Dare Greatly- Inspired by SEAL coins from "show and tell"

Dare Greatly

“Who dares, Wins.” - S.A.S. There cannot be great victory, without great risk. When my great Grandpa stepped off the landing craft at D-Day, he did not know if he was going to lose his life on the beaches of france or live to see his children again. Overcoming heavy suppressive fire, breaking through enemy defense and securing the beach, he gathered all the strength in his body so that he could prepare to dare greatly and win. I never got the chance to shake his hand and thank him for his heroic actions during the sixth wave of D-Day, as he would die of old age before I could even walk.

To dare greatly is to show courage in the face of the impossible. The face of the impossible will test your ability to function and will terrify you to the very core. You will doubt yourself. When the ugly face of impossibility raises its head, that, is when you must dare greatly. Impossibility is a word that preys on the meek and timid. When impossibility confronts you- and it will, “do not go gentle into that good night.” -Dylan Thomas

Despite my past, I am building my future. I am the master of my future and I will perfect my craft, because I will only be alive once, and I refuse to sit back and watch the gift of life slowly pass by. I want to be a Navy SEAL, always have. Ever since I first heard about who they were, nobody could ever want something more badly than I do; to be a part of the elite few. I’ve already began my long journey of becoming a SEAL, and I do not go about it quietly. I will not go quietly down my path, and neither should you. To shout it from the rooftops is to dare greatly, and to shout it for the critics to hear is to furiously beat back the ugly beast of impossibility.

In spite of impossibility, I work every day for my dream. I've had people tell me my dream is stupid, and that I will never become a SEAL. “Why do you want to be a SEAL? Look at you.” Some of the most hurtful words i've ever heard have come from friends. I am rarely looked up to. I only remember a handful of uplifting words said to me by others as opposed to endless insults that will probably never be forgotten. We all have scars left by words, but only a handful know what to do with those words.

I choose to dare greatly, I am determined to show them how wrong they are. I choose to look into the face of impossibility, dare greatly, and press onward. “I will never quit. I persevere and thrive on adversity. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission. I am never out of the fight.” -SEAL Ethos. If I don't live by these words, I will never be strong enough to press onward. A sword is not forged without first being dipped into fire and beat on. I encourage you to become the sword that will dominate the only life you've been given. Never be out of the fight.

With all this being said, I didn't say this for my own good, but for your own good. For what good is writing if not to teach and tell stories of others so that we might learn from their mistakes and victories. Learn from what i've said; dare greatly. A sword is not forged without being dipped into fire and beat on, and when you emerge from the smoldering heat…. Stare back at impossibility and dare greatly.