Adapt, bloom where planted to make a difference

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Latoya Kendrick
  • 60th Dental Squadron
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  There is no perfect roadmap to success. It requires excellence on all levels and determination in every role and position in which you are placed. 

As Airmen in this great Air Force, we can't always choose the cards we are dealt, but we can learn to play them.  Sometimes, we have to make the best of our situations and bloom where we are planted. 

Every position I have been privileged to hold may not have been where I wanted to be, but it was where I needed to be.  As I looked back on those seasons, I realized that I and the people I encountered were better for it. 

I am a firm believer that keeping dreams alive is what uplifts the human spirit.  Learning how to thrive in an environment that you feel is not ideal is imperative to your success.  So instead of getting bitter and upset at your situation, here are a few tips to assist you in making a positive difference:

1. Every step in life prepares you for the next one. You may not realize it, but where you are right now is providing you the necessary tools to make you successful in your next journey.  Understand that every chapter in life builds the foundation to propel you forward to the next chapter.  Ask yourself, "What is this here to teach me?" and "How can I use this experience to better myself and the Airmen I encounter?"  The goal is to keep working toward your next step and understand that your destiny is not determined by your current circumstances.

2. Stop complaining. To truly blossom, you must stop complaining. Your job and your circumstances may not be ideal. However, you have to decide for yourself what you can change, what you cannot change and be happy with that. If the situation cannot be changed, you must learn to rise above it.  What you tend to focus on expands. So, breathe positive life into your current situation.

3. Be a faucet, not a drain. Thoroughout my career, I have met two types of people, faucets and drains, people who give you life and people who suck the life out of you. Choose to be a faucet.  Outstanding Airmen inspire, mentor and shape the next generation of Airmen.  Look for ways to inspire others.  Your struggles have prepared you to be in the path of someone who needs exactly what you can give them.

4. Bloom through the concrete. You will always be in situations where other people are not doing their best.  Instead of expecting others to change, learn to change yourself and don't sweat the small stuff.  If other people are late, you still arrive on time.  If others have given up, you continue to persevere.  Like the eye in the center of a hurricane, keep your tranquility even when the world around you is swirling.

Remember, there is an inherent value in taking the opportunity to appreciate your current situation. Trust that what you do is not in vain and that it will propel you and the people around you to greatness.