Getting involved keeps your train on track

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Lee Feldhausen
  • Junior Enlisted Advisory Counsel president
DENVER --  I hear the routine train in the distance. Instead of the cheerful noise of "CHOOO - CHOOO" it sounds more like "life is boring - life is boring." I see people all the time with their head hanging low, their feet shuffling over ARPC's carpet, and not one wave of positive energy emanating from their body. All I can say is turn off the automatic pilot and shake things up! Seek higher education, do a random act of kindness, or volunteer for one of the three major private organizations available at ARPC: Junior Enlisted Advisory Council, Top 3 and the Booster Club. If these don't crank your engine, find something that motivates you. Get involved in something more than work and home. I promise you, this is the cure-all prescription for the mundane.

It was about seven years ago when Colonel Gardner-Ince, a mentor of mine, told me "If you volunteer for something that energizes you, the energy will carry over into your work." I have to admit that I was a little skeptical; however, the Colonel's advice had always been "spot on." Needless to say, I gave it a try, and that portion of my life was the most rewarding to date.

I was a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Noncommissioned Officer Association and an organization equivalent to our JEAC. The benefits of being involved were endless. It afforded me the opportunity to network, attend professional development courses, teach professional development courses, and assist surrounding communities with endless endeavors. These opportunities improved my work life and my home life as well. The energy that embraced me every day was carried over into everything that I did. It was an overflowing cup of enthusiasm toward life.

ARPC's JEAC, Top 3 and Booster Club offer the same benefits and opportunities. If there is something these organizations participate in that would energize you, get involved. Better yet, if you would like these organizations to participate in something you find motivational, present it to the appropriate members of the applicable organization. You never know how many people you may benefit with your idea.

For those of you who do not get motivated by getting involved, there is one benefit that cannot be argued - the "Whole Airman Concept."

Getting involved takes you out of the 0730 to 1630 two-lane highway through Idaho and places you on the eight-lane interstate through Boston! It heightens all of your skills, and that is what you need to be a successful Airman - both military and civilian.

If you are riding the routine train with a hanging head and shuffling feet, you need a change. Get involved with something greater. Challenge yourself. Take the energy you gain from getting involved and have it overflow into every aspect of your life. I promise you that you will not be the only one to benefit.