Page 33 - Never Fly Solo

6| NEVER FLY SOLO
ent, partner, or well-meaning mentor thinks you should believe
in—you have to own it, live it, breathe it. You then have to
take absolute responsibility for your choices and, to complete
the process, take determined action. Bottom line: before you
can ever fly, you have to trust yourself and become passionate
about your vision. After all, if you can’t trust yourself—your
wingman for life—who else is going to trust you?
Perhaps you want to be the number one sales producer in
your company. Or maybe it’s your dream to break free of the
corporate world and be an entrepreneur. It doesn’t matter
whether you want to tackle a new leadership role at work,
end hunger in Africa, or become the best parent you can be—
first you have to know what your mission is.
Mine was born of a passion for excitement and challenge,
along with a respect for my country that pushed me to break
through the ceiling that was keeping me from reaching my
highest potential. My mission to become a pilot required star-
ing my phobias down and saying, “No. I will not let you
define me. You can’t drag me down!” Once I took this action
and then surrounded myself with trusting men and women
who were committed to breaking their own barriers and
reaching new heights, my potential was unleashed and I was
free to soar. The same will be true for you.

PUSHING IT UP

When I was stationed in South Korea with the 35th Fighter
Squadron “Pantons,” my wingmen and I had a secret hand-
shake that demonstrated our commitment to each other and
the mission. We would look each other in the eye and give the
“hang loose” sign, which symbolized the eyes of the black