Some of you are new (welcome) but many of you I’ve known for a long time. This may be the most self-centered friendship you’ve ever had – you listen to me drone on for hours and hours without ever getting a chance to speak.

However, seeing as you’ve listened to me for a few hours at least, I feel like I can trust you with something personal.

[Deep breath].

I love the Harry Potter book series. 

Yes, I’m in the company of 500 million others, but I’d wager not many of those 500 million were serving onboard nuclear submarines at the time.

I even went to the lengths of ordering book #3 so that it would arrive while we were on a port call in San Diego. I researched what bookstore was closest to the pier, ordered a month in advance, and the moment we tied up, I rushed off to grab my fresh copy.

I think one aspect that enthralled me in this series was the thought of being discovered. The idea that I was special with innate talents I didn’t even know I had, and that some wise being would seek me out, find me, and reveal how special I’ve been all along.

That’s the same reason I loved Star Wars Episode 4: the story of Luke’s journey of discovering his inner greatness. It’s why I loved the Matrix – Morpheus seeking out Neo and revealing a specialness of which Neo was unaware.

We all love these sorts of stories.

So, it pains me to be the one to break it to you…

No one is going to discover you.

No one is going to find you.

No one is going to see in you some hidden talent of which you’re unaware.

You’re in the midst of a sea of people and a hurricane of noise, as everyone fights for attention.

Attention from hiring managers.

Attention from an audience on social media.

Attention from your dream job.

As convenient as it would be to have someone find you, explain where you fit in the world, and reveal your secret superpower, it isn’t going to happen.

The men and women I’ve interviewed on BTU who have found their calling had to seek it out.

They had to make mistakes.

They had to get it wrong, and fail, and keep trying and persist.

They had to take the time to be honest with themselves about what they were good at, where they fell short, and what success looked like to them.

This work wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t easy.

But it was essential.

In the weeks ahead, Beyond the Uniform is going to be providing more resources.

These resources won’t solve the problem for you. But they will give you some ammo to help you in your own fight and journey.

Tomorrow I'll release our February Sneak Peak that will give you all the details of what is in store for February. However, here are a few highlights specifically related to finding your next mission.

** Finding your Values Webinar - this workshop will help you identify your values in life and in your career. https://beyondtheuniform.org/events/finding-your-values-the-character-arc

** Purpose Mapping Webinar - this 90-minute webinar is designed to help you clarify your next mission and what your purpose is, whatever stage of life you're in right now. https://beyondtheuniform.org/events/purpose-mapping

I know these two webinars differ from our more skill-centric or industry-focused programs. Yet, they are absolutely critical in having clarity in your next career move.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's February Sneak Peak podcast, as I go into more detail about the 4 new podcasts and 4 new webinars coming up in February.