Recently, someone asked me a question that really motivated a different response. They asked, "What motivates you to get up every morning to continue to do what you do?" That is really a different question than is normally asked.
So many things came to mind right away about ambitions and dreams and all the things that I wanted to achieve as I climbed the ladder. I thought about all the different projects that I have going on that I have yet to complete. Heck, I even started tossing around projects in my mind that I wanted to start soon. Then, my mind came to a screeching halt when I really thought about what the question really meant, specifically to me.
For the majority of my life, I have worked with different motives in mind, mostly around achievements, finances, and other such goals. However, in the last 10 years my motivation switched from “me” to “we.”
It is easy to get focused on what you do and how you do it and lose sight of why you are actually there. In the last 10 years, I have been blessed with three wonderful children and an amazing wife who has encompassed my entire life in such a great way.
When the alarm clock rings every morning and I go out in the dark, tripping on little pink boots and soccer cleats, I am forced to remember why I am actually going out. It's not for me and my pride. It's not for me and the positions I may hold. It is for us and the places we may go and the time that we will spend together, no matter if it's at home, in the car, or in the fields. I do what I do for them.
It's the smile on their face when daddy's home and their joy when they get to drive the truck or help with the chores. It's the amazing feeling watching them grow into these little personalities that couldn't be written but by God himself. It's a lifestyle that gives me the chance as a father and a husband to spend more quality time with them than I could ever imagine.
What is your motivation for getting up every morning?
Tyler Ribeiro is a fourth-generation dairy farmer born and raised in California. He is currently partners with his father at Rib-Arrow Dairy in Tulare where they proudly ship their milk to Land O’Lakes. Tyler is actively involved in the dairy industry, holding leadership roles in various organizations locally and across the United States.
