with me, and there will be cases where things go wrong. I am very hard on myself, and many times I blame myself and take it personally when this happens, which is not healthy. The best thing to do, I am finding, is to learn from each situation and how I can become better at doing my job.

Personally, I think that it would do people some good to be exposed to failure more during education. I think all to often, people are allowed to skate by, when they didn’t earn it through their own hard work. Now, I am not saying that we should give up on them if they don’t make it, but what good are we doing them if we pass them by if they didn’t really earn it? Won’t they then develop an attitude that leads them to believe that it doesn’t matter how hard they try, the result won’t change?

I think even sports are an easy way to humble us and teach us how to learn from failure. Many times I can recall from my youth after a tough loss multiple people saying, “Its ok, you gave it your best, you’re a winner in my book.” I think I would have rather heard, “Well, you worked hard. What could you have done better?” It can be a humbling experience.

There are not winners and losers in life; that is simply a measure of attitude. However, in our roles we play in life, there are winners and losers. One of the differences between the “Outliers” and everyone else is their reaction to their failures, and their passion and practice of their trade.

Through some of the training that I have done I have come to realize that not only is failure a possibility, often times it is a necessity to become better. Since I have taken this I have found on a few occasions that I am much more comfortable going into unfamiliar situations. I give it my best shot, and then reset and figure out what I can do better the next time.

I’m a stickler for quotes, so I’ll leave you with this:

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow. "

— Mary Anne Radmacher

Passion. A Good Thing?

Passion is an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. That is one definition according to a dictionary. I think everyone has his or her own view of what passion is, and we all have it. There is something that all of us care deeply about. I had planned on posting this before Tuesday because what really got me thinking about this was all of the talk, commentary, and advertisements by, and for, those running for public office.

It is very apparent that every single person that is running is very passionate for their cause, that is what provoked them to embark on the hard, tiresome, and sometimes frustrating process of running for public office. Unfortunately, in all too many occasions, they resort to talking down their opponents, instead of talking about their platforms. We have debates instead of discussions. The reason for this is well known and clear; voters react much more strongly out of fear than confidence. In everyone’s busy lives it is hard to truly familiarize yourself with the platforms of all of the candidates. So, instead, we react to the little tidbits that we pick up from here and there.

All of this leads me to my point: Is passion a good thing? Now, if I were trying to make a long story short I would simply say “yes”, but that would be too easy. I think being passionate about something is driven by a lot of things, and it leads to a lot of our motivation. However, unchanneled passion is simply a waste of energy. The term I have begun to use is “speaking the listeners language.” We must be able to talk about our passions in ways that will entice our listeners. Things that I may say that make perfect sense to me may as well be spoken in mandarin to some of the people I talk to.

It is equally important to be able to have real discussions and conversations as opposed to debates and lectures. It is something that I think has become something of a lost art. It is sometimes too easy to become assertive, and just start talking down the opposite point of view instead of validating why you believe the way that you do. It can be very humbling sometimes to do this, and that is not a bad thing. To think that you cannot learn anything from the discussion is simply foolish. If we want our side of the story to receive proper attention we must give our own attention.

So, after making a short story long, yes, passion is a good thing.

Now, f you would like a little comic relief check out this video that was shared with me by a friend. Now this is passion… Phil Davison

Simply Livin'

Well, as some of you may or may not know I grew up in a very small town (smaller than some people’s high schools) in rural west-central Illinois. So, there is little doubt that it was a bit of a shock for me to go to a big college campus with almost 40,000 students from all over the country, and even greater, all over the world. A shock that I loved, and that I think has had a huge impact on the person that I am today. I’ll be honest and say that I thrived, and sometimes relied, on the fast paced atmosphere and the amped up social setting that I was surrounded by while at college.

During holidays or on weekends when I would go home I had a renewed appreciation for “The Simple Life” as I liked to call it. There wasn’t as much going on and I could really relax and wind-down from all of the excitement I had been engulfed in. Then, usually when it was time to go back I was ready to dive back in. Now, I have graduated and have moved to rural western Illinois about 2 hours North of where I grew up. I wouldn’t consider it quite as rural as my home area, but it still has a lot of the same qualities.

If we had a front porch, the view would be amazing. No, its not oceanfront, or even lakefront. The view is of farmsteads, crops, small towns, and timbers riddling with wildlife. I think when you first think of simple you probably are thinking of horse and buggy , no running water, slow pace, and wood stoves, but that’s not what I am meaning here. I simply mean (no pun intended) that there is greater appreciation for things. You feel an automatic connection to the people, no matter if they are your neighbors, or a stranger at the gas station. I have an advanced connection to nature and a renewed connection to agriculture.

Now, I will say that I am still adjusting to the slower social setting, while becoming more involved in the community and other organizations. I think that it will eventually morph into a mixture of the two extremes that I have had. I think that I have learned something from both situations and now appreciate the nuances. I have definitely generalized these two atmospheres a little too much, but for the purpose of this post it proves its point.

I am not here telling you that I am better off because I had the experience of growing up in a rural community, or that I have an leg up because I attended a large, diverse college campus; but they are definitely two things that have made me who I am. I am very proud of my work ethic, my ability to adapt to a wide range of challenges, and most of all my integrity, and I think that no matter what your background may be the important thing is that you are appreciative of it, and how it has made you who you are.

It took me who I was and where I’ve been to make me who I am.

- Author Unknown

The Man Behind the Dirt

If any of you have ever watched Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, or a multitude of other Discovery Channel programs you are probably familiar with the name Mike Rowe. Now up until about a month ago I just thought he was some funny guy that became the host of a TV show to show off some really funny jobs. That is until I, by happenstance, stumbled upon mikeroweWORKS.com. I was immediately enthralled for over an hour searching around this website dedicated to promoting “hard work.”

As I continued to look into it more I continued to be very impressed. As it turns out Mike himself was the one that had the idea to start what has now become Dirty Jobs, and he is no host. Instead, he is the apprentice; the people doing every Dirty Job are the hosts. Every show starts with an entry by Mike:

“My name's Mike Rowe, and this is my job. I explore the country looking for people who aren't afraid to get dirty — hard-working men and women who earn an honest living doing the kinds of jobs that make civilized life possible for the rest of us. Now, get ready to get dirty.”

And that is exactly what he does. He has spent the last five years traveling all 50 states doing over 200 jobs that most of us hardly ever even think of, and he jumps right in. The real draw of the show is the people that he meets and the interactions that he has with them. Mike has a great ability to interact with the workers and get them to show off their passion for the work that they are doing.

Now why am I praising the TV host? Well, the more I dig, the more I find that he has started a movement. A little over two years ago he finally welled up enough information and fortitude to launch mikeroweWORKS.com. His goal was to spread awareness and promotion of skilled workers. The website is full of information to help people that are looking to become skilled workers; articles, blogs, discussion boards, and the list goes on. He has used his persona to raise awareness for a noble cause.

Mike Rowe has found a way to make skilled labor respectable, and fun. That is not an easy task, and his movement is building. There are a lot of companies that are beginning to align with him to spread the word and encourage people to become involved. I don’t think there is any doubt in my mind that between the diminishing infrastructure in our country, the growing population in the world, and the increased attention to environmental stability around the world there is an increased need for awareness and promotion of skilled workers.

So this is my salute to you Mike Rowe, you have truly taken the initiative to help people. We need more people like you, especially in such high profile places.

Here is a link to his website. So, get ready to get dirty... www.mikeroweWORKS.com

United We Stand

I have long talked about and even longer thought about how to tell the story of agriculture to people that are not involved with it in their every day lives. I always try to tell my story whenever the opportunity arises, and even sometimes when it doesn’t (which does become a little awkward), and I always try to answer questions that my friends have. We really need more interaction like that, people that are willing to have an open dialogue about some of the concerns with our food system. I assure you that I, nor anyone in my field, is one bit ashamed of our practices and we have to be willing to talk about them. We do a great job telling each other about what we are doing, and we do a great job telling our story to the youth in agriculture, but mostly we are just preaching to the choir.

There has not been an organized way for this to happen on a greater level than the grassroots individual conversations. Until now, that is. About a month ago at the Illinois State Fair, on Ag Day, a coalition of groups made an announcement. Something that has been brewing for a few months and now it is finally becoming a reality. Members of the American Farm Bureau, Illinois Corn Growers, Illinois Beef, Illinois Pork Producers, and Illinois Soybean announced the Farmer Image Campaign. They revealed research conducted on their behalf by the public relations agency Morgan & Myers, which include a poll of 1,100 non-farm adults in Illinois. Among their findings:

• They believe 54% of Illinois farm products come from "corporate farms" and 46% comes from "family farms." (Not from the survey: USDA stats show 94% of the nation's food supply comes from individual family farms and partnerships. Just a little number to tuck under your cap.)
• They cannot clearly define "factory farms," yet uniformly feel that such farms dominate Illinois agriculture.
• Two-thirds say they are not knowledgeable about farming practices used on Illinois farms. But two-thirds also say they are personally concerned about lax regulations of corporate farms and are concerned about the role of big business in farming.

So, you say, this is just useless research data. Well, with this they are aiming to start a real campaign. They are going to start an ad campaign that features Illinois family farmers to try to show consumers what real commercial farming looks like. Now, for people like me, we may never see the fruits of this labor (think preaching to the choir again). This ad campaign will be focused where it is needed most.

Now if you could see me talking about this in person, you would be able to see how excited I am about this. I had the opportunity to participate in a Farm Bureau Young Leader Discussion Meet last month, and this was one of the very topics that we discussed. It was evident from the discussion that we had that I, along with my fellow contestants, am very excited and passionate about this. It is very exciting to see the leadership of our industry moving in this direction. Now I stand waiting for a call to assist. I don’t really know what I would be able to do to help with something like this, but if they ask you better bet I will be eager to volunteer.

Heres a link to a little video: The Greatest Story Never Told

The Power of Persistence

Well believe it or not, my blogs are usually inspired by something. Its usually as simple as something I hear, read, or see. This one is no different. I was speaking with my sister about her current job and how she had to work so many other jobs, some of which were very far from what she really wanted to do, but she kept at it and now she is doing something she really enjoys. So I would like to start by giving you one of my favorite quotes:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

-- Calvin Coolidge

Many people would say that Thomas Edison tried and failed over 3000 times to make an incandescent light bulb. Edison would tell you that he simply found over 3000 ways not to make a light bulb. Abraham Lincoln lost 8 elections before becoming one of the most revered presidents in history. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. If any of these people would have given up and not believed in themselves things would have turned out a lot differently.

There is no doubt that a lot of variables go into success. Everyone has talents, and there is no doubt that education is valuable in increasing your chances of success. I think what President Coolidge was trying to say is that no one is successful unless they have an attitude to match.

I think every day we are faced with opportunities to give in, quit, or take the easy route. Some days there are even bigger opportunities, and the bigger it is the harder it is to resist. For me I always keep my eye on the prize. I remind myself of the things that I want to accomplish, big and small, and charge myself to keep working towards those goals. This is something that I know I would not have been able to do a couple years ago, but with the experiences I had over the last couple years I’ve been able to look at things more “big picture” and not get so bogged down in hour by hour, day by day.

I think something that is important is to make sure that the things you are doing and focusing on are indeed helping to accomplish your big picture goals. While I do realize that in some ways it is very idealistic to think this way, and I really am not usually one that is big into having a “goal sheet” or anything like that, but I definitely have an idea of some of the things that I want to accomplish. I think it is different for everyone, and everyone has to find his or her own motivation. For some it is money, for some it is fear of failure, but I think the best motivation is nothing about security, and is more about fulfillment.

Now, while the examples that I gave earlier are very extreme, it is a great way to realize that it is true. I often times hear people say “I wish I did…” or “If I had only done…” So I’ve tried to be mindful of that and take on the challenges that come. I will persist.

Dare to dream of your great success. Become intimate with those things which deeply motivate you and regularly work toward the realization of that mission.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Control the Controllables

“Turn off Fox News, turn off AM radio, stop yelling at the weather, focus on what you can control!” said Dr. Steve Johnson, extension specialist from Iowa State University, at a conference for Corn Growers put on by Wyffels Hybrids. One of his main themes was to “Control the Controllables.” He was talking about how there is so much going on in the world and with their farms that they cannot control, and they need to acknowledge that. Instead, he encouraged them all to focus on the things that they could control, and then to become masters of them.

While I do very much appreciate the root of his thoughts in relation to farming, and can certainly relate them to our farm back home, I think that everyone could apply this simple mindset to at least some parts of their lives. It really is a great piece of advice in my opinion. Although, I think that this could be interpreted to mean you should be a hermit and shut yourself off from the world, which is a little extreme. I think his point is more that you should focus and spend your time thinking about things that you can control. I think we all need to be aware of what is going on in the news, and contrary to Dr. Johnson I do think we need to pay attention to, and participate in politics, but at the same time, not get too caught up in it.

I know that I, all too many times, get very caught up in a lot of things that I literally have zero control of. I get frustrated with things that I will never understand, and in the end all it turns out to be is wasted energy. I still don’t understand, and it still doesn’t make sense. Now, if I had nothing to do, and nothing else I could focus on to improve myself then there would be no harm in any of this. That simply is not the case however. There are plenty of things that are well within my control that I can focus to improve and understand.

Bonus: There was something else said at that conference that for some reason struck my attention. One speaker was talking about forming business partnerships and being ethical and honest in business dealings. He said, “Make sure you aren’t going to end up having to hire your Paul Bearers.” It kind of sets you back at first, but it really is a simple message. It doesn’t matter what possessions, or how much money you have when all is said and done. You never see a U-Haul being pulled behind the hearse. There is no reason to sacrifice friendships and the respect of people over a stupid business deal or a few bucks here and there. As I have said before, do things the right way and to the best of your ability, and good things will happen.