I am sharing some wise words from a fellow 4-H agent today and it is a great follow-up to the county fair and in preparation for the Kansas State Fair.
Sarah states:
Growing up I was quick to hide any ribbons that were not purples! Yes, we all have those purple ribbons, buckles, or duffle bags in our goals to win ... but what about the “other” ribbons.
She shared a photo with all ribbons represented because, as she notes, they all matter!
4-H is about youth development and helping build the next generation. We hope that those who started as Cloverbuds will be in the stands as Market Buyers someday.
In life, not everyone wins every time and that’s okay but it’s important to learn so you can grow. 4-H teaches youth valuable lessons that will be essential in this world such as commitment, responsibility, dedication, punctuality, organization, and those are just listing a few! There is no surprise that 4-H youth excel when it comes to job searches as these traits are exactly what businesses are looking for.
Sarah’s favorite question to ask youth is “what did you fail at?” This can sometimes be a hard question because we are taught failing is bad ... but if we never fail how would we learn and grow as human beings? FAILING IS NOT BAD!! Just because you got a red ribbon, it is not bad; instead ask yourself how can we learn from this? Maybe it is seeking out an upperclassman, volunteer, breeder or agent and asking questions. Maybe its learning more about animal husbandry and being more aggressive with wormer or learning how to read your feed labels to understand protein better.
There is always knowledge and personal growth to gain, we just need the right mind set to be open to it. So this year, show all your ribbons proudly because you accomplished that! It takes a lot to prepare your projects and present them to the judge! Recognize what did you do well at? What did you fail at? And what are you going to work on?
Imagine a world of adults who were taught as children their short comings opened the door for opportunity.
Many thanks to Cowley County 4-H agent, Sarah LaGrone, for sharing her perspective!
Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness.
Michelle Beran is the 4-H and Youth Development Agent for the Cottonwood District, Barton County office. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth and Development related questions email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call 620-793-1910.
