Not everyone had the chance to hear Marcus Luttrell speak at Elkins last week, which is unfortunate. His message of perseverance, humility and integrity was simple yet powerful. And those who attended gained a little perspective on what it means to endure and overcome.
For those who don’t know, Luttrell is a former Navy SEAL who transitioned into motivational speaking after he was medically retired. He was the only survivor of an attack in Afghanistan that resulted in the biggest loss of life in Special Forces history. He wrote a book about the experience titled “Lone Survivor,” which was later adapted into a film.
One of the key themes in Luttrell’s inspiring speech was the importance of keeping one’s word. This was an immensely important point to make.
Luttrell made the point that you don’t have to be the best or the smartest person in the world. Even after you’ve been stripped down to bare bones, and all you have left is your word, sometimes that’s more than enough. Character is cumulative and, like dependability, it takes a lifetime to build. Gaining and keeping the trust of others is a continuous process.
Luttrell focused on the idea of being professionally reliable. Obviously, in a gun fight, or whatever struggle you might be facing, this is important. Bringing the idea of dependability into your personal life is equally as important. Whether it be a friendship, romantic relationship or relationship with your family, the importance of saying what you mean, meaning the things you say and then doing those things, cannot be stressed enough.
General George S. Patton once said, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” This holds a similar significance to the ideas Luttrell spoke about regarding always keeping your word and the importance of reliability. As any writer knows, what is written in ink lasts forever, while spoken words tend to fade with time. Even though the physical words may not remain, the content of what is said and the repercussions of those words are attached to the speaker’s character forever.
There is a method I like to use when managing the relationships in my life. I call it the “equal effort test.” When committing time, energy and emotion to another person, don’t be afraid to take into consideration the rewards of that relationship. Am I getting something out of this? Is this making me a better person? Is my effort being matched? If you find that the answer to these is “no,” then it might be time to focus your energy elsewhere.
Speaking about advice he received growing up, Luttrell said that his father once told him, “Your most lethal weapon is your mind.”
I agree, and I also think that one of the most effective places a person can aim that weapon is internally. Focus on the content of your character, being the best version of yourself and making your words worth something — then worry about everybody else.
___________
Follow Alec McPike on Twitter: @alecmcpike
