We have a lot of people in the world who are bitter, angry, whining, and think they have gotten a raw deal in this country and world. If this describes you, let me introduce you to SSP Travis Mills.
Travis is a husband, father, and an incredibly funny public speaker. He is also a quadruple-amputee and a true American hero. During his third deployment in Afghanistan, Mills lost all his limbs when he laid his backpack on a mine which exploded. To hear his inspirational story watch the video below.
The following are 19 Leadership Lessons For Anyone Who Is Bitter, Angry, 0r Thinks You’ve Been Treated Bad or Given A Raw Deal In Life I gleaned from Travis Mills’s story. All quotes are his.
- Attitude Determines Your Altitude In Life – John Maxwell taught me that saying. Travis teaches us the most important item in determining your future success is not where you were born, who your parents are, or something else beyond your choosing. What determines your lot in life is your attitude, which you do get to choose. A great attitude unlocks possibilities and opportunities. A poor attitude limits possibilities and opportunities.
- Humor Is Disarming and Your Friend – “I hope I didn’t bomb this because of last time what happened.”
- A Man’s Performance Is In Direct Proportion To His Wife’s Confidence In Him – While in the hospital, Travis gave his 23-year-old wife Kelsey permission to leave and start her life over. She responded by saying, “You know what? Handicap parking sounds enticing. I’m going to stay… I’m going to be here. We’re going to get through this together.”
- Find Positive Motivation In Your Family – “I have to find motivation. I find motivation in my wife and my daughter.”
- Find Positive Strength In A Community Of People On A Common Journey – Another amputee at Walter Reed Hospital named Corporal Todd Nicely said to Travis, “Hey man, welcome to the club.”
- You Improve Your Life Through Hard Work And Determination – “He showed me with hard work and determination I could walk again.”
- There Is A Pathway To Success Already Shown To You By Others – “This guy’s showing me a way I can get better. I can still be there for my family.”
- You Can Start To Improve Your Life By Accomplishing Small Goals – “The things I wanted to accomplish – I wanted to feed myself again. I want to pick a fork up and put food in my mouth.”
- You Can Start To Improve Your Life When You’re Tired Of Feeling The Way You Are – “I was tired of sitting in a wheelchair. I want to be able to walk again.”
- Improving Your Life Is Painful And Not Easy. But It’s Worth It. – “I was able to take my first steps at Walter Reed. It was very painful. It was not easy.”
- You Can Start To Improve Your Life By Doing More Than What Is Asked Of You – When told he would walk one lap on his first day, Travis walked three laps.
- You Can Start To Improve Your Life By Encouraging Others – “I go from room-to-room and say, ‘Hey, I’m Travis. You’re going to be fine.'”
- You Can Start To Improve Your Life By Stop Blaming Others For Your Situation – “I was wondering why did this happen? I was embarrassed. I was angry… Does God hate me?.. Why didn’t I just die?”
- Accept The Fact Your Problems Don’t Outweigh Anyone Else’s – “I don’t think my problems outweigh anyone else’s.”
- Living In America Is A Privilege – “I am fortunate to live in a nation where I can wake up in the morning with no arms and no legs, strap my legs on, right, throw my arm on, go on the elevator and go out and live life to the fullest, take my wife and my daughter wherever we want to go.”
- “Don’t dwell on the past.”
- “You’re not going to change the past.” I can’t change what happened yesterday and I can’t change what happened six years ago in Afghanistan.”
- Be Eternally Grateful For What You Do Have – “I had 25 great years with legs and arms and I’ve had six pretty great years without them.”
- “You can’t always control your situation but you can always control my attitude.”
If SSP Travis Mills can’t change your perspective, I know I can’t.
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.