“I think perspective has helped me the most. I honestly don’t try to make a big deal about anything if I can help it. It usually does not help a situation if you are worried, stressed out or consumed by feeling overwhelmed, and staying calm will help those around you and yourself make better decisions. Personally, if I am not focused on being a relaxed person, I become very irritable and agitated, leading toward bad decisions. You have to work on managing your effort and time. I am a big complainer – I have been since BEAST. However, I have made it a point because I am a big complainer to try and actually put myself into a position where I can change things or be complained about myself, and that is a motivating factor.
My mom, in particular, has always pushed me to do more and be better. She was the external motivation before I found internal motivation. Before I started pre-K she was already trying to teach me to read. Without her I wouldn’t be here today. She is also an influence not to complain too much. I remember at one point, yuc year, I was failing a class for the first time in my life and I couldn’t realize why. I had been excited for the class and ended up being distraught. I dramatically called my mom and told her I was filling out a Common App and going somewhere else. Always the voice of reason, she just said, “Mmmm Hmmm… tell me how that goes,” and of course everything turned out alright. I learned then that I had to get over being a child, stop throwing tantrums, and start becoming productive, and how you balance stress is a large part of that.”
Cadet First Captain Coleman would also like the Corps to know that his grades are not frozen and that he still goes to class, though before becoming brigade commander he too believed these myths true. Courtesy of Faces of West Point