My World View

I’ve had a request (which by the way, if you ever want to hear about something specific let me know and I’ll get on that) to explain more about my worldview. Maybe if anyone cares to, they can share their worldview down below in the comment section. I’d love to hear your responses!

First off, I wanted to see what the actual definition of a worldview was. My dear friend, dictionary.com, pointed me in the right direction. The term, “worldview,” came from the German word, “weltanschauung,” (pronounced “velt-ahn-shou-oo’ng”) meaning “a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity’s relation to it.” Basically, it’s your philosophy on life.

I’m sure there are other ways to break down your worldview, but I’ll do it like we did at the Leaders Conference. We talked about our values, passions, and assets.

Values: First and foremost I value my faith in Jesus Christ and most of my values roll into that. I value what the Bible has to say about life and strive to live my life according to God’s will. I value my family and other relationships, and I value people just learning about what they are passionate about. I value honesty, courtesy, loyalty, respect, and loving others. I value integrity- standing up for what you believe in and not getting wishy-washy even when you might stand to gain from deviating from that. I also value the past, my heritage, and the rural, agricultural lifestyle I’ve grown up in. I value simplicity and knowing that everything is going to work out because God is in control. Finally, I value hard work, dedication, and persistence. My values are the very core of what makes me who I am, and they play a role in shaping how I deal with my passions and assets.

Passions: I am passionate about the rural and agricultural lifestyle I’ve grown up in and helping keep that lifestyle alive for future generations. It really boils down to my love and respect for the people of agriculture, and I am passionate about telling their stories in a way that presents the truth of agriculture- what’s changing and why it’s changing. I am passionate about bridging the gap between producers and consumers and sharing with consumers the people behind the food that goes on their plate, as well as the importance of changing technology in agriculture.

Assets: I love to write, and so I feel as if using my writing abilities to communicate about my passion, agriculture, is a perfect fit. I told you my values fit into everything, and yes my values fit in here as well. I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do with my life, and I can’t ignore that. As you who are reading this are well aware, I’m not the greatest writer in the world yet. One of my biggest assets I believe will be my education at the University of Missouri. I take classes in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources and the School of Journalism. This way I get both a strong background in agriculture as well as a strong journalistic skill set.

Someday I would love to be able to travel to farms around the country and tell their stories, though how realistic this is I’m not sure (that’s another thing I value- being realistic!). I am a firm believer that if we, the people of agriculture, step up and raise our voices to tell the truth about what it takes to produce food and why we do it the way it's done, we can succeed in bridging that gap between producers and consumers. Furthermore, I believe it’s in everyone’s best interest if we play the offensive rather than the defensive. Consumers have legitimate questions and concerns, and producers have legitimate answers, but also concerns about being able to ensure their livelihoods. I’m not sure how it’s going to get done, and maybe what I picture in my mind right now won’t. For now, I know this is where God wants me and I’ll leave Him to make the game plan because I’m positive He can do a better job than I ever could!