POWERED BY
Doubt is the Barrier to Greatness - Kyle Carpenter
Published 3 years ago
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter recounts the moment a doctor put him in a limiting box. "Doubt is the barrier to greatness." ~Kyle Carpenter.
The worst thing a military doctor can do for an injured Soldier, Marine, Sailor, or Airmen, is to tell them that they won't be able to do something again. In 2009, I was in an IED attack that saw me ejected from a humvee turret like an over-cooked pop-tart. In the process, I had 18 pieces of piping hot shrapnel pepper my legs, one of which was the size of a bottlecap that was lodged behind my left knee. After surgery, the doctor informed me that I would probably never walk again without a limp, and that I would definitely never run again.
This was an affront to my warrior spirit. 21-year-old me did not want to hear what I wouldn't be able to do. In spite of the doctor's words, I did run again. It took me three months to get there, but by the time my unit returned from that deployment I was able to not only complete the Infantry Squad Leader's Course, but I was also able to redeploy in support of the Global War on Terror two more times before I decided to hang up my 8-point cover and join the civilian world.
It doesn't matter how you're feeling right now. Never doubt yourself. Listen to the words of Kyle Carpenter, and push all of your doubt off to the side. You can still change your path. The only thing stopping you is your doubt.