I wasn't the person someone "saw something in." And maybe that's why I feel so strongly about becoming that person for someone else.
In high school, at a part-time job, I told my boss that I wanted to go to college and do more with my life. His response? "You'll be working in one of the local factories like me, your uncle and everyone else."
That could have become my story. But I refused to let someone else write it.
I knew I wanted a college education. I just didn't know how I would pay for it. So I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, planning to use the G.I. Bill to help pay for college.
Ironically, I eventually needed student loans anyway. But I don't regret becoming a Marine for one second.
The Marine Corps helped mold me, challenge me, discipline me, and make me more of the person I am today. Improvise. Overcome. Adapt. That became more than a military mindset. It became a way of life.
We hear a lot about giving credit to the person who "saw something in you." But what happens when there wasn't someone like that?
You build your own door.
And sometimes you get knocked down, overlooked, told "no," and wonder if any of it will work. Through all of that, there is one person I want to give enormous credit to: my wife. She stayed beside me when things were difficult and when everything around me was crashing. That means more to me than I can put into words.
If you didn't have someone who believed in you, be that person for someone else.
There are two ways to see the world. Scarcity: "There isn't enough." Or abundance: "There is more opportunity, and someone else's success doesn't diminish mine."
Zig Ziglar said: "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want."
Maybe your greatest leadership legacy won't be your title, income, or accomplishments. Maybe it will be the people whose lives changed because you decided to believe in them.
Be the person you wish you had. Look around. Who needs encouragement? Who needs an opportunity? Who needs someone to say: "I see something in you. Let's see what you can do."
That one conversation. That one opportunity. That one "yes." It could change the trajectory of someone's life.
I know what it feels like to have to make your own path. That's exactly why I want to help clear the path for someone else.
Let's stop asking, "Who gave me my opportunity?" And start asking: "Whose opportunity can I help?"
My personal challenge to you: Think of one person today who could use a little encouragement, opportunity, mentorship, or belief. Then be the person who gives it to them.
