2010 Iowa DaIry PrIncess eager to sPreaD the - Swiss Valley Farms

Swiss Valley Gals flock to Gerarda
Beautiful fall weather combined with an exciting speaker
resulted in an excellent crowd at this year’s Swiss Valley Gals
meetings. Gerarda Lahey-Keppler from Epworth, Iowa delighted
her audience with a fun presentation on “Simple Truths For a
Simply Joyful Life.”
Gerarda, who is a psychology instructor at NICC in Peosta,
delivered a talk on what modern women can do to handle stress,
delivered from a women’s point of view.
Knowing she was speaking with dairy women, Gerarda
added a little touch of bovine humor to her outline.
Among the points she made in her speech were:
1. You are simply “mooooo-valous --- always have been
and always will be. “Every day, you should get up excited that
you are so honored to spend the day with YOU! Love yourself
unconditionally, now and forever.”
2. Keep your mind out of the gutter! Give up on negative
thinking. Focusing on the positive side of life will yield better
results.
3. Manure happens . . . but you don’t have to keep
stepping in it! “Cow pies come in all sizes and so does the crappy
things that happen in our lives. You can’t change the past and it
does you no good to dwell on wrongs that people did to you
years ago.” She urged everyone to learn to forgive, heal yourself
and move forward with your life.
4. It is “utterly” impossible to do nothing . . . but do
nothing often! Doing things you enjoy often makes you feel
guilty. Nonsense! These are the things that regenerate you as a
person. “Save the guilt for when you eat a whole pan of brownies
in one day, but only feel guilty about that if it is your second pan
in the same day!”
5. Milk life for all it’s worth . . . because your life is a
limited time offer. “Don’t focus on what isn’t, but what is. Don’t
sweat the small stuff because you are here for a limited time.
Laugh as much as you can . . . and then laugh some more.”
6. You are in “cowtrol” of your life. “Accept responsibility
for the decisions you make. Don’t blame your unhappiness on
others . . . take responsibility for your life and your well-being. It
is all under your control.”
7. Lastly, not to sound cheesy, but share the wealth of
you and love with all your heart! “Say ‘I love you’ every chance
you get and when you give what you have to others, all you need
seems to come right back to you. And that is no bull!”
Co-op NEWS
OCTOBER 2010 page 13