Go do something.

Go do something. Seriously. Doing anything is almost always better than doing nothing.

Everyone starts somewhere. I started in the smallest little town you've never heard of. It was 1999 and I was a college student working as an associate minister for my hometown church. I began asking around about becoming a volunteer firefighter and finally tracked down "meeting night". I remember it was bitterly cold outside but they had fired up an old propane wall heater and I was SWEATING. It was a typical small town fire department meeting. Upcoming events, new equipment, grants, etc. They showed me the station, the trucks, and talked about what I'd need to do to join. The next year I took another ministry job in a somewhat larger town. Again, I began asking around and pretty soon I was neck deep and had fully contracted the "sickness" that infects so many newcomers to the fire service.

A lot of life happened between 1999 and 2006 when I became a career firefighter. I found a home though. The way I feel about the men and women I work with is indescribable. I live where I work intentionally. My wife was good enough to move into the city with me because of how strongly I believed in it. I love my city, my department, and have never dreaded a single shift on the engine. Without a doubt we have our issues. Probably more than a lot of places. I choose to be positive. I choose to believe enough in what we do to work through any issues that may try to derail our mission. Make no mistake about it, when we overly focus on a fire chief, equipment, or city hall it's the citizens we've sworn to protect who suffer the most. We need all those things to maximize the service we provide but it's easy to trip on a molehill and miss the mountain. Big boy up, strap on your boots, and go to work.

Everyone is different and valuable in their own way. If nothing else, they serve as an example of who not to become. What does success look like though? A lot of it is ownership. People, circumstances, and assignments can help you succeed but ultimately nobody else is at fault if you fail. Own yourself. Take no excuses and make none. Bang ladders, study, PT in your PPE, devour every book, attend every class, look for the diamond in every pile of coal. I know you've attended department led training that could rival the excitement level of knitting mittens for a cat. Every day can't be the Super Bowl but every champion still has to know how to tie on their cleats. Have the best attitude, ask the best questions, and be thankful. Those that complain the loudest about training run away the fastest when the training department asks for help. Don't be that guy. Instead of being bitter try making things better.

I'm not saying everything is always fair. I've seen firefighters be set up to fail time and again. It's despicable. "That's how I was treated so that's the way I'm going to do things." Are you insane? When a firefighter fails innocent people pay the price. That's on you. Here is a novel idea. When the new guy gets assigned to your crew treat him like he will be responsible for rescuing your family next week. Because whether you like them or not, whether you think they are part of the "entitled generation", or even if you don't like their haircut or tattoos, pretty soon they will be in the position to make a difference in someones life. And guess what? When they succeed, you played a part in that too.

I wish I could bottle motivation. Give a swig to a mutt and he becomes a greyhound. I don't even know where to begin to tell you to find it for yourself but I beg you to dig for it. Seek it like a crazy person. Find people that are moving and stay so close you feel the draft. Do this for yourself: Next shift when you are driving in, take a minute to think about the individuals still in their homes as you go by. There are families, the elderly, every race, even the waitress at the restaurant you'll see later in the day. At any moment, whether they live or not might very well be up to you.

The temptation to be content with "good enough" always looms. A car tag or a title won't make you a "professional" any more than putting lab coat on a possum will make it a doctor. Professionalism is defined by performance and success sends citizens home at the end of the day. Find your restless spirit and never sit still.

Go do something.