First and foremost -Thank you -Celadon Books for this ARC copy in exchange for this honest review.
Unlike books I can select this one showed up at my door and I had no idea what it was all about but I was pleasantly surprised.This was an easy read and quite enjoyable about the life and time of Mike Hayes and his extraordinary career in the service as a SEAL.
What you might think is going to be a big, brass, and bold writing turned out to be relatable, exquisite, and intriguing.
I felt as though I was there on the front lines, but also it felt as though he wasn't preaching but informing, and it was much easier to apply the lessons learned.
A failure is never a failure but a stepping stone to bigger graces.
In today's world the tone in which one speaks can be misconstrued and yes, the meaning is taken out of context from the original statement.
So, we have to be careful not to pre-judge, jump to soon, or lose our cool because every minute could mean life or death.
Mike provided many concrete examples of not being overly judgmental, or strict but rather staying in form as a leader with compassion and empathy. It's actually find to step down a notch and let others take the stage if you feel they're more qualified and I respected that decision making process.
It's fine to show emotion as a father and be proud of your kids and not be too busy making a life to miss out on those milestones such as the birth of a child. When Mike brought this up I nearly lost my chips. My ex-spouse never came to visit our son on his birth -nor the two months in NICU- nor the time afterward -the twenty years growing up. Everything was work related and ladies we know what that entails as it's not all work. He also never showed up for my youngest either, or the complications I had to undergo with the pregnancy for either one (Vater Syndrome son and SUA for the third with high jaundice for second child).
What blew my mind is the fact that my then fiancee didn't bother to show up for son who fought for his life and while I had an emergency c section with placental abruption and was fighting for my life having lost a severe amount of blood with my son being life flighted out to a local children's hospital two hours away-while I made the trip against doctors orders via ambulance to NICU-all while he stayed home. He later wouldn't come to NICU stay in the following two months using HIPA laws as his excuse along with a high school class reunion even though he's listed as a guest (he's the child's bio father) he had permission.
So, as you can see this comment hit me deep as not all men possess these same character traits and I wish they did!
What took me by surprise was the action on the battlefield and the subsequent high standards that Seals must endure at the upper level including the discussion on 'toughing them up' if you will.
It was an interesting and intriguing read that led to insight that's innumerable concerning the three focal points: Excellence, Agility, and Meaning~!
What I didn't care for was the commentary near the end about his buddy and friend Dan Crenshaw Republican Texas whom he admired for his bravery and rightfully so after being injured.
The problem I have with him is him downplaying the Coronavirus, not immediately pushing through 911 support bill, and his hard edge as a Republican member. https://theintercept.com/2020/09/29/r...
https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-c...
However, this book was very valuable in terms of the meaning within the context it's framed and so I'll take that with me.
I'd love to read whatever comes next from this author as it was a well written, thoughtful, and intriguing display of raw human emotion that we rarely see from men today in such high caliber positions and ranking.
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