Page 165 - Never Fly Solo

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need to touch the bar; I gave him zero physical assistance. I
just had to encourage him a little bit more to dig deep and
give it his all. With my encouraging words and, most impor-
tant, the knowledge that I was there if his strength should fail
him, he battled through a few more reps. And then, when he
truly needed my help, he took a risk and went for one more
rep—a rep he would never have attempted on his own. But
with me there, he gave it a shot. I didn’t push him. But on that
last rep, I had to pull the weight up to let him complete the
rep safely.
Wingmen never push. They pull while inspiring others to
push themselves to break their barriers. When you have a
trusted wingman by your side to catch you if you fail, you will
take more risks and push yourself beyond where you think
you can go. This, my friend, is where the growth is—in muscle
strength and in life.

COMRADES OF COURAGE
Having a “new day, new jet” mentality isn’t easy, just as it
isn’t easy hitting the weights in the gym or getting out of your
comfort zone at work to conquer the project that will get you
that promotion. I wish I always had the strength to transform
my fear into focus and break through the barriers that hold
me back from achieving my goals—to “push it up” on life’s
throttle every time. Failing is tough, especially if you try to fly
solo. Often, we need other people to inspire us to push past
our fears or weaknesses, because there is only so much we can
do on our own. These people are our comrades of courage,
those we can go to for help, a bit of encouragement, or even
a jolt of adrenaline. Maj. Jerry Free was that person for me.
He pulled me out of the pit I was in and showed me what I
could do.