by Audrey Redalen
For many, the calving season is in full swing! As our family’s herd is just getting started here, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of new calves.
These calves are the result of time spent deliberating on how to best mate our cows and heifers, carefully critiquing, analyzing, and weighing all the options as bulls are selected. With all the time spent in preparation, it made me question: is it the excitement of the new calf crop that gets us out of bed to check cows, fight frozen fingers when the drinkers are frozen, or tolerate our cheeks being bitten by the windchill in the air when feeding cattle? (This may be the Midwest perspective, but we all battle the elements when raising livestock.) Or is there something more driving us to do what we do?
Some might say you have to have a lot of grit in this industry. There are certainly ups and downs when you have livestock. Author Angela Duckworth is well known for her thoughts on grit, how long-term success depends more on perseverance than on talent alone, and that people persist when their work feels meaningful or has a purpose. This surely resonates with us as stewards of the land and cattle in our care. I believe we are called to serve with purpose. We know that our actions have purpose both as we seek to work toward short-term and long-term goals. We know that what we do matters. We find purpose in our contributions to something meaningful and bigger than ourselves because what we do really does matter.
As you take a moment to think about how, at its core, what we do really matters, I’d challenge you to think about how reflecting on your purpose can continue to guide your actions. Maybe there are goals you’ve set for yourself this year, or maybe there are dreams and aspirations that you have and would like to achieve a few years from now. Your actions matter! Through the meaningful relationships, shared experiences, and purpose that occur through involvement with the AJSA, there is a lot to be optimistic about both in the year ahead and in the years to come! .
