JWsPOV

Life is made up of many chapters. Some are happy, some are sad, and some are scary. Those chapters of life build you into the person you are today. I don’t remember anywhere or at any time that my very wise parents told me that life would be easy or full of only wonderful events.  Many people are posting their photos and stories of taking their kids to college. The wonderfully decorated dorm rooms, and apartments, the tears of happiness. I remember when my mom, sister, and dad dropped me off for college. That was back when freshmen at A&M didn’t have to live on campus. I lived with my aunt and uncle for 2 years. I wonder as I got older what that conversation between my parents and sister was like as they drove away. All of them had tears in their eyes. It wasn’t until I was older when I understood why. Rounding out a good chapter of life. Loss of life is horrible. Period. End of story. No matter the reason why or the cause behind it, death is a part of life that we as humans ha...

I am not sure the title of this article needs any explanation. We should know that we have a 100% chance of nothing happening in our lives, if we fear it so much, we never make an attempt. What we do not know is what will happen or change because we did make an attempt. Fear of failure is in our heads and a powerful emotion. Especially for people who hate to fail or be wrong. The only option is to do it. Years ago, an employer asked me if I was fearful of losing a job. I said no, because I will find other work. Overcoming that fear of failure usually happens after you have failed. Once you realize the world doesn’t end, things will be alright.  Lessons in life come from both success and failure. It is growth as humans. Certain predators stay away from porcupines because of fear of getting stuck by their quills. One predator of porcupines is a Fisher. They are a member of the weasel family. They will continually attack a porcupine at its head until it dies. This is to av...

As a kid, my parents told me certain things I would outgrow in life. I didn’t believe them at the time. Now, I look back at how wise they really were and still are about life.  In livestock there are trends that pop up and people snatch on to with excitement. Clubby type heifers, or heifers bred to be steers, are still popular with a lot of people. They believe it’s the only way to raise steers for show. It is not and never has been. As an industry, we need to grow out of the mindset of one type traits. Most successful producers will tell you the key to longevity is not a single trait herd. It is the well rounded aspects of the animals. Sound and functional animals with rib shape and good maternal traits are the basis for most operations. Having a herd of single trait animals does not mean you won’t raise a champion at a major show. Growing the mindset of your herd means you will probably grow multiple champions at major shows. Grow your mind into thinking long term in ...