BUILDING YOUR
FOUNDATION ON VALUES
"ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE AND SHAPE YOURSELF EACH DAY IN THE IMAGE OF YOUR VALUES." B Y: R E P R E S E N TAT I V E T R E N T A S H B Y S TAT E R E P R E S E N TAT I V E F O R H O U S E D I S T R I C T 5 7
G
rowing up on a dairy farm not far from Henderson, Texas, I wasn’t very familiar with what life was like outside of the universe known to me as Rusk County. Cows needed to be milked twice a day, 365 days a year, so there weren’t many family vacations that didn’t involve a show ring full of dairy animals and a judge. My parents instilled in me the value of hard work at an early age as I helped tend to my family's land and cattle. I'm a proud product of the public school system, where I received an invaluable education from teachers who challenged me to seek success -both in the classroom and out -- through organizations like the Texas FFA. In particular, my ag teachers and FFA experience broadened my view of the horizon and helped build the foundation on which I would discover my true self. I'm going to borrow from wiser, more prominent political figures than myself to provide some perspective on remaining confidently true to yourself. In a book called Letters from Leaders, I read a letter written by our 43rd President, George W. Bush. One quote, in particular, stood out to me: "There's a principle by which I make decisions - a principle that came as a result of being raised where I was raised, and by whom I was raised. You have to say what you believe and stand by it." There will always be an easier path; however, choosing to follow the path of least resistance can sometimes lead to compromising your per4
