What's one thing you would like to do better?

2016-12-13T12:48:02-05:00

There is a time of day that creativity strikes me. I am suddenly ready to write or share a link, provide an update, or ask a provocative question. I open up my mind and trust that the words are solid and good enough. For me, It’s typically some time very early in the morning.

However, if I don’t open up a blank Word doc. and tune out the indefinite to-do list yelling at my anxiety-proned brain, the moment slips away and I’m off working that to-do list!

The creative thoughts just spread their wings and they fly away and they are lost forever.

I believe that if we want to put our God-given talents to use, we must be emotionally present and intentional with our time each day.

Did I say emotionally stable? No. I said present and intentional.

You are all talented at something. You are good at a lot of things. Though, you will be just okay at things that don’t really matter at the end of the road if you do not intentionally set time aside to answer the real desire in your heart to do something different. And the longer you wait, the desire will be lost forever, drowned out by the distracting world around you. What are you being called to do?

“The longer you wait, the desire will be lost forever, drowned out by the distracting world around you. What are you being called to do?”

Is it writing? Is it a business idea? Is it a phone call you need to make? Is it a lifestyle change? Is it helping veterans?

Take one tiny step toward that today.

Stop what you’re doing and do something better, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Write down one thing you could do different today!

Share it with the RallyPoint Nation! That’s all.

Response by SFC George Smith made Dec 13 at 2016 12:52 PM

2016-12-13T12:52:47-05:00

I wish I could Spell and present a better explanation of what I am trying to get across...
I'de like to be able to see better ... these glasses are getting old...

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Dec 13 at 2016 12:53 PM

2016-12-13T12:53:54-05:00

Now that you got my mind working, I do need to change how our parts stock is handled.

Response by PFC Jessi West made Dec 13 at 2016 12:57 PM

2016-12-13T12:57:13-05:00

I would like to be able to communicate better. That would be helpful.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Dec 13 at 2016 1:02 PM

2016-12-13T13:02:21-05:00

I would like to more clearly both listen to and obey what God tells me each day COL Mikel J. Burroughs. I have learned to listen to HIM much better than I did decades ago. yet I know I need to be more responsive to HIM.

Response by LTC Greg Henning made Dec 13 at 2016 1:07 PM

2016-12-13T13:07:49-05:00

Strong message of action! There is so much more we can achieve if we bring it into focus. Thanks for this post! COL Mikel J. Burroughs

Response by PO3 Steven Sherrill made Dec 13 at 2016 1:13 PM

2016-12-13T13:13:27-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs My brain goes in different directions all at once. My social circle calls it the squirrel effect. I really need to work on slaying the squirrel. Patience. In the immortal words of Master Yoda, You must learn patience.

Response by Lynda Key made Dec 13 at 2016 1:17 PM

2016-12-13T13:17:44-05:00

I would like to write more letters to my family and the military I support on their deployments. I want to be clear-headed and articulate, which is difficult when I let the day and the inevitable anxiety take over.

Response by MAJ Alan Reiter made Dec 13 at 2016 1:20 PM

2016-12-13T13:20:05-05:00

I wish I was more patient and attentive, especially with my family.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2016 1:57 PM

2016-12-13T13:57:14-05:00

Reading comprehension and translating thoughts to communication

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Dec 13 at 2016 2:11 PM

2016-12-13T14:11:36-05:00

communicate with others in the work place!

Response by MCPO Mark Durland made Dec 13 at 2016 2:12 PM

2016-12-13T14:12:49-05:00

The list gets smaller as I age...either I've gotten better at things OR they've become less important to me. That said...

Pray. I'd like to pray better. Meaning just use my heart. I was Catholic early on, then Protestant for a long time before returning to Catholicism about 4 years ago. So I tend to "think" my prayers rather than feel them in order to conform to different dogmas and situations. I need to "park" that mentality and just use my heart. And the Catholic Book of Prayer. ;-)

BTW, COL Mikel J. Burroughs ...will this yield a call to New Year's Resolutions?

Response by SPC Margaret Higgins made Dec 13 at 2016 2:42 PM

2016-12-13T14:42:08-05:00

I would like to thank people-especially service members and veterans-more often; I would like to cheer more people up; and I would like to help more people out.
A Very Merry Christmas to you, Mikel!!

With My Love in Him, Your Sister- Margaret

Response by Sgt Ian Richmond made Dec 13 at 2016 3:27 PM

2016-12-13T15:27:48-05:00

I would like be better at networking. I can communicate pretty well, however, that next step of creating and holding onto contacts can be difficult. I want to be able to cultivate those work relationships better.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 13 at 2016 3:33 PM

2016-12-13T15:33:55-05:00

I would like to make life more of a priority. Like traveling with my kids, meeting new people and trying new things. Like wine and beer hahaha

Response by Sgt Kelli Mays made Dec 13 at 2016 4:32 PM

2016-12-13T16:32:21-05:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Stay on my diet. LOL...Not like food as much as I do or cook so well. lol

oh, and not spend so much money...be more frugal.

Response by PO1 John Johnson made Dec 13 at 2016 4:46 PM

2016-12-13T16:46:40-05:00

Patience. I left a civilian Port Security job 1-1/2 years ago when I moved to Florida, where I had to deal with a glacially-slow moving Senior Management (SM) cadre in the Port's Administration Office on one hand, and a ILWU-backed cadre of maintenance personnel (MP) whose job it was to accomplish tasks on the other. You had to wait hours or sometimes days, after recognizing a problem or being tasked, before SM could make a decision, or MP "got around" to performing their part of the tasking. I was working as the #2 for the retired E-8 who ran the Security Dept, and I can't tell you how many times we felt like we were beating our heads against the wall. We both wished we had approx. 20 junior enlisted (E2's & 3's) with a hard charging E-4 leading them, in order to move the world. A lot of times, it was much easier for us to do the job ourselves rather than wait for the others, and take the fallout later.

Response by LCpl Cody Collins made Dec 13 at 2016 5:12 PM

2016-12-13T17:12:47-05:00

There was a time , about 15 years ago, I would like to go back and spend more time with my Son, I always wanted to teach him, how to play baseball. And he grew up really fast, now he's in Art school.

Response by SGT Robert George made Dec 13 at 2016 7:42 PM

2016-12-13T19:42:39-05:00

Thanks Col. for a second I thought it was Doc. writing this !!! LOL !!!

Response by Cpl Rebecca Nicholson made Dec 13 at 2016 9:01 PM

2016-12-13T21:01:55-05:00

Try to be more positive and joyful, even in the presence of negative and discouraged influences.

Response by Jenn Moynihan made Dec 14 at 2016 5:41 AM

2016-12-14T05:41:49-05:00

"...the longer you wait..." is exactly what I need to change. I procrastinate only to frustrate myself in the end mainly in writing papers.

This was my second semester in Grad School and it "waits for no one and it wont wait for me..."

Response by MSG Roboam Felix made Dec 14 at 2016 6:07 AM

2016-12-14T06:07:14-05:00

I would like to improve on how I treat others. War has the ability to change us; some for good, and some for not so good. Found me to be insensitive at times, not always.

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Dec 14 at 2016 7:34 AM

2016-12-14T07:34:53-05:00

I need to get in touch with people that I have neglected for such a long time.

Response by PFC James Craft made Dec 14 at 2016 9:15 AM

2016-12-14T09:15:45-05:00

I would have loved to be able to reconnect with my family and friends. They saw me as the monster I thought I was.

Response by SSG David Eure made Dec 14 at 2016 9:46 AM

2016-12-14T09:46:50-05:00

I would like to be better at public speaking. I'm not much of a talker when I meet new people, and not exactly trained in etiquette. In social situations, I just have no words.

Response by SMSgt Keith Klug made Dec 14 at 2016 2:17 PM

2016-12-14T14:17:21-05:00

Write Fiction/Science Fiction(Faction) Novels. I have a lot of ideas that I have run by friends that are really fleshed out, just can't seem to sit down and put them into form.

Response by SSG Mark Franzen made Dec 14 at 2016 6:05 PM

2016-12-14T18:05:29-05:00

I am very much talented with working on old cars and Old Motorcycles the new ones have too much stuff sensors and MAF sensor oxygen sensor when too much stuff to fix when it breaks down.

Response by PVT Mark Brown made Dec 14 at 2016 9:44 PM

2016-12-14T21:44:14-05:00

From the very first day in the Army in 1968 in the rain at Ft Lewis I was chosen as a squad leader then later on in basic was changed to platoon leader - all of which did not mean a thing to me, I did not understand the significance of those movements. When I arrived at AIT (31M) at Ft Gordon I was made platoon leader (felt arm band with E5 stripes.) Near the end of AIT we were shown yet another movie about OCS and at that time I volunteered. They told us there were a ew Signal OCS slots still open. A few of us actually made it through all the written and PT test and were accept, signed contract and all. Since Signal OCS was also at Ft. Gordon we were just loaded on a bus with all the other guys from other areas that had been accepted to OCS. This was late, long after dark. The E7 that was in charge of our group went through all the checking us in as we boarded the bus, and all that other Army stuff they do. As we were about to pull our drill instructor who was taking us to OCS boarded the bus with bad new - Signal OCS is close effective immediately and we wished to continue on to OCS it would be Infantry OCS with the possibility of branch transfer to Signal. This was right at the tail end of Tet 1968, which I am sure was the reason for the sudden need for a bunch of Infantry butter bars. If any one of us wanted to get off the bus and not go to Infantry OCS then they Army would let us out of our contract. For many years, even now, I regret that decision and wish I would have followed my qualifications. But.........

Response by Capt Hansel Bumgarner made Dec 14 at 2016 10:21 PM

2016-12-14T22:21:29-05:00

Sing.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2016 1:51 PM

2016-12-15T13:51:12-05:00

Remember things. Stuff like names, places, terms and everyday speech used to be automatic. Now I have to think about it and thank goodness for the internet. I just can't remember like I used to. I went through it with Mom in her last year at age 83. She'd always say she couldn't remember things. That can sometimes be a blessing, but also a curse. I'd laugh about it and tell her not to worry about it, but was beginning to notice it myself. I guess brain cells are like a hard drive. We can only defrag and reformat so many times before the drive finally fails. Luckily we can store things like pictures and documents elsewhere, but the good memories will eventually be gone. As a teenager we joked about it with phrases like "Life's a bitch and then you die" but they're not so funny anymore. Such is life.

Response by SGT(P) Eric L. made Dec 19 at 2016 2:22 AM

2016-12-19T02:22:02-05:00

To to refocus on my group of combat veterans, which has been hard considering the holidays and we just moved.

Response by 1SG Dennis Jones made Dec 19 at 2016 1:09 PM

2016-12-19T13:09:37-05:00

I wish I could recover faster after hip replacement surgery, so I could continue on with my life without the pain I know that I will just saying wish it would go faster

Response by GySgt Melissa Gravila made Dec 19 at 2016 8:22 PM

2016-12-19T20:22:09-05:00

I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and stop over-loading my schedule. I have a BAD habit of trying to cram 28 hours into 24.

Response by SGT John Wesley made Dec 19 at 2016 11:34 PM

2016-12-19T23:34:09-05:00

Listen better.

Seems we all go through our day talking. I hear what people are saying, but invariably, I can tune out pretty quick. Especially in the last two years. This whole political thing has made me listen less.

Response by SPC Michael Stedman made Dec 23 at 2016 2:12 PM

2016-12-23T14:12:30-05:00

The one thing I would like to do better is take better care of myself. I am working on that.

Response by SPC Douglas Bolton made Dec 23 at 2016 2:48 PM

2016-12-23T14:48:19-05:00

I have decided to will be doing whatever I can to support the many veterans who are suffering with PTSD, depression, etc. There are 22 suicide every day, and that is not acceptable. I became a board member of a new Nonprofit that will be directly involved in what I just said I wanted to do. Check it out at http://www.victoryofveterans.org. I write the blog for them. Check that out as well.

Response by PO2 Robert M. made Dec 23 at 2016 9:18 PM

2016-12-23T21:18:03-05:00

Well, that is a loaded question!
I wish I could accept my Medical Retirement from the Navy better. It has been over 20 some years, but I am still ANGRY and disappointed in myself that I could not "RETIRE NATURALLY" from the Navy. I was in line for a brilliant career, then it was all ripped away from me! Even my shrink is attempting to help me "let go" of my anger and disappointment. ........ Oh well, some things are left to a HIGHER POWER!
To everyone - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR - TO A GREAT 2017! ! ! ! ! !

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 25 at 2016 3:34 PM

2016-12-25T15:34:25-05:00

This is a topic that roams around in my mind daily. Why am I afraid of sharing my intermost ideas and views. I know that my lengthy Army career speaks for it self, but how better to help future Soldiers then spread our thoughts and knowledge. So I ask for the strength to communicate my thoughts in multiple ways.

Response by Cpl Joshua Caldwell made Dec 30 at 2016 2:27 PM

2016-12-30T14:27:31-05:00

I am super ADD, I would love to be able to focus on a single task for more time than it takes for me to find the next shinny object.

Response by SPC Douglas Bolton made Jan 24 at 2017 9:09 PM

2017-01-24T21:09:52-05:00

I want to have more compassion for others. I want to reach out more to the fallen. I want to help more people who can't help themselves. Then if I really do these things I have accomplished what all of us should have done.

Response by PVT Richard May made Mar 5 at 2017 3:04 PM

2017-03-05T15:04:15-05:00

If the military really wants to do one things better - hell I can name a few.

STOP THE DAMN RAPES - it's disgusting that soldiers are raping each other.

If a female wants to join the battle, let 'em - hell, there are men that can't even fight.

Response by SPC Saundra Teater made Mar 12 at 2017 8:08 AM

2017-03-12T08:08:56-04:00

Not listening to my inner demons and getting more things done that I know need done

Response by SGM Mikel Dawson made Mar 12 at 2017 8:11 AM

2017-03-12T08:11:42-04:00

40yrs ago I would have liked to have apprenticed as a farrier, maybe my forging skills, and every day work would be so much better.

Response by SPC Jerry Addis made Mar 12 at 2017 8:21 AM

2017-03-12T08:21:27-04:00

I want to complete my goal of becoming a cinematographer.

Response by SMSgt Roger Horton made Mar 12 at 2017 9:21 AM

2017-03-12T09:21:18-04:00

My oldest brother passed 2 years ago at the age of 71. I was too busy at the time to see him much. I regret not taking the time to spend more time with him. What I want to do more of is be more sensitive to my family and what I can do to help them as we are all getting along in years and I have 12 siblings left.

Response by SPC Saundra Teater made Mar 12 at 2017 10:51 PM

2017-03-12T22:51:48-04:00

To not assume I understand something before I have all the facts

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 13 at 2017 12:36 AM

2017-03-13T00:36:04-04:00

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Exercise regularly...

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made Mar 13 at 2017 12:14 PM

2017-03-13T12:14:21-04:00

Convince Democrats to come over into the light of day. Convince them they can come out of the cave they have been kept in by their party and think for themselves instead of listening to their hierarchy.

Response by PO2 Gerry Tandberg made Mar 13 at 2017 1:10 PM

2017-03-13T13:10:16-04:00

I'd like to be able to express my thoughts better as I write, and do it within a reasonable time of proof-:reading, instead of days; and often weeks.

Response by SSgt Zac Ruttman made May 2 at 2017 11:01 AM

2017-05-02T11:01:28-04:00

You're a wise man, Colonel. I hope to do well at my new venture. Utilizing my strengths.

Response by PO3 Yvonne Biehl made May 3 at 2017 11:20 PM

2017-05-03T23:20:36-04:00

I want to become a better listener. Sometimes I hear what's said, but I don't really listen