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Outgrowing Life

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 your herds.

When I was young and in my 20's I loved going out to bars and having drinks with friends. The social aspect was great and I met all sorts of wonderful people. Some are still my friends to this day. What is funny is, I still enjoy drinks with friends, but now I want it to include dinner and for me to be home no later than 8 pm - maybe 8:30 if it's the weekend. Being in a bar all evening with drunk people is not appealing anymore. It hasn’t been in years. It’s the bar life I outgrew, not the socializing. I grew my mind to appreciate socializing in a different form of life which has expanded into many more opportunities. 

As an adult there are a lot of changes in life. Our body is no exception. We tend to outgrow clothes as we get older. Getting rid of those jeans and favorite shorts we used to wear in hopes that we would get back into them one day is hard for many people to do. I have done it and glad I did. What if we outgrew our clothes because we grew our minds and not our bodies? What if we ate better, got more exercise, and watched our bodies outgrow those larger sized clothes? Getting to throw away a belt because it’s too big versus too small is an awesome feeling. We are still growing, just different parts of our lives.

The rules for life are not set in stone. There are many paths you can take and be successful. The problem is, some don’t look past certain goals they have and keep going. You outgrew single traits in your herd, what are you doing next to improve your herd? Okay, you outgrew going to bars all the time, what are you doing with that extra time? You outgrew some clothes, what’s the next step in making your life better? 

Outgrowing life is a good thing for most. Keep striving for the next goal, the next win, the next achievement. When you are not satisfied with the results, do it again, only better. Part of success in life means we outgrow things we once cared for or thought we cared for, those are the lessons that make us who we are today. Which for many, is better than yesterday. 

“Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others.” - Virginia Woolf

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