Tale of the Turtle

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Tale of the Turtle

I’m not the best at anything.

Never have been, and probably never will be.

There have been moments in my life that have looked like successes, but there are hidden truths behind those as well.

I have a state championship medal from high school football, but I was a freshman that year. I didn’t make it onto the field. I did, however, find a way to contribute that cold, rainy day. Coach asked for a volunteer to make sure the footballs would stay dry and warm throughout the game. I spent the entire state championship game running game balls back-and-forth between the nipco heater and field to keep them warm and dry, avoiding any fumbles while we had the ball.

In my senior year of track, we got second place in the 4 x 800 m relay race, but I was the slowest leg. I actually tried to quit the team earlier in the year, but Coach Brownfield made me stick with it. My two second PR at state made all the difference between a silver and a bronze medal.

In my first ever job, which was an entry level position, I was denied for a ridiculously small promotion. I was told that I did not have enough analytical skills for this (barely) higher level position. The next job that I took was a full-time analyst job less than one year later, a big step ahead of the denied earlier promotion.

As an ag loan officer, I’m not very social or the type of person that draws people to me. In a public setting, no one is flocking around to talk. Instead, I had to make cold calls every single working day of the year, making myself comfortable with the sales pitch and move to the top half of new loan volume in the region.

On Twitter, the beat downs are becoming a little more frequent. ‘There is no depth to my content’, and ‘the only thing I do all day is point out the obvious’. Yet I get emails of gratitude from those who used my content to buy their first farm or negotiate their first rental agreement.

8 years ago, at a company event, the planning committee took the time to think of one attribute that best described each individual in the room. I got this turtle.

It doesn't have a name, but sits in my pickup

My attribute = persistence

I’m not great at anything, and I’m merely good at a few things. But I really don’t quit. Consider that the lesson learned from my senior year of track. You may be the worst on your team, but if you don’t quit, you will probably outlast nearly everyone else.

While we’re being persistent, it’s highly important that we are heading in the right direction. You and I could be equally persistent. If we each take 1000 steps while I am walking in the wrong direction and you are walking the right way, only one of us will see our goals and rise to the top.

There are two things I want to encourage you to do today. 

1. Spend some time considering what’s the right area of your life is to be persistent towards. AKA make sure you’re walking in the right direction.

2. Don’t give up.

Other people don’t see your vision. 

Other people don’t know your background.

Other people don’t know your expertise.

Other people don’t know what you’ve been through.

Other people will tell you to stop.

Don’t do it. Keep going. I’m rooting for you and know that you can make it through and rise to the top.

Take steps every day. Do the little things you need to do. Shut out the noise and negativity.

Make it a great day.

Grant