Don’t Lose Sight of the Real Heroes

August 19, 2014 by 2 Comments

 

Medal of Honor Ryan Pitts

Photo courtesy of Department of Defense (Defense.gov)

I was watching the ABC Nightly News a few weeks ago when they ran a story on Medal of Honor recipient Ryan Pitts. During the segment, they mentioned that he was one of nine living recipients. There was footage of him with the President and of him standing at a podium, but nothing he said was broadcast. He had to go through an incredible ordeal in Afghanistan to get it and there was nothing from him. His words didn’t mean anything apparently.   

A few minutes later they ran a story on “Weird Al” Yankovic. He was interviewed. His words were more important than those of a Medal of Honor recipient. Frankly, it was embarrassing. “Weird Al” was a bigger story than Medal of Honor recipient Ryan Pitts.
A few days later, Ryan Pitts was on the Late Show with David Letterman where he got to share his experience. I somehow knew I could count on Dave. Nine of Pitts’ fellow soldiers did not make it back from the mission they were on. As you would expect a hero to do, Pitts downplayed his role and his injuries.
Pitts was in Milwaukee recently to share his story at the VA Hospital. He was also interviewed on the CBS 58 News during his visit. Locally he was a bigger story than he was nationally.
I live in a country where I can do what I want, thanks to people like Pitts and everyone who came before him. But, do I spend my time on important things? Or do I waste my time on trivial things that don’t matter? I’m not saying we shouldn’t have our guilty pleasures, we all need something to help us unwind and just enjoy life. We need to recognize when it’s all too much so we don’t lose sight of the real heroes in our lives. You might even know some personally. Honor them if you get the chance.
Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: ,

4 Lessons from the Olympics

February 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
4 Lessons from the OlympicsWhen the world’s best compete against each other there’s so much emotion, drama, and heart that comes out, that’s why I love watching athletes perform. You can’t help but get drawn in. It’s what makes the Olympics so special.
In a way we know what it’s like to compete, because we know what it’s like to ace the test, nail the interview, deliver a great project, or drive in the game winning run in little league. We also know what it’s like to mess up the test, fail the interview, deliver a less than stellar project, and strike out with the bases loaded.
I can only image what the feeling is like at the Olympics. I think that’s why it’s so easy to feel for the athletes regardless of country or sport. In some we, we are them. What they’re experiencing is what we feel, or have felt at some level, only these athletes have the magnifying lens of the entire world on them.
There’s so many lessons to learn from the athletes. The 2014 Olympics in Sochi have certainly provided plenty of lessons. I’d like to talk about four lessons from the Olympics.
1) The odds-on-favorite doesn’t always win. –  Hannah Kearney was the favorite to take the gold in the women’s freestyle skiing moguls; which she won at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. One mistake cost her the gold, and she ended up with a bronze medal. She tweeted afterwards, “Bronze feels a lot like a broken heart.” She went on to say later that she will accept the bronze for fighting, but not for perfection.
Maybe you’re the odds-on favorite. You need to give your best performance each and every time because someone right behind you is looking to beat you, and they will if you don’t perform your best. If you aren’t the favorite, this presents a tremendous opportunity. This means that anybody has a chance to achieve what they want. If you are prepared, and give your best effort, you may just end up with a gold medal, even when no one else thinks you’ll win. That’s why the underdog always has a chance.
2) Worthwhile pursuits take tremendous dedication. – Olympic athletes spend their lives training; sometimes 10 hours a day – for years. When asked if she would compete in the 2018 Olympics, Hannah Kearney said she wouldn’t because that means giving everything to skiing for the next four years and she has other dreams she wants to achieve.
We think we can have it all, we see other people spread themselves out in so many different fields. But, if you really look more closely there’s always the one thing that they achieved success with and then the other opportunities open up because of the success in that one field.They didn’t try to be a success at everything. I think that thinking slows us down because we’re trying to do everything, instead of focusing on the one thing that we’re better than anybody else at. If we can nail that and achieve success, the other opportunities will open up. What can you do better than anyone else? Do that, it’ll get you noticed and it will give you a chance to pursue other dreams.
3) Your character is always on display. – Jeremy Abbott, a four-time U.S. national figure skating champion, took a tumble on the ice and slid into the wall hard during the men’s short event. He was down for a second before he popped up and finished his routine.
While he was on the ice for that brief moment, a million things raced through his head; what do I do? do I skate over to the judges?, can I continue? I’m in a lot of pain. As those thoughts circled in his head, he heard the roar of the crowd. The crowd was pulling for him and began cheering, giving him a standing ovation.
In an interview afterwards, he said, “I heard the crowd and I had to finish for them.” He could have hung his head and skated off the ice, but he instead chose to finish. He knew his shot at a medal was over, he ended up in 15th place, but to finish what you started, even if it doesn’t go as planned shows exactly who you are as a person.
4) Make the most of your opportunity. – Noelle Pikus-Pace, missed a medal in the women’s skeleton, at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, by a tenth of a second. She wasn’t satisfied with that result, but she was pleased that she had given her best and with that she retired. She left the sport to raise a family.
After suffering a miscarriage, she decided to pursue the Olympic medal dream again, but only if her husband and two young children went with her. She spent the last few years training, and after her final run in Sochi, she was in first. The emotions poured from her as she knew she had secured a medal. She took home the silver medal and during the medal ceremony, she broke down in tears. She had made the most of her opportunity.
What are your Olympics? Maybe it’s something you’re competing in, or maybe it’s just your everyday pursuits. Can you take any of these lessons and apply them in your life to help you achieve the success you dream about?
Filed Under: Inspiration, Life Lessons Tagged With: ,

The Consequences of Taking Short Cuts

January 14, 2014 by Leave a Comment

The Consequences of Taking Short CutsI’m sure we’ve all been assigned some tasks that end up being boring or seemingly unimportant. If you took a few shorts cuts no one would really know, would they? Why exert your full effort if you don’t need to, right? That’s the wrong attitude to have. There are always consequences. If you’re assigned to do something you should always do it with complete commitment.

Why is this so important? I’ll share two incidents; one from the pages of history and one recent story. 

On April 14, 1865, Police Officer John Parker was assigned to guard President Lincoln and the First Lady while they attended a play at Ford’s Theatre. As soon as the Lincolns got settled in their box, Parker left his post so he could watch the play and left the President unattended. Because of that decision, John Wilkes Booth had no problem walking into President Lincoln’s box and shooting him later that night.  
Recently, a friend of mine dropped me off at the airport for an early flight. Instead of going back home he decided to go into work. He’s the Building Security Manager for a large bank. When he arrived at the bank at 5:15 a.m., he discovered that one of the guards was missing. He found out that the guard had just left, although the guard was supposed to be on duty until 6:00 a.m. when the shift change occurs. It turned out that the guard did this often and was fired later that day.
Though both stories are security related, they apply to any circumstance. You never know when you’ll be needed or who will watch you when you least expect it. So, always give your full effort in all you do. Short cuts are only a short term benefit; your integrity is always on display.
This also shows how we’re all connected. What we do, or don’t do, affects other people’s lives. If Officer Parker had not abandoned his post history may have been different. If I hadn’t gone on an early flight my friend might not have offered to drive me to the airport and he would not have gone in to work early. The guard would still be employed and would still be leaving work early.
Today the Secret Service protects the President and there’s someone more responsible guarding the bank.
We never know what the consequences of our decisions will be, but one thing’s for sure; if you take short cuts your actions could have long lasting ramifications.
Filed Under: Life Lessons Tagged With: