If there was one phrase I heard repeated over and over again during my tour, it was this one.

Every single day. “Do you have eyes on?”

Whether we were preparing for inspections on base or executing combat operations in theatre, that same phrase showed up repeatedly.

Getting eyes on, I learned, is more than just looking; it isn’t a mindless act of confirmation bias.

Getting eyes on is the opposite.

Getting “eyes on” is an act of clarity, context, and comprehensiveness.

I had a conversation recently with a friend. It was one of those “catch up since lockdown” conversations. You know, the standard update on job, family, and life. It was just a conversation and yet it was so good to hear from this familiar voice.

The phrase we learned out on that government-issued asphalt hotplate was “Smooth is quick. Quick is fast.”

Don’t think of an MRE as food; that would be disrespectful to food. Think of an MRE as an editable means of caloric intake.

The first rule about fight club is…. never talk about fight club.

The first cut the deepest!

It’s true Rod Stewart said so.

In his music video for The First Cut Is The Deepest, Rod Stewart has to climb an endless set of stairs.

It quickly becomes obvious shooting the video, and the loss of love, is weighing on him. You can see it in his pained face and his choice of horizontal and vertical stripes paired together.

THE HEADLINE: Avoid Positive Thinking at all costs. It’s a hoax.

Have you ever heard the story of the “Good Boss”?

As I heard it, the story says there was a “Good Boss.” This person managed a lot of people over the years. Everyone who worked under this person would say, “There was no doubt who was in charge.” Yet each described an odd sense of bewilderment, wondering at different points, “Just exactly who worked for who.”

What’s harder than being in middle management?

NOTHING.

Middle managers are expected to play fireman, counselor, and organizational paramedic while also bringing strategy, vision, and structure.

What if, in replacing anxiety with curiosity, fear with wonder, and judgment with question, we become able to laugh a little more and curse a little less?