06/20/2026
We live in a world that constantly tells us to do more, be more, achieve more.
Competition and a desire to improve upon ourselves can be healthy. However, the constant pursuit of excellence – the voice that demands we win more, grow more, produce more, work harder and push further – when that voice gets louder, it becomes easier than ever to convince ourselves that our worth is measured by our results.
In many ways, hard work, resilience, competition, and passion define our industry, making it easy to assume that these characteristics help strengthen us to handle the competitive demands this world correlates to our self worth.
We tell ourselves, “we raise livestock – we understand hard days, long days and losses better than anyone and we can handle the constant demands to achieve, because we are required to do it every day.”
Raising livestock shapes our strength and resilience, yes. However, if we allow strength and perseverance to achieve and succeed to become the defining factors of our industry, they will become the limiting factors of our ability to connect with others, love one another and support one another.
The truth is, in the ring and life, we live in a hard and fallen world.
Kids can compare themselves to colleagues at the touch of a button and feel they fall short, depleting their self worth.
Young adults can fall victim to the hustle culture that demands every inch of our effort and every second of our time.
Parents can try to measure up to the perfect image of a parent, pulling and stretching themselves in every direction, leaving no room for grace.
And in these moments, despite our best efforts to lean into the our lifestyle and use our experiences to strengthen our mental health, true strength was never meant to come from ourselves alone.
There are seasons in life when the weight becomes heavy. Seasons when our minds are tired, our hearts are hurting, and our spirits feel worn thin. Seasons when we find ourselves carrying burdens that feel too big to bear.
In those moments, real strength isn't pretending we're okay.
Real strength is remembering where our strength comes from.
It's found in the One who walks beside us through every valley, every struggle, every anxious thought, and every difficult day. The One who never leaves us, even when we feel alone. The One who carries what we were never meant to carry by ourselves.
But God also reminds us that we need each other.
He created us for community, for encouragement, for support, and for connection. He places people in our lives to help carry the load when it becomes too heavy. Family. Friends. Mentors. Neighbors. Competitors. People willing to listen, pray, encourage, and simply sit beside us when words are hard to find.
Mental health struggles do not make you weak.
Needing support does not make you weak.
Asking for help does not make you weak.
Sometimes the strongest thing a person can do is reach out and allow others to walk alongside them.
If you're struggling, know that you don't have to carry it alone.
And if someone around you is hurting, BE THE PERSON who reaches out. Send the message. Make the call. Offer the prayer. Be present. Take notice of the friends who have drifted or gone quiet, reach out, look them in the eyes and ask what they need. People who are truly hurting will not reach out. They may they not want to talk about it or maybe talk at all. It’s on all of us to set aside our own busy-ness and reach out with just one text, one phone, one question. Sometimes all it takes is one friend willing to see and meet us where we are at to pull us back from the edge of whatever challenge we are facing and help give perspective. The burden shouldn’t lie solely with the hurting. They are carrying a burden too heavy for them already.
Strength is not found in isolation.
It is found in the One who sustains us and in the people He places around us to remind us that we are loved, valued, and never alone.
