28/07/2024
Our unit team leader told me two things that truly resonated with me.
He said:
1. Every day, before going to bed, ask your buddy to tidy your uniform and hang it on the wall opposite your bed. When you lie down, look at that uniform and ask yourself: what would happen if I tried to enter any headquarters, offices, or units without wearing this uniform? The answer is clear: you wouldn't be saluted. Instead, you'd be stopped at the gate and questioned.
However, if your buddy wears this uniform and walks past the quarter guard, he will be saluted. The salute is not for you but for the uniform. It defines who you are, but remember, it won't be yours forever. One day, it will go away, so prepare yourself for that reality.
2. Every day after finishing work, ensure everyone leaves your office. Then, get up from your chair, walk to the other side, sit down, and look at your chair. Reflect on all the orders you passed today, thinking they were very important. Tomorrow, someone else might sit in that same chair and reverse all your orders, dismissing them as unimportant.
The power you felt while passing those orders wasn't yours but the chair's. And that chair is only temporary. It grants you temporary powers that will disappear the moment you leave it. Use these powers wisely. Write your name in gold, wipe away the tears of the less privileged, and contribute to nation-building without arrogance or a desire to prove your superiority.
Now, I ask you:
What are you using your uniform or chair for today? Are you using them to bring people down and showcase your power? Are you using them to help friends and cronies out of favoritism? Are you using them to divide, rule, and create enmity?
Remember, the person you are using your uniform or chair to undermine today may one day supervise your child, nephew, niece, grandchild, or sibling. How would you feel if they were treated the same way?
Think, my brother, my sister. Think, for tomorrow is uncertain. Use your uniform or chair to promote the betterment of all. Be a father, sister, brother, or friend to everyone. Hate none and love all, for tomorrow is still unknown.
"Doc Sotnas"
11/02/2024