Connected

This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend Agriculture Future of America Leaders Conference in my final year of eligibility. For those of you unaware, AFA is a professional development organization serving outstanding college men and women pursuing degrees in the agricultural field. Throughout the weekend I met and interacted with numerous people, from CEOs of the top agricultural companies to collegiate peers just starting out in the journey called life after college. However, it didn't really hit me until this morning just what this experience meant to me.

Throughout the day today I have been receiving various emails, tweets, LinkedIn Connections and friend requests from people I met. Despite the fact that we are all miles apart, we still seek a way to stay connected. It's quite amazing the network that I have built along with my fellow agricultural professionals.

I will confess, I have no idea where this image comes from. I found it in a simple Google Image search and I thought it summed up this idea of being connected quite well. You see, it doesn't matter where life takes us, what matters is the fact that we continue to keep these connections alive. This connection is our life-blood. Without it, we would be lost, confused, out on our own in what can be an unforgiving professional world. Will you be connected? Don't let yourself sit out there alone. Find people. Make friendships. Who knows, years down the road, these connections might just save your life.

Change

I must say this Thought called out to me today. Perhaps it's because I just watched the episode of Fringe in which this statement is made. Perhaps it's just fate. At any rate, here it is. I'm not sure if this takes into account the give-and-take in a relationship. Both sides of a relationship have to act in order to affect major change. But I maintain that everything you come in contact with, every person, every animal, every experience, leaves you changed somehow. These things touch us.

I think back to when I first moved down to Kansas City at the beginning of the summer. It was a new city, a new experience. Looking back, everyone I have known and interacted with has touched me. Around the lunch table today I made some smart-alecky comment in response to a question, a response that I would not have made at the beginning of the summer. You see, those people around the table with me, they changed me. At the beginning of the summer, they were simply people sharing the same office-space as me. However, as the summer went along, I somehow became to know these people more. I'm not sure if I had this sense of humor before (I'm sure certain individuals would say that I did), but I can't help but feel like I've been changed this summer. Maybe it's just an external change, an awakening and refining of my innermost traits. It is a change, nonetheless.
The key, is harnessing this change and making it a change for the better. Certainly there are relationships out there that bring you nothing but bad. You aren't improving from those. They aren't making you better. Are you willing to recognize change? Embrace the good and ignore the bad. Believe me, it's not an easy process. I'm not even sure if it's something that can be consciously done. I'm still not sure how my change this summer came about. I know I wasn't trying that hard. Perhaps the key is to keep moving. Constantly evaluating, adjusting, changing. Eventually, you might stumble on something great.