Reading an article by Seth Godin this morning and he pointed out:
Traffic at work isn’t just a metaphor. It’s real. We get stuck. Surrounded by people who are just as stuck. It can seem like progress is at a crawl.
And then, we see a different way. Someone finds a lane we didn’t even know existed. Quickly, they’re joined by a few others, a cohort that’s making a difference and moving precisely where they want to go.
All around us, there are people who want to protect their status quo, while others are on a path to level up. Some careers are about checking boxes while others set people up to draw the boxes…
The work of leveling up involves pushing past perceived limitations, understanding that they’re not real.
And it involves surrounding yourself with people on a similar journey.
“What’s required here?” is the question we were taught to ask. This is the loyal employee and the reliable cog, meeting spec.
“What is the opportunity here?” is a totally different question. It’s about contribution and forward motion, not simply compliance.
This got me thinking about the VFW and VFW activities. We’re all busy, I get it. But we have to stop and look at the lane we’re locked into. Most Posts are doing good things, but some are locked into a “what’s required” mentality. We’ve got to bust out of that. We need more Posts focused on the opportunities in their communities. Where we can go is so much bigger than we know. But we’ve got to band together and push.
It won’t always be easy but it will be worth it. Nothing great ever came from doing the required minimums. Let’s do something great.
