Get Back Up Again

I’m not going to lie, the past few months have been rough. If you know anything about the agriculture industry, you know that if you aren’t born into it it’s close to impossible to get started. I’ve spent the last two years trying to “get started”. Time after time I was told that I didn’t have enough experience in the industry which created a never ending loop of needing experience to gain experience.

I was told by one person that I lacked the drive to make it in the livestock industry. Someone else said that they didn’t want to waste the time teaching someone the basics. I was even told my attitude was sub-par. YES! THEY LITERALLY TOLD ME MY ATTITUDE WAS SUB FREAKING PAR. This was basically soul crushing and left me wanting to leave the dream behind.

A wave of absolute depression consumed my every day life. I felt like I had lost touch with myself. I started considering transferring schools, taking a gap year, and even dropping out. The life I pictured for myself seemed so out of reach.

This wave drowned me for weeks and then POOF, a beautiful email popped up on my screen. I was offered an interview at a barn that I would soon spend every day at. From the very first second of that interview my boss encouraged every goal I mentioned. The next day I was waking up at 6 am to get to the barn. Okay actually I didn’t wake up at 6 am because I didn’t sleep I was so excited.

Skip forward a few months and here I am doing exactly what I was told I was incapable of. I never thought that a minimum wage job that leaves me exhausted and filthy would be the greatest job i’ve ever had. I have spent pretty much everyday loving on and learning about the twenty somethin horses at the barn and with every halter I put on those horses I feel that spark I thought I lost. My dream is now becoming my reality!

Now that I told y’all that little story let me hop on this soap box for a second.

Take a moment and appreciate where you are now. The you from a few years ago, the you from a few months ago, maybe even the you from yesterday is dreaming to be where you are today! It’s easy to get caught up in the idea of the future but today’s set backs are tomorrow’s beginning. Don’t let failure be the reason you stop chasing your dream because believe it or not everyone fails. I know crazy right?! At some point you will fail and most likely a few more times after that AND THAT IS AYE OKAY! Think of it like a red light. It’s simply a brief pause in your travel for your own safety. You can choose to run that red light and risk getting run over or you can sit your happy little butt at that intersection for a minute and breathe! If you take the time to appreciate every moment you’ll see that everything truly does happen for a reason.

The past few months have taught me so much not just about animals but life and i’m so thankful for every little moment that has led me to where I am now. When I applied to A&M I was a biochemistry major and wanted to be a neurosurgeon. As each day passed the path began to change and here I am now, a biomedical and animal sciences major applying to vet school. Yep you read that right. I am applying to veterinary school!

While the path i’m on now definitely isn’t the path I started on and most likely isn’t the same path i’ll be on in the future, i’m sure as heck glad to be on it. So even though some set backs were tough, they were simply just bumps in… The Paw Print Paved Road.