Jay Shaw reflects on hating military life for its restrictions and smallness, and how that hatred clarified what he actually wanted: freedom, choice, independence, and the ability to wake on his own schedule. He explains using what you hate as a trampoline to bounce toward what you love.
Being in the military, hating being in the military. Couldn't grow my beard, couldn't wear my nose ring, couldn't braid my hair, couldn't get online and say whatever I wanted to say whenever I wanted to say it. Couldn't travel, couldn't go where I wanted to. I felt restricted. I felt small. I felt less than. I felt like life was passing me by while I was locked in this place that I didn't want to be. But guess what? As I was sitting in this place that I didn't want to be, I got a whole lot of clarity about what I want. This thing that I didn't want was giving me a front row seat to what I wanted. I want freedom. I want choice. I want independence. I want to wake up when I want to wake up. I want to go to bed when I want to go to bed. I want to go to bed. I want to say whatever the hell I want to say whenever the hell I want to say it. You know what? I don't even want to work. I want to play. I want to play. I want to get paid to do things that I would do for free.
