Make the Life You Want, Like a Navy SEAL
“Don’t pay attention to the odds” -Jack Carr, Navy SEAL (Retired)
Do you have a vision for your life? If not, it’s time to get crystal clear.
Imagine that thing you’ve been wanting actually coming true. You’d have some setbacks and wrong turns, but you could still hit your final destination.
In the face of overwhelm, FOMO, and decision fatigue, clear aims are liberating. Take it from a man who knows how to aim, Navy SEAL sniper Jack Carr.
On today’s episode of Brendan Carr Podcast, Jack and I discuss the freedom that he found in committing himself completely to a simple path for himself. His path was not easy. The odds were against him in both of his major career goals. Most men who attempt to become Navy SEALs fail. When men go to Coronado, California to qualify as Navy SEALs they are constantly reminded of their slim chances as fellow candidates begin ringing the bell and dropping from the selection process. But Carr did not stop at being a SEAL. He’s also a highly successful author, about to release his second novel, True Believer, published by Simon and Schuster.
In our conversation, Jack told me how people would react when he shared his career goals of becoming a SEAL and a published author.
Them: Do you know the odds?
Jack: No
That attitude brings clarity like a cold shower. When you stop checking your chances, you are free to dedicate all bandwidth to achieving the vision instead.
The path has some bumps too. Jack’s most recent novel was massively delayed by government oversight on possibly classified information that has been redacted from the novel. Jack intends to appeal and print the paperback in full.
Bumps are just part of the Hero’s Journey, an ancient storytelling framework and a mold for Jack’s real life. Jack felt drawn to being an author, but waited until he’d completed his time as a SEAL before answering the call. Since then, mentors and enemies have risen, victories have been grabbed, and the journey continues on with purpose.
Jack’s time in the SEALs reinforces his authority as an author of action-packed stories about special operators, conspiracies, and government agencies. In True Believer, Jack even took inspiration from actual events during his time in Iraq in 2006 and fictionalized them.
The protagonist of Jack’s novels, James Reece, expresses himself in a way that only a veteran could write. Jack told me, “Those emotions are real.” As a veteran, I can hear an echo of my military friends in the main character’s self-talk.
Even with a rich perspective and a skill for writing, Jack took nothing for granted on his path to becoming published. He wrote two novels, just in case the first one didn’t catch on. He explained to me that even solid writer’s often get rejected on their first attempt. John Grisham’s A Time to Kill is a great example. Through his commitment to his vision, Jack knew that it would serve him to get two novels ready. As the SEALs are credited with saying, “Two is one and one is none.”
Learn how to follow your own vision, despite the odds, in episode #34 with Jack Carr — https://youtu.be/azM9nfSV0Xs