I Become A Monster

One of the things I tell young men and young women as well, but the young men really need to hear this more, I think, is that they should be monsters. You know, because everyone says you should be harmless and virtuous, you shouldn't do anyone any harm.

You should sheath your competitive instincts. You shouldn't try to win. You know, you don't want to be too aggressive, you don't want to be too assertive, you want to take a back seat and all of that. It's like, "no wrong."

You should be an absolute monster, and then you should learn how to control it. As I always point out, this doesn't mean you walk around with your chest puffed out, ready to bang heads with everyone around you.

It doesn't mean you confront people physically or mentally head-on without a tactically superior plan. No, what it does mean is that you are going to get after it. You are going to move fast. You are going to think fast.

You are going to out-think and out-maneuver the enemy. If I believe the enemy is going to attack me, I will attack them first. If I believe they are going to seize a piece of terrain, I will be waiting for them. I view aggression as a fire in your mind that says I am going to win.

I am going to battle, I am going to fight, and I am going to use every tool I have to crush my enemy. That is what aggression is to me. The unstoppable fighting spirit, the drive, and the burning desire to achieve mission success using every possible tool, asset, strategy, and tactic to bring about victory.

It is the will to win, and if that kind of internal relentless aggression is your default mode, you will win. You think that your competitors are better than you. There's somebody who's going to take your position. Step up to the next level. Put more hours in. Put more time in.

Challenge yourself to reach another level. Challenge yourself to beat your competitors. Challenge yourself to be a starter. Challenge yourself to win the championship. Your haters want you to fail. Make the decision to persevere right now.

Decide that you will not succumb to my 'why.' It pushes me to another level. It pushes me to do things that I didn't know I could do. It pushes me to be great. Greatness is not only talked about; it's about the work that you put in.