Whenever someone I'm getting acquainted with talks with me, one of the subjects of 'getting know this new guy Roger' breaches the subject of future life planning and/or career planning. These folks quickly realize that I exhibit both specific short-term goals and general road map of long-term goals. After more discussion, they find that some of the goals, mainly the longer term ones can shift in time frame, but they never leave my focus. I explain that I see all these possible paths that I could take, but which one takes it's time to reveal itself, sometimes purposely and others accidentally.
I suppose the biggest question now getting to the operational side of the Air Force has been arguably, "Are you making this a career?" I consider this time period still too early to call really, it really depends after getting to Japan when one logically thinks about it if they were in my situation. Until then I've explained that CDCs and upgrade training is the most important focal point in life at the moment, followed by enjoying Turkey and the region I'm in at the fullest.
I expound upon this thought to people that life has shown me quite a few lessons that I've heeded before the military and I always keep them in hindsight while I'm here.
1) The Air Force is just another phase of my finite life.
2) Whenever you're placed in limbo between where you are and where you want to be, be proactive in everything you do.
3) Every event whether good or bad is something to learn from, just don't let bad decisions ruin you're life.
4) History tends to repeat itself, it's best to self-evaluate your past actions constantly to avoid future pitfalls.
5) Five.. no, six constants in life: God, change, choice, principles, learning, and character.
6) The 'drive' of great expectations of doing great things. Although 'great things' are vague, many small things tend to snowball either positively or negatively, and it may not accumulate into what we call big things.
I've found out that life is a constant lesson in learning about everything. This definitely excludes the traditional sense of learning, but those 'life lessons' can be found about everyday and it's important to acknowledge them when they occur. I think many people reach an 'apex' in learning and stop, thinking they mastered everything.
Unfortunately, those people are so woefully wrong and are missing important things in life. Without risk and an open mind, many people are resigned to a fate of boredom. This is a tragic consequence that life does not let one forget lightly. Every new interaction with someone and/or something else is a start of a new lesson in life's education, it's just how you tend to approach it.
In conclusion, don't stop learning, not because you think you've passed college or reached your 'dream' career, because life does not let you stop learning and the faster you get that lesson, the better your life can be.
