Best wishes…/Hugh

I was plowing through your site catching up today when I read this post. That I am writing on your site for the first time probably says as much as anything how much it struck me. I am a retired Army officer, so seeing “Black Watch” in the post caught my attention, and I went from scanning to actually reading.

My “Moment” came in January 1970, standing ready to make a parachute jump (not my first) as part of a training exercise to conduct an airfield seizure. I don’t know what prompted the thought, but as I stood in full battle kit I suddenly realized that this was not all fun and games. Until then I must confess to being a bit of a mercenary, collecting jump pay and temporary duty pay for all the training I was undergoing, and sharing laughs with my fellow trainees. I now understood that the Army was giving me all these “opportunities” against the day I was expected to lead soldiers into harm’s way. I had been commissioned seven months earlier, but only then did I commit to the responsibilities of an officer, to being as alert as I could be at all times, to absorb as much as possible, to be as good at my trade as I could be.

It has carried over to other walks of life as well. I see my growth as an assembly of many such moments, since it is they that come always to mind when I reflect on matters.

I have been a lurker on your website for several years now, so I can probably call myself a fan, of sorts. I am glad for you that your life has taken the turns it has.

Thanks again for this post, and the lessons of which it has reminded me.

God Bless!../Hugh Donohue

Great post.

I´m learning a lot with, about marketing, about career, about art. And also about life.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Best,

Miguel Cavalcanti, a true fan in Brazil
@mcavalcanti

PS: your book is great, do you have any deal to publish it in portuguese in Brazil?

The distinction is between moments that offer something new, externally. And then there are the moments in “ordinary” situations (such as hugh’s bar moment)that you have experienced the same way 1000 times,but made a different decision before.
The moment is for me when you change the way you have acted before not because you have to or you are out of your depth, but because you want to.

Be it as it may, moments are great. But they are only moments, if they are not followed by actual change. That for me is the hard part. It is not understanding that you have to lead the officers, but actually doing it. And continue to do so.