Lose Yourself

Goood morning!

What if I told you that in order to become a greater version of yourself, you'd need to first make somebody else greater than you?


Crazy, right? Hear me out, nah!


One of the Army values that we practice daily is, Selfless Service; doing things for others without expecting something in return.


I've just recently finished reading a book by Steve Farber on leadership. He has vowed to adopt a new teaching called, "Greater than Yourself"(which is the actual title of the book) where you latch on to somebody as your special project and you make them greater than you by enhancing upon their skills and abilities.  Not another mentoring program, but a program that is driven by love and passion for the work as well as the person!



Each one teach one.


Maybe you've had somebody take a special interest in you, so you know exactly what that feels like! I've been a favorite to a few in my day, so I pray that I've made them proud!  But on the flip side of that I've been in situations that weren't so sweet. I've had to learn on my own which also meant that my failures and mistakes felt as if they on display with a spotlight for all the world to see. And because I didn't have somebody showing me the ropes, the fault was mine and mine alone. It's painful and you begin to doubt yourself and your abilities. The question of, "Why, me?" comes up very often. But for me, instead of feeling sorry for myself and crying, I spent extra time reading and training, so I wouldn't fail myself or the others depending on me.



I've always felt that wherever I was at any point in my life is where I was meant to be, whether I was qualified for that position or not; College, Army, or my Civilian life. Something inside of me knew how to be there, the rest of me just needed to catch up. Feet fail me not!


So, when my turn came to train and teach, I took that with pride. I wanted to load the next person with all the knowledge and skills that I had gained. One reason is because I'm lazy! (I only want to be honest here) If you know as much as I know then MY work load becomes easier to carry; we're now able to divide up the work and share it evenly and two, because I know what it feels like to be alone, lost, and confused.

Why would you surround yourself with others who lack motivation and creativity? Dr. Maya Angelou once said something about creativity, (loose quote) "You can't use up creativity, the more you use, the more you have." And I don't know about you, but that makes a great deal of sense to me!

Don't ever be afraid that somebody will come along and blow out your candles to make themselves appear brighter. We tend to hold things back from others because we are fearful that the person will outshine us and that we'll no longer be needed, but that's hardly the case. I've often said that you can't compete where you don't compare. No Human Beings has ever threatened a position I've held. I have been fearfully and wonderfully made and the real treat is that there will NEVER be another Renee B Renee walking this Earth, EVER!





So without further adieu...


… It IS a pleasure to meet you!