Start a new story
In the military, some units are good. Some are great. Others need work.
A lot of this has to do with leadership. The standard that leaders set and uphold.
We have a saying in the Marine Corps, "Marines do well at things they are inspected at."
But along with leadership, a unit's success is largely based on the stories its members tell about themselves.
I have had the pleasure of working with Marine Raiders, first as an active-duty Raider and now as a civilian.
The story we tell about ourselves originated in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, when President Roosevelt directed the Marines to form the first Raider Battalions.
That legacy has continued through the Force Recon Marines, Detachment One, and now over 19 years of the modern Marine Raiders kicking ass across the globe.
The story that permeates the unit is that each Raider is responsible for upholding the tradition of excellence that has been handed to them.
But it's easy to be great when your story is great.
I work with a lot of people who tell themselves different stories.
They tell the story that they aren't good enough, that they are incapable of achieving goals, and that they are lazy, weak, or stupid.
This is where the three laws come in.
- We are created by our stories.
- You can't change the past or the stories you have believed.
- You can change the future, but you've got to start telling and believing different stories.
The story that you told yourself in the past was probably true. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
If you believed yourself to be lazy, weak, and stupid, that's probably how you performed.
But all it takes to make a change is to close one story and open another.
Until next week,
Keep Walking Point
John
If you have any questions or feedback about today's newsletter or if you'd just like to reach out, email me at john@walkingpoint.org. I’ll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.
