To Those That Doubted Me, Thank You!

We all have doubters. What matters is what you do with that doubt.

Do you wilt under their opinions and live down to them? 

Better yet, do you use it as fire and let it drive you towards success?

Not unlike anyone else, I've had people along the way who doubted me. So, I want to offer a sincere thank you to those folks that doubted me, you've helped me be more successful than you'll ever understand.

To the teachers who opined I would continue to be a screw-up, I say thank you. Without you, I may not have earned my way into Cornell.

To people who doubted that I would be successful when I joined the Army at age 17, I say thank you. You drove me to be the best soldier I could be.

To my Drill Sergeant school instructors who wanted to fail me, I say thank you. You made me be a better Drill Sergeant.

To the Battalion Command team who thought I was a lousy Drill Sergeant, I say thank you. Without your push, I would not have become the Army’s Drill Sergeant of the Year.

To those that questioned my decision to volunteer for Special Forces Assessment and Selection, I say thank you. Because of your doubts, it was either I would be selected or leave in a body bag.

To the instructors that wondered aloud if I had what it took at each phase of the Special Forces Qualification Course, I say thank you. You made me become a finer Green Beret.

To those individuals who doubted me as an operator, I say thank you. You humbled me and made me a better Team Sergeant.

To those that doubted my decision to buy and renovate a house as I transitioned, I say thank you.  Without your doubts, I may not have ended up with the perfect home for me.  

To those that doubted my transition plan, I say thank you. You pushed me to get into grad school at Cornell and land my dream job.  

We all have doubters. What matters is what you do with that doubt.

I’ll ask again:  Do you wilt under their opinions and live down to them? Do you use it as fire and let it drive you towards success?

Many people have enabled my success and have been tremendously supportive of me on my journey. There are far too many to name, but I've cherished your support and belief in me. Your faith in me also created a fire that burns to fuel my success.

But those that question me keep the fire burning.

Copyright 2019, Herb Thompson