A View from the Top>>Good pain

By Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley
19th Airlift Wing command chief

As I debated hitting the snooze button the other day at 5:15 a.m., I began to ponder, was it really necessary to get up and go for an early morning run? I quickly decided to move out versus rolling over and got up and ran. While running around the track I started to ponder the concept of good pain.

Good pain is the things that may not feel good to us at the time, but are good for us down the line. If you go to the fitness center and watch people who are improving their muscle mass while decreasing their fat content, you quickly realize that hard work and dedication go into getting those results. Good pain is something these weight lifters are willing to endure to improve from a health standpoint.

In our professional and personal lives, we have many opportunities to engage in good pain to improve things for us and those around us. As good wingmen, do we take the time up front to ensure newly arrived teammates are properly greeted upon arrival? Maybe a note from their leadership, along with a few snacks in their dorm room or billeting room would help them know we are happy they are here. It may require a little more effort up front, but what a great way to embrace a new person and their families.

Sometimes we may have to invest some extra time and attention to training, yet when we see a decrease in accidents while increasing effectiveness, it will be worth the additional effort up front. Good pain by definition may not be pleasant in the beginning, but in the end it will yield a great result. My question is what are you willing to invest good pain towards? By the way, the track is pretty empty around 5:15 a.m., so if anyone wants to join me in some good pain, there’s always room for a few more.

Combat Airlift!