Slow Down, Stop, Take a Breath

It was last October and I was headed to the Northeast District Greenhand Fire-Up. My first stop was Vinton-Shellsburg High School where I met a friend who was also headed the way that I was. Seems like a good idea, right? There’s no way anything could go wrong. The drive there, I prodded my mom to drive faster because I didn’t want to be late. Eventually we got to the school with plenty of time to spare (of course). As I was moving my things from my mom’s car to my friend’s car, I noticed something. He had a huge garment bag in his backseat. Panic flooded through my body. I ran back to my mom’s car and searched it thouroughly. I was throwing things around frantically, trying my best to find this missing item. My confused and concerned mother eventually said, “Hope, what on earth are you doing?” “I FORGOT MY OFFICIAL DRESS!” I yelled back. 

I eventually got my official dress the next morning. But in that moment, I was overcome with anxiety. Nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter that my mom was helping me find a solution. It didn’t matter that I had everything else with me, because I was missing one thing. I was so focused on my mistake that I couldn’t think of anything else.

This isn’t an uncommon occurance. Sometimes we become so busy in our lives that it feels like everything is running at us at 1,000 mph and there’s nothing we can do about it. We feel lost. While I was packing, I was so worried about taking care of everything that was running at me that I forgot my official dress. Then when I noticed I forgot it, I was upset with myself. My mistake consumed me.

Something that I am still in the process of learning is that it is okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to step off the track and catch your breath every once in awhile. We don’t always have to run 1,000 mph after our tasks and duties. If you need to catch your breath, don’t hesitate to step off of that track for a minute, take a break, strategize, and hop right back on. Just last week after Greenhand Fire-Up ended, I stepped off of my track to go play with puppies. It’s as simple as that. Taking care of ourselves is vital to pursuing our successes. The next time you feel yourself being overcome by these emotions, remember to slow down, stop, and take a breath. 

Living to Serve,

Hope Brecht

2019-2020 Southeast State Vice President

SMILE: The SE District Officer team poses with the morning session of Greenhands. The Southeast Greenhand Fire-Up saw over 600 FFA members in attendance.