Minuteman
06/18/2006, 08:37 PM
I may or may not have posted this before, but based on the Father's Day discussions, I thought it worth posting. This is a short essay I wrote for my English Comp class the semester before last.
As I read the Introduction of Chapter 1 in the textbook, it led me to believe that being able to competently express yourself in writing is a critical element of success in today’s world. The particular assertion was, “Writing can also help you think critically. Critical thinking is the highest form of mental activity that human beings engage in, and it is a major source of success in college and in life.” I began to ponder that statement and began to question the accuracy of that particular assertion.
As a young man, I considered success to be wealth and a job with some measure of power or control over other peoples’ work as well as my own. I think that a majority of the secular world holds that view as well, and I’m not so sure it is an accurate gauge.
As I joined the military at the ripe old age of 18, I reconsidered my definition of success. At that time, the measure became: How much was I able to contribute to the national defense and make this country a better, more secure place. By that measure, I continued to be more and more successful over the years. As I gained more experience and continued to climb the ladder of the military rank structure I was able to make a greater contribution to the establishment of my unit’s policy and execution of the mission. As a by-product, I also achieved success as measured by the secular world’s view as well, but not with any direct intent to achieve that goal.
After many more years of service, I began to once again re-think my definition of success. My definition had morphed into a view where success was the ability to shape my own area of Navy policy to make sure the entire force was better prepared to execute whatever mission it would be called upon to conduct. In addition, a stronger part of success was demonstrating true leadership, and training young men and women how to lead, including impacting their lives on a personal level. By impact, I mean taking care of them and showing them that the military does indeed take care of it’s own, doing those things which are right and necessary to ensure the well being of each individual sailor.
After years of gaining skill and expertise in taking care of my troops, I would routinely be apprised by my sailors when they checked out prior to leaving the command that while I was generally regarded as being tough but fair in maintaining standards and carrying out the mission, that they almost universally appreciated the fact that they knew there was somebody in their direct chain of command who they could go to in an attempt to resolve issues which they were not able to fix themselves and they regarded that as a significant point in making the decision to stay in the service or get out.
Now, after almost twenty-six years of service, while I think I have achieved some small measure of success using all of the previous definitions. My point is simply that success is a very subjective term and I am more convinced than ever that those previous definitions are far from accurate.
After being fortunate enough to marry a wonderful wife, she blessed me with a beautiful daughter a little over 2 and half years ago. While sitting with her last week, we went through the usual ritual of bath, milk, reading stories, and then we settled in to rock a little bit before placing her in her bed. As we rocked in the dark, her breathing gradually slowed and deepened, and then she lifted her head and looked at me. By the glow of the nightlight, I could see her eyes lock onto mine, and she gently said, “Daddy, I love you”.
After all of these years, I fully believe the largest measure of true success for me will be to grow in my marriage and to be a good Husband and Father. When my daughter is grown up and ready to step out on her own, if my wife is still at my side and in love with me and my daughter is still able to tell me, “Daddy, I love you”, then my life will have been a success.
Success is not money, power, professional excellence, or looking out for others. In my final definition, success is love, success is family. While I believe the textbook assertion that a firm grasp of the English language and the ability to express your thoughts well in written form are crucial to success in the business world, they may also be even more crucial in that they foster the developing and maintaining of relationships which are the truer gauges of success in life.
As I read the Introduction of Chapter 1 in the textbook, it led me to believe that being able to competently express yourself in writing is a critical element of success in today’s world. The particular assertion was, “Writing can also help you think critically. Critical thinking is the highest form of mental activity that human beings engage in, and it is a major source of success in college and in life.” I began to ponder that statement and began to question the accuracy of that particular assertion.
As a young man, I considered success to be wealth and a job with some measure of power or control over other peoples’ work as well as my own. I think that a majority of the secular world holds that view as well, and I’m not so sure it is an accurate gauge.
As I joined the military at the ripe old age of 18, I reconsidered my definition of success. At that time, the measure became: How much was I able to contribute to the national defense and make this country a better, more secure place. By that measure, I continued to be more and more successful over the years. As I gained more experience and continued to climb the ladder of the military rank structure I was able to make a greater contribution to the establishment of my unit’s policy and execution of the mission. As a by-product, I also achieved success as measured by the secular world’s view as well, but not with any direct intent to achieve that goal.
After many more years of service, I began to once again re-think my definition of success. My definition had morphed into a view where success was the ability to shape my own area of Navy policy to make sure the entire force was better prepared to execute whatever mission it would be called upon to conduct. In addition, a stronger part of success was demonstrating true leadership, and training young men and women how to lead, including impacting their lives on a personal level. By impact, I mean taking care of them and showing them that the military does indeed take care of it’s own, doing those things which are right and necessary to ensure the well being of each individual sailor.
After years of gaining skill and expertise in taking care of my troops, I would routinely be apprised by my sailors when they checked out prior to leaving the command that while I was generally regarded as being tough but fair in maintaining standards and carrying out the mission, that they almost universally appreciated the fact that they knew there was somebody in their direct chain of command who they could go to in an attempt to resolve issues which they were not able to fix themselves and they regarded that as a significant point in making the decision to stay in the service or get out.
Now, after almost twenty-six years of service, while I think I have achieved some small measure of success using all of the previous definitions. My point is simply that success is a very subjective term and I am more convinced than ever that those previous definitions are far from accurate.
After being fortunate enough to marry a wonderful wife, she blessed me with a beautiful daughter a little over 2 and half years ago. While sitting with her last week, we went through the usual ritual of bath, milk, reading stories, and then we settled in to rock a little bit before placing her in her bed. As we rocked in the dark, her breathing gradually slowed and deepened, and then she lifted her head and looked at me. By the glow of the nightlight, I could see her eyes lock onto mine, and she gently said, “Daddy, I love you”.
After all of these years, I fully believe the largest measure of true success for me will be to grow in my marriage and to be a good Husband and Father. When my daughter is grown up and ready to step out on her own, if my wife is still at my side and in love with me and my daughter is still able to tell me, “Daddy, I love you”, then my life will have been a success.
Success is not money, power, professional excellence, or looking out for others. In my final definition, success is love, success is family. While I believe the textbook assertion that a firm grasp of the English language and the ability to express your thoughts well in written form are crucial to success in the business world, they may also be even more crucial in that they foster the developing and maintaining of relationships which are the truer gauges of success in life.