The Navy Go-Getter

When Petty Officer Coleman went to work the next morning, he was greeted in a manner that could not have been more gracious had he been some highly honored guest. Commander Warner had arrived much earlier than usual, and was anxiously waiting to hear the exceptional information he knew Petty Officer Coleman had learned at the home of the Thomas’ the night before. “Come into my office, Petty Officer Coleman?” he began the very moment he saw him. “Now tell me all about it,” he continued as the door to his office was closed behind them. “Excuse me for being in such a hurry,” he went on as he offered Petty Officer Coleman a chair directly in front of his own, “but I have several significant reasons. I believe some big things are going to happen in your life.” “Sir, my candid opinion is that Mr. Thomas has no boss in the business world. He holds an excellent position at present, but he is certainly able to fill one that is many times as good. He undoubtedly will secure something that is much better very soon. His rise has been rapid since he became a friend of Michael Green, and when anyone becomes acquainted with that remarkable man, their lives and careers change. And I…” “So you really got something out of your visit, did you?” interrupted Commander Warner. “I certainly did, sir. Mr. Thomas seems to know everything, and that he was a former Master Chief in the Navy motivates me.” “You are correct, and I am glad you know of Edward and Michael’s extraordinary knowledge. Now I must ask, are you a Go-Getter?” “No, sir, I am a Navy Go-Getter!” “Very well, Petty Officer Coleman,” replied Commander Warner while smiling and nodding agreeably with his head. “Sir, what methods have you used in attaining such a remarkable degree of success both in your work and in yourself.” “There are six things that I undertook to do first; and one of them was to train myself to be strong and quiet on the inner side of my personality.” “What do you mean by the inner side?” “Everything that is not on the surface. The actual and vital contents of what is inside of you, both personal and mental. I was never arrogant or rude. I listened and then spoke.” “I understand. What were the other five?” “To increase my knowledge, I learned these five things: listening, observing, reading, discussing, and thinking. The most important one of these five was thinking. Merely reading about a subject did not give me a thorough knowledge—I had to think about it. Reading without thinking is only a kind of amusement—a way to pass the time.” “Sir, I have to admit that I haven’t taken advantage of my deepest ability to think. I didn’t know why I wasn’t achieving my highest goals.” "Before you do a thing—ask why? Ask yourself: ‘Why should I do this thing? Why should I refuse to do it?’ Put your actions to the why test. Think of the wealth of happiness that the habitual use of why can bring you. Make why very personal. ‘Why do I waste so much time? Why didn’t I take advantage of my deepest ability to think? Why haven’t I achieved my highest goals? Let why lead you and save you energy.”