Annie Neely

A few years ago, I felt like I was stuck in a rut. I was struggling mentally with school and my extracurriculars. One night during this time, even though I was extremely unmotivated, I decided to get out my journal and write three things I was grateful for. I wrote: my bed, the enchiladas we had for dinner and my family. It seemed silly to write down things that were pretty ordinary at the time, but I decided to keep doing it. After several weeks of writing, I felt a shift in my mentality, my routine and my life. Even when things weren’t going perfectly, I still had gratitude despite the situation. When I didn’t win my public speaking contest, I was still grateful to have gotten to see my friends. When I got stopped at the train crossing on the way to school, I was still grateful to have gotten to listen to another Noah Kahan song before classes started. You see, even when life seems like nothing is going right, or even if you find yourself living a dream, there is always something to be grateful for.

FFA members, I want us all to remember to be grateful for what we have, especially as spring contests, banquets and State Convention are upon us. If a contest doesn’t go your way, you can still be grateful for the after-contest meal you got to share with your peers. If you don’t get the chapter office spot you really wanted, remember you can still make a difference on the team. The power of gratitude is pretty special, and I challenge us all to stay grateful for what we have.

Some of my most vivid childhood memories came when my brothers and I would binge-watch Disney movies during our days off from school. I was a Disney fan and adored the Toy Story trilogy. My favorite character was Buzz Lightyear, and I loved the iconic line, “To infinity and beyond!” that he would say in key moments, reflecting his belief in being a real space ranger. But during the first movie, when he fell off the bed of Andy, his owner, Buzz realized that he was not a space ranger but actually a toy. This realization hit him hard, and he suddenly thought that he had lost his purpose. In his disappointment, however, he was able to see his situation in a new light and started to build a new relationship with Woody and Andy’s other toys.

In FFA and in our own lives, we probably don’t convince ourselves that we are space rangers, but we do expect that our lives will unfold in a certain way. Sometimes they do, like when we win an FFA contest or get the officer position that we really wanted. But, as Buzz learned, there are also times when we might fail or face something that we don’t want to hear. Buzz didn’t want to accept that he wasn’t a toy. We might not want to realize something hard either. 

Missouri FFA members, through our highs and lows, we always need to remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I like to think that Buzz’s ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ moment was when he became friends with Woody. Woody helped Buzz joke about his experience, while helping him grow. Always look for the light. 

Ever since I was seven years old, I have been a superfan of the Broadway musical, Hamilton. This show combined my love for American history and music, as I have seen the film on Disney+ many times, watched it in person and blasted the soundtrack for years. One particular song has always stayed with me: “My Shot.” This third track, sung by a young Alexander Hamilton, captures the hunger and drive of the future Founding Father. The song’s most popular lyric, “I’m not throwin’ away my shot,” showed that Hamilton refused to let opportunity pass him by and was determined to make the most of it.

FFA helped me understand the importance of taking every opportunity. As a freshman, I set a goal of making it into the National FFA Band. I was nervous about applying, because very few underclassmen got into the band each year. Despite being anxious, I decided to submit my application. A few months later, I got the email congratulating me on making the National FFA Band. While I had doubted myself, the band directors saw something and took a chance on me. Had I not put myself out there, I would have missed out on one of my favorite FFA memories.

Missouri FFA members, I encourage you to take every opportunity. While you have time left, whether you are an incoming freshman or entering your last year of high school, do not throw away your shot in FFA. Apply for that chapter officer position, bring your animal to show at the county fair or write a speech to present in a fall speaking contest. There will come a day when you will have to take off your blue jacket for the final time, but until then, I hope that you–like Alexander Hamilton–will not throw away your shot.