Life-long advice

How many times are we told "wow, you did a great job," and yet, we feel that we could have done better? Today, Mr. Jerry Rose, Vice President of Cargill and Chair of the FFA Sponsors' Board, met with my teammates and I to share his many years of insight on what makes an individual successful.

Mr. Rose gives credit to his successes to the following two sayings in his life:

1)"While some may judge us on what we have achieved, we judge ourselves on what we are capable of."

2)"You want to build something that will outlast yourself."

Mr. Rose's first motto is all about continuous improvement. So often we may accomplish a destination we had in mind, only to discover that we are capable of something much more. It is easy to be flattered by others and accept status quo; however, to truly stay ahead of the curve it is important to know your potential and nourish it. My greenhand year in FFA, I was confident that I was going to win the speech contest. That year's contests, I practiced a few times, and ended up getting 10th place. My advisor congratulated me on making the top ten, yet I was devastated because I knew that if I had worked harder and been more disciplined, then I could have achieved more.

Mr. Rose knows the feeling I experienced that day at my first speech contest. We know, deep down when we are reaching our full potential. To continuously improve we must not ignore this feeling. We should celebrate what we have accomplished; yet always realize what we are still capable of.

Mr. Rose's second saying is about building something that will outlast yourself. In his eyes, he wants to leave Cargill a better corporation than when he started there. As FFA members, we have the opportunity to leave a lasting impact. That impact may come by being a role model for younger members, or perhaps it is starting a traditional service project that benefits your community annually. Whatever it may be, we have the ability to influence our world in a way that will outlast us. If we can achieve this, than we have succeeded.
As my teammates and I have learned today, success comes to those who strive for improvement, and have a genuine intent to help others. Cargill is just one of the many companies that we will be visiting during this January. We are looking forward to learning more from the many other supporters of the FFA.