Running?

     One of the most exhilarating four days of my life was when I ran for State Office. As just another girl from another chapter and big dreams of being up on that stage the following year, I was just another person in the line up to go through the interviews. I made friends, cried, rejoiced, and stressed. But all in all, that was just my experience. You, as a State Officer candidate will experience a whole new meaning of emotion over the next few days. Life as you know it is about to change.

    What I want to tell you all today isn't to scare you or to make you second guess your decision to put in your application, it is to make you aware of what is to come. 

    First off, to the six of you who make it onto the team, the next year is going to consist of the most tiring, building, and hardest days. There will be times where you will want to quit. There will be times where you may not completely disagree with you teammates at all. There will be times where you have to get up at 4 am and stay up till 1 am the next day and then repeat it all over again. There will be times that you are so sick of being in a fishbowl where you have to always be a role model and everyone is watching you. But, this next year is going to be the most rewarding, amazing, fruitful time of your life. In order to do that, you have to give it your all. You go through trainings and meetings so you can prepare. "It is about you know, so it can be about them always." Keep that quote in mind. Your members are the reason you are in office, and it for them that you serve. And if there is only one thing that you take from this whole post, it is to stay humble. Remember the way you felt when you received your letter or told you made it past first cut. Remember how you felt when you stood in the back of the auditorium with the remaining candidates. Remember how your heart dropped when the Nominating Committee chairman calls your name and chapter. And remember that there were friends, past teammates, and fellow candidates that are still standing in the back of the room. Serve them and your members from around the state more than you serve yourself. 

     To those who are waiting for their name at the back of the auditorium. Good job. "Why?" you say? "Why good job? I didn't make office." Good job because you made it that far. Good job because you turned in the application, you went through the days of hell, you showed leadership and desire. Not very many people can make it past the first step of filling the application out. And to be honest with all y'all, I almost didn't either. I was going through a time where I had more than one enemy battling me, pushing me backwards, pulling me towards failure. The day that it was supposed to be post marked and as it sat in a neat stack in the manila envelope on my kitchen table, my momma said to me," Kenzie Leigh, if you don't mail that, you will be so upset because you won't know what might have been." Wise words. So I congratulate you on that much. You did what you needed to do so you could know what would happen. And I am sure that it is utterly disappointing to not represent the Association but I want you to not dwell on that. Grieve and be upset but then, as hard as it is, try to move on. I am not a super religious person, but I have had it all throughout my life and I believe that God (or fate if that is what you believe in) has something for all of us. Just because you didn't get State Office, doesn't mean it is the end of the world. It means that you have something bigger and better out there for you. For example, my teammate Kyle ran his senior year of high school and was one of the ones who didn't make it. He ran again and he go the chance to serve as the State Sentinel. He always told us that he wasn't mean to be on that team, he was meant to serve a mission in Honduras. There is something else that life, God, fate has planned for you, and if you decide that you want to try again, then do so! Believe in yourself and the things that life may or may not have planned for you. 

    Now as for the running process, I have had a lot of people what I suggest. I have three pieces of advice. 1) Be yourself. Don't be fake or try to be a "better leader" or try to become something that you think Nom Com will like more. Nom Com picks the people who are the most real and will be best fit to serve the state. 2) Don't be afraid to show emotion. People, I cried during at least two of my interviews. They want to see passion and that you love FFA and you truly want this. Show how much you want it. I mean, don't go getting ridiculous and just cry to cry. Use that tool with meaning. 3) Make friends with those who are around you. Those people who you are running with will be friends you keep for a long while. For heavens sake, we colored together and made a paper chain with our names. These are some of Idaho's greatest people, take advantage of this great opportunity and keep these great people in your life. Once you view them as your competition is the moment that the experience stops being all that it can be. 

    State Office is a best of it's own and you won't completely understand all that goes on or what it is like to be an officer until you are an officer. 

    Good luck this next week. I wish you all the best. FYI, Erin and I plan on dropping by and chatting with y'all periodically during the week. I cannot wait for State to come, I am jittery with excitement to see all my peeps. Although I am not jealous of all those running, I am jealous of the fact that you only have to pack Official Dress. My suitcase is all too small for this adventure. 

See y'all TOMORROW!

Peace, Love, and FFA!

McKenzie