A Whole New World

This weekend I experienced many things, but they can all be summed up as being part of A Whole New World. Now, this aligns with the hit song from Disney's Aladdin, which is exactly why I put it in those terms. Aladdin has been on my mind for quite some time now and I finally found the time to watch it last night. There is one clip I want to share with you which aligns with the very title of this post, so here it is:

As Aladdin brings Princess Jasmine on the magic carpet ride it shifts the entire movie, much like this weekend has done with my life. This weekend I had the unique opportunity to facilitate the 360 Conference for the members of the Minnesota FFA. As I went through this weekend I could not help but think of how I had entered in to my very own new world.

As many of you know a few weeks ago I took off my FFA jacket for the last time. I thought this was going to be devastated and I certainly expected a large amount of tears to come along with it. However, it was more a time of understanding within myself. I realized that although I had not served as a state officer for the Minnesota FFA Association, my life was not over. I know this seems simple to most, but I assure you it comes through heavy words.

When we go through life we chase after unimaginable things, but once we get close to them they become this vivid reality. Much like in Aladdin, when Jafar initially thought he had obtained the magic lamp, I too thought I had reached my end destination. However, life took me on another path and it was as though Abu had stolen my very own lamp.

This brought me down, deeper than I would like to admit, but the reality of the situation is that it happened. When we chase after something with everything we have, and then we fail, we have nothing left to support ourselves. I became ashamed of who I was and what I had done. I wanted to hide my past, much like Aladdin wanted to hide his from Princess Jasmine. However, we cannot run away from who we are, because if we hide that what do we have left to show to others?

Now back to this shift to a whole new world. This weekend was the official shift in my life from that feeling of defeat and ending of my FFA career to my life outside of my Sibley East FFA jacket. This weekend I was able to realize the power I had was inside of myself the whole time; it could not be turned on and off by a jacket. I realized I still had a role within FFA even if I was not serving as a state officer.

A dazzling place it is indeed to know where I am meant to be. As we go through life we will face events that will shake our foundation, but please do not let them overpower you. A line that always jumps out to me from A Whole New World is "Don't you dare close your eyes!". That is exactly what I did, I closed my eyes and hoped it would all pass. But in reality nothing will change unless we act as the catalyst to allow that change to happen.

As I had the opportunity to work with some powerful individuals this weekend, I reflected on the past but I realized that none of it mattered while I was facilitating. It did not matter what titles I had or had not held, it only mattered how I was doing at that very moment. The only thing others looked at me based upon were my actions, not my titles.

As I was facilitating I finally felt at home after months of wandering. I was filled with an energy unlike any other. I know now my new world is right around me, as I live out my life as a college student and as I pursue greater opportunities to facilitate for others. I have always known I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, but after FFA I did not know where to find those opportunities. I thought they had all been stolen from me, but that was because I was not pursuing them. I was not actively seeking them and that was my downfall. But now within my new world I know I have to be the change and chase after those opportunities. Facilitating is just my first outlet, who knows what other chances await me within this new world as I reflect on all 360° that encompass who I am!

This weekend I was finally able to close one chapter of my life. Although it was rough chapter, it is certainly one I would not live without. We will face things in life that we do not agree with, or do not like, but they are there to teach us valuable lessons. I will take those lessons and remember who I am and where I come from as I enter into my whole new world.

Now as the song calls for, let me share my whole new world with you. Whether it be running for state office or having our lamp stolen from us, do not let it shake your foundation. Know that you are stronger than any obstacle if you truly give it your all. If you do not learn it from my story, then pay attention to Aladdin because he is far more credible than I am! As Princess Jasmine says in the song, "I can't go back to where I used to be". We have to keep moving forward no matter the obstacle. We do not all need a genie to shift into a whole new world, all we need is a belief in ourselves and the determination to keep moving forward.

Aimless Direction

The title of this blog is Aimless Direction. What does that mean to you?

Take a moment to really think about this quote and its relation to the concept of Aimless Direction:

"Probably some of the best things that have ever happened to you in life happened because you said yes to something. Otherwise things just sort of stay the same."-Danny Wallace

To me aimless in direction means letting go and just moving forward. We are constantly moving forward in our lives and no matter how much we want to control the direction we are moving in, we just have to let go. Sometimes putting one foot in front of the other is the most powerful thing we can do in a day. This is something that has been on my mind, especially within the last couple of weeks.

Throughout the recent past I have had the notion that I could just stand still. I did not like the events that happened to me and so I thought I could just stop moving and figure out what was going on and where to go from there. But what happened was beyond my control. No matter how little I moved, life continued on around me, and I was missing out. So as I think about it now, what I have to bring into my life is the idea of aimless direction.

One way or another I have to move forward, and at this time I may not know where it is I am going towards, but I will move forward nonetheless. I recently went back to think about what I have always been told, "Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow." This does not specify what that better tomorrow is, just that it is out there. We are in constant pursuit of that better tomorrow, but what will we do each and every day to get closer to that? This past week I have really focused on this idea and I truly felt powerful. I challenge you to do the same; go forward with every single action. You may not know where you are going, but better yourself so that when that opportunity for a better tomorrow comes up, you will be ready.

As I continue to look back and analyze the events in my life, I focus on the most powerful of events. What comes to mind includes joining Cub Scouts, SGLC, TEC 77, and working at the Fresh Air Fund this summer. As I look over them all, I see one thing in common: I went into each and every one of those having no idea what was going to happen at any of them. I went because a friend, or family member, recommended them to me. I thought little of it, but decided to give each a chance, and they all turned out to be powerful moments.

This brings me back to the idea of aimless direction. I may not have known what was going to happen at these events, but I was pushed to go towards them. I was aimless in my thoughts but that one person gave me the direction, and without it I would have missed out on extremely important events in my life. They all lead me to where I am today and they all played a part in shaping me into the individual that is before you.

Bringing it back to the initial quote; have you had a chance to connect it to this conversation yet? In life we have to say yes to some things, even when we do not quite know what they are about or how they may play a role in our lives. We have to have faith in those closest to us who recommend them to us. When we let go to direction, and just focus on moving forward, the greatest of things can happen. Take every opportunity that comes your way, because you may never know what it can do for you.

There are times in our lives where we cannot think of a solid future, no matter how hard we try. We are not meant to know exactly what we will do with our lives. We can try all we want, but there will be times when that road takes you on a different path. We may not be ready for it, but it will be coming one way or another, so you better be adaptable. No matter how hard we strive, we cannot do it all.

If you find yourself in a situation like mine, one of living a stationary life and one without guidance, focus on moving forward. You may not know where you are going, but you have to move forward and better yourself so that when the next greatest opportunity comes your way, you will be prepared. Focus on this preparation for the future, and not on how you could have changed the past. Life will continue to move forward with or without you, so always remember to live your life with aimless direction.