The last blog that I posted was all about reflection. I took you through some of my own past just so you could see how it effected my future. I preach reflection because it is the only time you will ever "know" if you were right or not. There are no guarantees in life that you are going to make the right decision or think clearly about a situation you unexpectedly find yourself in. Reflect on what you thought, what you did, and how it turned out. In the end you will be smarter for it. Trust me on this one. The only thing that separates the winners from the losers is the final outcome of a given situation.
I promised you a "how it worked out" blog that basically lets you see where I was right and where I was wrong. Some of this is a little personal but it's entirely worth the personal exploitation if it can be used to help you better yourself. That being said, lets not waste anymore time...
Where I was right -
I said I was externally motivated and that I also had a standard of life that I refused to live below. That is still entirely correct. Some of you may read this and think "oh, he is just spoiled and probably had everything handed to him and that's why he won't go below that standard". That couldn't be farther from the truth. I have worked for most everything I have ever had. I like to work. I like the feeling of coming home from a hard days work, whether that be mentally taxing of physically it doesn't matter. I'm a small town guy, I like honest days pay for an honest days work. But we are getting off topic here. I still am incredibly motivated by external factors. I really like stuff just the same as I liked it before the military. Only now, I can buy more of it. Doesn't mean I am blowing it all, in fact, I am actually saving up to build a house for when I am out in a few years. Sounds like future planning right? We will touch on that in a later blog. For now, just know it's a good thing to do.
The other examples I gave as "reasons" why I was going to join were "Experience", "College", and yet more "Experience". So lets explain the different versions of experience first. The first one was "The Experience" of joining the military, being a part of something bigger than I am, etc etc. That definitely happened. I got it and I still get it daily. The other experience was job experience, something that everyone could use more of. It only makes you more marketable in the long run by knowing how to do more than "the other guy". In the end, that is what separates who gets the job and who doesn't in the interview room. More on that in a later blog because that goes along with perception and we aren't ready for that one yet. The last reason I gave was "College". Now this one I was right and wrong about. I have the ability to go to school but what I don't have an abundance of is free time to take classes. That is a bit of a drag, not going to lie about it. On the flipside though (everything has a flipside) I have gained about 35 credit hours in a Logistics degree since I joined. Combine that with what I already had back home and I should have a "free degree" just from utilizing what I already had and what was freely given to me by completing mandatory training. I am still counting this one as a "correct" moment for me simply because I got to go to school, just not in the way I figured. Truth be told, I could go to school now but I don't have the mindset to spend all my time at work, school, and sleeping. I joined the military for the "Experience" over the "Education". When I am out, that will be a different story but while I am here, I want to get the most out of this as I can. Locking myself in a dorm room and studying all my free time away is not the most ideal way of achieving that goal.
So far I was correct in 4 out of 4 reasons why I joined. You might be thinking, "it's no wonder he likes self reflection, it's just a way for him to blow his own horn". That isn't true. I was wrong but not where I expected to be. The final part of the "why I joined" blog said that I didn't want to leave and that I would miss it, or at least I insinuated that fact. Well, I do miss home in ways, it was never the homesick I imagined it being. I never saw another place of residence becoming my "home". That is exactly what my 12x15ft dorm has become. It is mine. My home and my life is at Charleston AFB, SC. I get mad at people here just like I did in the valley. I have fun with people here just like I did in the valley. Everything has a flipside, this was no exception.
Looking back, I had felt lead to join the military by a "higher power". It was a series of events that changed who I was, who I am, and even more importantly, who I will become. That is a blog entirely of it's own and will definitely be one worth reading. The decision of me joining the military has been one of the best decisions I have ever made to this day. It has impacted my life in such a way that even the people that told me not to join or that I would regret it now tell me "I would be an idiot for not putting in my 20 years and retiring here". As the blog explaining the higher power will discuss in more detail, when you follow His plan, the worst thing that can happen is you end up happy.
Summary of my decision is very simple. I have everything I thought I would have, more opportunity than I could imagine, and a life that I enjoy living. If I had my family here, I would never think twice about putting in my 20 years. The key to winning poker is knowing how to play the hand you are dealt. The same is true about the game of life and the key to happiness. You don't always have to be dealt "pocket aces", but it sure does help when it happens.
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