During my senior year, I spent countless hours doing homework, studying for tests and preparing for contest season. One night, after working for several hours, I began to get hungry. I got up, walked toward the kitchen and, as usual, grabbed my phone to watch a few reels along the way. While scrolling, I came across a quote from Zig Ziglar that immediately caught my attention: “F-E-A-R has two meanings: ‘Forget Everything and Run’ or ‘Face Everything and Rise.’ The choice is yours.” That quote hit me hard because at that point in my life, I had begun questioning whether I could accomplish everything I had committed myself to. I was allowing fear and self-doubt to get in the way of my ability to succeed. 

Throughout your FFA journey, you will face challenges that make you question whether you are capable of accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself. Maybe you decide to try a new contest, run for an office in your chapter or simply introduce yourself to someone you have never met at an FFA event in hopes of making a new friend. Each of these experiences can be intimidating. When you begin to doubt yourself, remember that you already made the decision to say “yes” to something new. That simple decision is often the first step toward overcoming the fear standing in your way. You may not know exactly how things will turn out, but having the courage to take that first step can open doors to opportunities you never expected. 

Throughout life, I have realized everyone faces fear. We experience fear in our organizations, in the classroom when we receive a grade we are uncertain about, and even in contests after spending countless hours preparing wondering whether we performed well enough. Fear can appear in many different forms, and it will continue to challenge us at different points throughout our lives. So, as you encounter challenges in FFA and throughout your life, remember the words of Mr. Ziglar: F-E-A-R has two meanings—“Forget Everything and Run” or “Face Everything and Rise.” The choice is yours.