Do you as a Veteran feel abandoned?

Attitude is the difference-maker. When life takes you down, who do you rely on for support? As stated by John Maxwell, "the remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day." I am targeting Veterans today that seem to feel like we are not accepted. True, we cannot change our past. And true, we are square pegs in a round world. We have to embrace our differences and see new possibilities. That doesn't mean that we're going to get along with everyone we interact with.

In most cases, people will likely think we are way too passionate or driven. Truth be told, we are. We have a different way of approaching things. The difference between them and us is the way of the Veteran, and we can not change the fact that people we interact with will act in a certain way. Don't change who you are, embrace yourself. Embrace your experiences and realize that you are unique. You have value to add to society. Together we have stood in the face of evil! We have the scars on our hearts and minds to reflect.

Therefore, as we embrace who we are, we must also realize, "life is 10 percent of what happens to us, and 90 percent how we react to it." Seems like what happened in military training. In reality we adapted to our surroundings. Just as you did in your service to our nation, "you do need to model an attitude of positive vision during tough times."

Think of fulfilling your obligation to our nation. When we started out, the more we complained, the more difficult things were. And when we accepted our change of environment, the more we became alive with a renewed sense of purpose. As stated by Michael Angier, founder, and chief inspirational officer of SuccessNet, "If we learn to appreciate more of what we already have, we'll find ourselves having even more to appreciate."

Getting that powerful mindset under control created the brother and sisterhood we all fondly look back too. A new sense of faith developed. As you grew, did you notice that the excellent leaders, the leaders you looked up also had something in common. "Good leaders are never complainers. They're doers. When things go wrong, they start working and rallying people to help them." Who in your life rallied you while in the service?

For me, I am learning my way through failure. As a 20-year Veteran, I am still making mistakes. Remember, I am a square peg in a round hole. My failures are not going to define me. They are going to help me reach the next level of success.

I ask that you move with me at the speed of trust. Consider taking the next step in the right direction by clicking like or follow me on my different platforms. Know that, for me, I aspire to be a humble servant, and I am always going to challenge assumptions. It would be best if you didn't make assumptions about your life. Define your own reality as you make your transition in life. Understand who you are and how you will make a difference.

Know this, and I know this first hand….failure is an essential step in the cycle of success.

Just a bit of perspective here. We raised our right hand to swear an oath of allegiance to our great nation, "progress always means entering uncharted territory."

If we want success, we need to embrace failure. Your transition out of the military is not a failure. You are an American hero! You are valuable, and you have many people that want to support you!

As the found of Honor From Above, I am here to help you understand who you are and help others see in a way that promotes your well being and transition into the civilian world.

Quotations noted in the article are pulled from John Maxwell (2018), "Developing the leader within you 2.0" Chapter Chapter 6 "Attitude" published Harper Collins Leadership