A Letter to My Younger Self
A letter to my younger self,
I am beyond excited for you. You are about to take on the most challenging four years that you have yet to face. It’s okay if that scares you, and it’s okay to admit it. But grit your teeth together, stare those four years down, and get ready to attack every moment with all your will.
In your first year, you will learn to be a plebe. Embrace it. You will be proud to tell your friends and family at home about the challenges you face and the lessons and skills you learn; you should be no less proud to face those challenges head-on with your classmates. Plebe year is not meant to be easy, and it’s hard to march everywhere in silence, squaring your corners, always on the lookout for those who outrank you. But when have you ever backed down because something was hard? Hard things are the things you are most proud to accomplish. Do not let the cynicism of others distract you from that truth. You know you can quietly do the hard things about which others gripe and groan. So instead, do them proudly – drown out the complainers with your professionalism and pride. You are in the Army. You are an Army Gymnast. You are a proud, gritty, tough member of the AMG brotherhood and the brotherhood of arms. There is no better combination.
During your second year, you will face challenges you haven’t imagined. You will be confined, isolated from friends, family, and teammates by a virus ransacking the world. Once again, find your balance of pride and humility to overcome the cynics and your own personal inclinations. Turn your attention constantly to your teammates and be consistent toward them. In doing so, you will lift yourself up. The dark days become brighter when you turn yourself into the light. Remember to recharge. Feed off of others’ energy, and when there is none, make your own.
Your third year will change your world. It starts with a wakeup call. You will be charged with the responsibility to train, mentor, lead, and inspire a squad of new cadets – the first team that will ever follow you without question. Take that responsibility with the pride and humility you have learned over the previous two years. When you are proud of your decisions and courses of action, you will always take ownership of the outcome. Focus on doing the right thing for your team. Follow your gut. Make yourself a part of their team, and you will quickly become one team – single-minded and unstoppable. You will face an injury in gymnastics. Once again, you will feel isolated. And once again, you will find that the solution is in focusing on your teammates. Build them up. Lead them. Do the right things and encourage them to do the same. You will add value to the organization that everyone will see. You will meet the woman you will marry. You will begin to realize that love and family are decisions, and you will be challenged to approach those decisions with the care and fortitude of a family member. You will do well – just keep trusting your gut and do the right things.
Your firstie year will be incredible. You have the honor to be the team captain and the Captain of Captains. It’s hard. It’s rewarding. And both are a massive responsibility. Trust your teammates, hold them accountable, be consistent, focus on their success and their attitudes before your own. You will have the most successful season of your life.
Better yet, you will see your team begin to excel beyond what we have the past three years. You will face failures – quite a few, actually. But once again, when have you backed down from something because it is hard? Be proud to face difficult circumstances and hard decisions. Be proud of the work you do. Be proud of your teammates and the accomplishments of the organization. And always remember to tell your teammates how proud they make you. They deserve to know, and they will make you so, so proud. Be relentless. Drive on. GO ARMY!
-Caleb Churchill, West Point Class of 2023