By: Nick Morales
If you’ve been keeping up with the Beteran Blog you’ve seen 5 stories of Veterans who have successfully transitioned from the military into a thriving career after their service. In telling these stories one overarching theme that I began to notice is that non of them view their accomplishments as special or out of the ordinary, which baffles me. What these Veterans were able to accomplish was nothing short of amazing.
In the military culture doing a good job is expected and it boils down to this principle, Mission accomplishment or mission failure. This has been embedded into every service member and doing a job correctly is expected and not celebrated.
Jake, Lord, Autumn, James and Super Dave all went about their lives wanting to make an impact on the Veteran community and ultimately their own lives. Each of them set forth on a path where there is no outline, no career map to follow and they’re doing what they thought should be the next step in their journey.
I want to use this as an encouragement to every Veteran. YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. Now all that’s left, is to take an introspective look and define what success looks like in your life and blaze the path.
Often times we discount our experiences and don’t see how they can relate outside the military, but just like the Veterans who were highlighted they applied the same work ethic that made them successful during their service in a different environment.
Another key element is that each one of them didn’t hold onto the past with a death grip. None of them defined who they are by the titles they once held, 1st Sgt., Platoon Sgt., Squad Leader, but this isn’t done overnight. Putting in the work to be a better version of themselves gave them the skillset needed to overcome what often seems to be impossible.
Sometimes we don’t understand how things will work out. Success is a game of attrition. You keep putting in the work, then before you know it you’ve reached the goal you set out for which then enables you to push the limits even further. We gotta start somewhere.
We have to put things in motion and then be comfortable with the process. It might happen quickly or it might take some time, but embrace the journey and soak in every lesson, every moment. Then when it comes to fruition keep pushing with everything learned along the way.
I once heard a motivational speaker say “life is like driving a car, you have to focus on where you're going, but you also have to look in the rearview mirror (which is a representation of your past) to remember how you got to where you are now.” That visual is extremely important because if you look in the rearview mirror too long you get off course. In short focus on the present, but remember where you came from.
In telling these success stories it has enlightened the view on my personal journey, as I hope it has yours as well. We are all capable of being better, accomplishing the dreams and goals we set forth. Be encouraged, chase your dreams with a relentless pursuit... GET AFTER IT!!!
You are warriors! Keep up the good fight. Light the Fuse!!!