Throughout my lifetime, I've been extremely fortunate to have been brought up under the tutelage of some of the most respected people in this area. My Father- Whom I've never heard a foul word spoken of. A man with hard hand & a warm heart. Jerry Jacquinet- My grade school basketball coach & PE teacher who is probably the most beloved man in the history of USD 247. Bryan Burdette- My head football coach in high school & my inspiration to become a coach myself who believed in me at the lowest points in my life. Ben Proctor- My high school basketball coach, and current Principal/boss. A man of great character. A man to model after. As I examine what has made these men such great leaders, friends, husbands, fathers, and coaches, one attribute has existed in every instance: Their ability to serve others.
Service is something I have struggled with throughout my lifetime. At times, I'm very selfish. Time has always been very important to me. I have a set schedule in my head of how my day should progress. Anything that derails that schedule is a nuisance. However, I seem to find multiple minutes throughout my day that vanish without something meaningful to fulfill them. Minutes, even maybe very few minutes, that could be truly do good for someone other than myself. My first reaction is to quickly put the blame on my generation. Everything about my generation is self-serving. "How can I please myself today?" Or my most hated saying of all-time "From now on, I'ma do me." I can't blame it on my generation. I have come to embrace one of Ben Proctor's favorite quotes: "CHOOSE your attitude." It is a daily decision that I must make for the betterment of the whole. A self-serving leader is a detriment to his organization, whatever that may be. It applies to all levels & all walks of life.
I feel that slowly, but surely I have made strides in this department, or at least I pray I have. However, I have never made a full commitment to service. I must now realize that if my daily schedule in my head is thrown off a few minutes, it's not the end of the world. Wal-Mart is open 24 hours a day, so is my gym, and so is my bed. Sure, we still have to fulfill our obligations & responsibilities, but we, as a society, & I must realize that there are two types of people in this world. There are those who push people down, and those who pull people up. I want to bring everyone along with me. I don't want to leave anyone behind because that person has value. And when I'm down, I want that person to reach back & pull me up alongside them. I have received the benefits of others' service countless times. It's time that I start giving back in 2012.
Starting in 2012, I want to be a person who holds out their hands not to receive, but to GIVE my hands to serve a purpose for others...
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