The 3 Fives

Have you ever had one of those days where you are just mad at everything?  Mad at the smallest of things such as your pencil falling off your desk or messing up your locker combo? Well, this past week I was having one of these days after a fight with my siblings. I texted a friend to vent and this is what they told me. 

Will it matter in 5 days, 5 weeks, or even 5 months? 

At first I thought what on earth does that have to do with my situation right now. But then, I thought about it a little more and this is what I came up with:

5 Days

In 5 days my family and I are going to be hooking up equipment for Spring planting. That's simple enough to think about. I thought about how spring planting meant the beginning of a new season for farmers. One where the famous Paul Harvey puts it as, “And who, planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty-hour week by Tuesday noon, then, pain'n from 'tractor back,' put in another seventy-two hours. So God made a farmer.” This quote rings true in so many farmers' hearts. This time is meant for new growth and new beginnings. Farmers are able to start over with a fresh season. It is a time to be replanted and to watch you and your crops grow. It is a time to hold your chin a little higher and tell yourself you can do anything.

5 Weeks 

In 5 weeks the State Officer Team will be deep into planning the State Convention. We will have early mornings, late nights, last minute changes to scripts, and more importantly - team bonding. The stress may be a lot at times, but that can be undone by watching our team show, Criminal Minds.  We will work tirelessly to make sure that convention is everything our members deserve, while still finding a little bit of time to take a break by swimming in the center’s lake.

5 Months

In 5 months I will be studying at Purdue University. This is a big one to think about. All of those classes to take, new friends to make, clubs to get involved in - it sounded like a lot. But I tackled it one step at a time. 

1. Classes - I can do classes. I finished most of my general education courses in high school so a large majority of my classes will be agriculture. I love agriculture, and let’s not forget how much I love Purdue agriculture, the department, and the people I’ll be surrounded by.
2. New Friends - I already have so many friends from the FFA world at Purdue, as well as all of my friends from Jay County already there. 
3. Clubs to Get Involved - In high school most people would have told me I have “too many irons in the fire” or “I've spread myself too thin.” But I love being involved through helping others. Looking at the list of clubs Purdue offers, there is a plethora to choose from. I was told by an upperclassman from Purdue to get involved in 3 clubs: one with your major, college, and campus wide. So I intend to do just that. 

Once I broke out all of these down, I was able to tackle all of them one step at a time. College will be a challenge when I look at it as one whole picture, but it is a challenge that can be easily tackled when it is broken up.

After thinking about my three 5’s, I realized the argument I was having had nothing to do with any of these; therefore, I should not make a mountain out of a molehill as I had been. Sometimes it is better to take a step back, reflect on these three 5’s, and take a deep breath. When we do this, we not only improve our relationships around us, but we improve ourselves. We leave ourselves less stressed and more blessed. 

So, next time you get frustrated or worked up, will it matter in 5 days, 5 weeks, or even 5 months? 

Keep Thinking,

Dillon Muhlenkamp