778. Flying High: From Childhood Dream to Reality

“I ended up being trained on the EEC 135 aircraft. There were often generals on board who were pilots themselves that needed instructor pilots to help them keep their qualifications and experience up. This was such a blessing for me because I was able to fly with a very experienced pilot, which gave me an opportunity to do things in an airplane a young lieutenant doesn’t normally get to do. My skills developed rapidly and because I enjoyed the chain of command so much and the process, I was also developing myself militarily at the same time. Next I had the rare chance to serve as executive officer to a wing commander where I learned a lot about command and working effectively with people of all ranks and positions.”

“At the urging of a boss of mine, who had served in the Marine Corps, I joined the U.S. Air Force at 23. He told me I would make an excellent officer and it would also give me an opportunity to complete my college education. While joining the military was never really a part of my game plan, I took to it like a duck to water. It was definitely where I was meant to be and my career path was right there in front of me. That decision opened so many doors for me and gave me so many opportunities that I most certainly would not have had. It also returned me to my dream as a young boy of wanting to fly.

“We are too often taught from an early age that everyone on the outside of us knows what’s best for us, and for this reason we look for answers to some of life’s most complicated questions there instead of inside ourselves. Two other commonly held beliefs we hold as a collective is that we are not good enough and we are not worthy. Those two beliefs impact so many of the key decisions we face in our lives. So because we don’t know ourselves, we don’t really understand the gifts and talents that we have been using our entire lives, and we get lost and are not doing the things we enjoy and are good at. If we did know ourselves we would find that we can use our talents in a position that aligns with who we truly are.”

“Find a coach or mentor to help you discover the answers to your questions. Inside you there is so much untapped knowledge and wisdom. As early as high school if a student is willing to open up and ask themselves the hard questions about themselves, they can begin to envision their unique purpose and set goals toward achieving that purpose. It’s a guided process in most cases and has to be learned, because we are never taught how to do it.”