Newbie

Last week, I was challenged by my friend Liz to start a twitter account. Actually, the conversation went more like this:

Me: “I just don’t think I want to. I don’t even have a smartphone!”

Liz: “DO IT!”

I took that as a personal challenge to get twitter and become an efficient tweeter. As I started in on all of the new bird talk, I began to think about what I had just done. “What if I tweet something that is dumb? What if I don’t do the #hashtag or @ thing right? Why am I even starting this?” I began to doubt my somewhat perfectionistic self. Why? I did not want to make a mistake. If I messed up, someone would see it and know that I am not right all the time. That fear of being wrong ran through my head all day. Even with it, I decided that I would try tweeting, and let the social media world know that I had begun the world of twitter.

Twitter is just a small thing, but so many times, I find myself thinking those questioning thoughts. I wonder if people will see me for who I am- someone who is NOT perfect all the time. That scares me! Instead, I should think thoughts that say, “This is new to me. I might not do it exactly right, but I can learn from my mistakes.” When I think back on the greatest things I have learned, they largely are the product of being imperfect.

I am working on taking on a new guiding principle.

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

-2 Timothy 1:7

Instead of being timid, I am working to show the power, love and self-discipline I have been given.

Here goes nothing… Erin Daninger is not perfect.

She is, however, proud to be a dairy farmer’s daughter, follower of Christ, and doing her best to be herself. She is created by God and made in His image. She will no longer be an example of timidity.

What are you scared to try?

Are you portraying timidity, or are you showing the world power, love, and self-discipline?

Just a few thoughts from a farmer's daughter.

Erin

The Power of One

While I was at work today, I had a conversation with my boss. Now my boss, John, is the Vice President of Retail Sales for the ENTIRE company. He has a huge responsibility just within that business. To say the least, he's kind of a big deal. Last summer, he also took on a position with the sponsors' board for the National FFA Foundation. It is a position which he says he considers to be another job. John essentially has two jobs, but it's what he does with them together that makes a difference.

As we were speaking today, John's eyes got big, his voice started getting louder, and his hands began to fly. He was getting so fired up about one particular subject- not his kids, not meeting the sales objectives for the spring, and not the creation of a new product. Instead, he got fired up about FFA!

FFA. 

Agricultural Education. 

Youth in agriculture. 

THAT is what fueled the passion John couldn't keep to himself. John's excitement centered around finding a way that he could make every single employee in the company aware about FFA and the potential it brings with it. John is busy doing his part to make a difference in those people he interacts with on a daily basis.

This past weekend, I attended an educational and promotional weekend for dairy princesses through Midwest Dairy. Each of the 84 young women in attendance left the event equipped to share their agriculture story and love for dairy with every person they interact with, whether it is a three year-old consumer, a mom trying to feed her kids a healthy diet, or a peer in college. We left with the ability to tell our story effectively.

We all can share our story - growing up on a dairy farm, finding that we love the FFA Public Speaking Career Development Event, or helping our local food shelf - with someone near us. It doesn't have to be to an entire company. Start by telling one person. There are many of us, all with experiences from FFA, 4-H, and agriculture life that can be shared. Begin with one story.

Tell one person.
Share one story.
It all makes a difference.

Just a few thoughts from a farmer's daughter.
Erin