28/03/22
Today I have tried to capture some of the thoughts I have about support networks, health, and making a change.
Quick update first….
The kids have been busy with football starting back up and plenty of horse adventures and the schools cattle team. I have no idea how it is just about holiday time again already, but I think we are all ready to have a real break and get away for a couple of day while we plan a decent trip for later in the year.
Work is flat out. This is so great for the business but woo does it feel a little overwhelming sometimes!
We have plenty of prep work going into clients winter forage and grain crops, along with discussions on post summer harvest management and even looking into grazing management options with all the extra feed that a lot of farmers have this season.
We have had a number of industry updates and some excellent field days with groups like RCS and The Mulloon Institute. These busy education and networking weeks are some of my favourite times at work. The things you learn can really help throw fuel on your fire for why you do what you do. I would really love to learn more about animal management and nutrition as well as reading the land and land rehydration techniques.
The recent weeks have got me thinking about a number of things – our support networks, our long term health and how do we really make a change.
We work with a lot of different people in a lot of different scenarios, both in our personal and professional lives. We all have struggles and wins, and we all have something we really care about – regardless of what that something is.
There have been a lot of ups and downs for farmers, for example. Many have gone through years of drought, to now be faced with flood, or high cattle prices making it so hard to get back into the market. Many people are dealing with losing their homes in recent floods, loss of income from pandemics, or just the struggle of living in a society that is has normalised being so busy and competitive that our bodies are constantly in a state of high stress and adrenaline.
We all need the support of someone we can just talk to sometimes, it is amazing what having a conversation about something completely random or trivial can do, or to just be able to voice out loud what you’re feeling inside.
There is also a lot of information now about our stomach and the link to our health – both physically and mental.
We are constantly surrounded by chemicals that are not good for us. As much as there is a growing focus on more natural and healthier alternatives to most things we come into contact with, from foods to cosmetics to paints and materials, we will struggle to ever be completely free of toxins.
I do think it is important to live as healthy as we can, without it becoming something that we stress over that causes us to miss out on living a fulfilled life. The way we treat our body can have a huge impact on so many aspects of our lives, not to mention we only have this one body to last this lifetime.
Trying to eat a range of foods, getting some regular exercise, enough fresh air and sunlight, being able to go barefoot outside… all these things are so important to our long term and short term health.
How do we make a change from our current lifestyle, or a change to the planet to better future generations? It seems like such a big task for an individual to achieve. I often struggle with this, and recent field days have been a great way to get out and talk to others and get fresh motivation.
Having the conversations, being part of groups with likeminded people that want to be involved and learn more, simple things like that help normalise your focused topic while providing the opportunity for awareness to then spread to others. This is how change can be made.
I am so lucky that in my job I am surrounded by people that can push me, encourage me, hold me accountable in a positive way, all while we laugh and learn and experience a range of scenarios and stories.
Everyone can make the decision to find a workplace and life that they enjoy. It might be simply finding someone you click with at your current job, starting a new career, signing up to a class in something you have never tried before, meditation, setting new goals… there are so many ways we can make a change in our own lives, and make a difference to our families, friends, the environment, the planet.
Bit of a scattered word dump there, but I think that touches on my main thoughts at the moment for support, health and making a change