Monday, September 14, 2015

Music Soothes the Soul


      With college in full swing, FFA events kicking off, and K-state football off to a hot start, I am very grateful for the opportunities allowing me to reach this point in my life. Every day I wake up I get to hear the voices of my some of my best friends, my fraternity brothers, arguing about the best and the worst professors. At night I get to enjoy long chats with high-school friends and the adventures they have undertaken in college. Every night I can reflect on the many positive memories of the day, and I still know that somehow the next day will be better. With a fun loving attitude, I know how to make the most out of any situation. A main contributor to this personality trait I have is the music I enjoy throughout the day.
            Everyone has that certain hobby or activity that can soothe them or put them in a better mood. I know that music is a significant tool for myself; I turn to music for any situation. When I’m in a reflective or studious state I enjoy listening to classical music. When I miss home, I listen to classic rock songs such as “Fortunate Son” or “Cats in the Cradle”. These songs are the music that my dad plays all the time. Even now when I’m in college, I still reflect back on “Cats in the Cradle” to reminisce on the great memories that I had with him. My dad isn’t the only one that plays some great music, though. My mom loves Gretchen Wilson and Keith Anderson. Every time I hear a country song by these artists I always imagine my mom in the kitchen cooking up a storm. Today I listened to pump up music, I have a playlist designated with “feel good” songs so I can spread the joy to everyone I see. Music helps me get through the day, and helps me handle a variety of situations.
            I believe music is important to soothe my soul. Without music I wouldn’t be the individual I am today. Everyone needs that one tool to help them get through life. Whether that be letting off steam in sports, writing poems and short stories, or simply enjoying nature by watching a beautiful Kansas sunset. My fellow officers have a variety of options in which they vent and get through the day. Dean loves to look up on livestock on his computer to get his mind off of troublesome tasks. Bailey plays with animals to help relieve her stress. All of my officers have a certain way and it is important for ourselves to find that important tool. Without these tools stress can build up and it can erupt at unwanted times. Throughout our state officer selection process I was stressed. I was becoming sick with the flu, I had extemporaneous speaking competition, and I was interviewing for the valued position in Kansas FFA. Needless to say, I was troubled and I turned to music to help. Every morning I would listen to my pump up music such as “Hall of Fame” and “Top of the World”. This helped myself start the day off on a good note. At night I would listen to reflective music to help ponder my thoughts and the decisions I made throughout that day. It helped me become less stress, and to finish the process with no regrets.

            Whatever our tool is to relieve stress or get our mind off of challenging tasks, we need to make sure we stay in touch with it. Once I entered college, understandably, I increased the amount of music I listened to with the larger workload I gained. I’m able to balance everything though time management and stress relieving tasks. This helps myself get through the day and make a positive impact in individual’s lives across campus. I challenge you, Kansas FFA, to find your music that will help you face the challenging tasks throughout your year. Until next time everyone, have “Fun”, enjoy a “Good Time”, and “Don’t Stop Believin”.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Memories Made


              With college quickly approaching, I must take some time to reflect on my past summer. I think of the memories that I have made, the friendships that I have started, but most of all, the “lasts” of my high school career. Such as the last time I will hang with my classmates of 2015 or even the last time I will participate in a conference. These are the memories that I cherish, but each one has a distinct thought provoking question behind them.
                On late nights I enjoy hanging with my friends. These friends could be the ones that I have had throughout my high school career, the ones that I met through my work experiences at Pizza Hut, or the ones that made a difference in my life this past year. I have made many memories with these friends, but my favorite of all is making late night runs to IHOP. With these late nights comes great food, deep talks, and most of all a tiring morning. These are the times that I cherish because not only do I get to enjoy great pancakes, but I get to become closer with my friends. This is where the “last” comes into play. One of my best friends is heading to Tabor next year and the likeliness of both of us seeing much of each other is slim to none. Our last late night he stated to me, “Karl, I’m going to miss you. We both have great friends, but as of now if we were to get married you would be my best man.” I was shocked. How do I answer back to something like that? All I kept thinking was this is the end, this is the final time I will have that deep conversation with a trusted friend.
                Could I have done anything different with my time with my friend? Of course I could of, but I wouldn’t in a heartbeat. Every memory that I made is something that I will never forget. My piece of advice is to cherish the memories that you make. Life goes by quickly and if we don’t take some time to “smell the roses” then we truly haven’t enjoyed the life that we have. I have made a lot of memories with my friends, and I have made cherished memories away from home at conferences.
                I went to many conferences throughout my lifetime, such as Washington Leadership Conference (WLC), State Presidents Conference (SPC), and State Conference for Chapter Leaders (SCCL), as well as many others. I absolutely love conferences! With my outgoing personality, making friends is a must. At all of these conferences I learned important skills and made friendships that will last a lifetime. A very interesting lesson I have learned is how networking contributes to most of the individuals I see throughout my lifetime. An individual I met from Iowa at WLC, I met again at a conference this year. The friends I made at SCCL throughout my two years as a chapter officer, I still keep in touch with to this day and see throughout the regions of Kansas. Why are these conferences so important to me? The skills that I learn are many, but the networking that I achieve could help further me in my life goals.
                You never know when that member at SCCL or that friend you make at WLC could be your coworker or even your boss. It is important that wherever I go I display a positive image and step out of my shell and meet new people. The more and more I meet new people, the less and less I feel uncomfortable with trying new things and starting the conversation with random strangers. As I am finishing up, I would like to share a few interesting facts about myself.



Fishing is my favorite hobby; doesn’t matter what time of day, I will always be up to fish. If you ask me, I believe I am a phenomenal cook. Although I do not cook as much as I should, when I do I am excited to see the faces of the individuals I am cooking for. I cherish my family and friend. I always put them before myself no matter what situation. Finally, I have an extreme interest in quantum physics and the M-theory, which leads to why I absolutely love science and math courses. The picture to the left is one of my proudest chemical compounds that I made in my AP chemistry class.