Colonel Candid

Photo by  Christina @ wocintechchat.com  on  Unsplash The Mentorship Blueprint Mentorship is not a foreign concept to those who succeed in national security career fields. Most people understand mentorship is important, and they likely have several types of mentors on whom they can count. To establish this lasting relationship requires an individualized approach because each relationship is unique. What is required to create a unique relationship is not foreign, and this document serves to outline the best method to map out mentorship approaches and goals. Tried and true methods are gathered here to guide and develop the mentorship relationship, to help ensure it remains on course and productive with both quantitative and qualitative results.   Mentorship relationships begin with a sharing the mentor’s experience, a long iterative phase of discovery and development, and lastly, a mentee’s expansion in talents and skills. Following this blueprint, a men...

Less candid today and more storyteller to highlight to you the importance of exercise. Over a couple of decades, I’ve learned more than I ever expected from an activity I picked up when I was young. I’d encourage you to find that thing that takes you to a state of flow . When I run, I’m fortunate, at times, to become completely immersed in this activity. Here the world falls away and clarity of the task at hand comes into center. These applications and lessons from marathoning directly align to life lessons. First, marathoning takes you out of your comfort zone. Putting on those shoes and starting each run is a new beginning. Recently, the term “ mindfulness ” has gained in popularity, a similar goodness occurs while running miles run in solitude. By taking time to spend with yourself and your own mind a type of release occurs. I call it defragging the system or clearing out the cobwebs in your brain. Second, marathoning teaches you goal setting. It does really take time to plan h...