COMMENTARY>>Average: Top of the bottom

By Chief Master Sgt. Anthony Brinkley
19th Airlift Wing Command Chief

Question: What is right beneath average? Answer: below average.

Being average isn’t about a result, but about a mindset that leads to that result. This week I want to explore how you engage each activity associated with your life.

I believe you get out of life, your career and personal pursuits what you invest in it. So as you examine your recent results in your life, were the results average because you put forth an average effort? Or were your efforts average because you didn’t take the time to be physically, mentally, and spiritually prepared? You are the only one to answer these questions and the answers should drive your efforts toward excellence.

If you have done your best and ended up with an average result, then that’s okay because you put your all into accomplishing your goal. However, if you didn’t lay it on the line, then you are living beneath your means and you and those around you may suffer from your lack of effort. It could be in the form of lack of opportunities in promotion, decreased personal fulfillment and mission degradation.

We need each person putting their hearts and energies into themselves as well as our great team. If you see average as the top of the bottom and move toward positively exploiting your gifts, then our entire operation will improve because each person is performing at peak levels.

Being average is beneath you and that’s what separates our base from any base in the world. That’s why we were recognized as the best C-130 base in the world. They don’t just hand out those trophies to anyone. Personally our focus is to be the best we can be, to dominate any domain we’re called to operate in and to never be top of the bottom.

Combat Airlift!