In 1914 Ernest Shackleton and a crew of 27 men set sail for Antarctica on the ship Endurance with a plan in place to be the first to transverse the hostile continent. Almost two years later, after shipwreck, hunger, frostbite, darkness, and loneliness, Shackleton and his men returned home without accomplishing the mission but without the loss of a single life. Though the expedition itself was an utter failure, the resulting story of leadership, fortitude, and endurance was actually more incredible than what they had set out to do in the first place.
It has been said that when recruiting men for his expedition, Shackleton posted the following advertisement:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, longs months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
Shackleton didn’t mince words. There was no coating of sugar on what he was setting out to do. After reading that ad, what could possibly have motivated any man to sign up? It was not the what or the how that made them go, it was their why.
What Drives Us
Why did you get into law enforcement? What motivated you? If you’ve been on the job for a while, there’s a good chance your why has gotten a bit fuzzy. And I have to admit that I question what I’m doing with my life on a fairly regular basis. Long nights at a crime scene, hours standing on a skirmish line with angry people yelling in our face, or yet another forced double can make us utter the unthinkable: “I should have been a firefighter.”
I know, I know, it’s a horrible thing to admit. But we all get there at some point. Every one of us has questioned our sanity for signing on the dotted line at one time or another. It’s normal and you are not crazy.
Ads for police officers should, like Shackleton’s, probably read:
“Men wanted for hazardous duty. Small wages, bitter coworkers, long hours of complete dysfunction, constant danger, safe return doubtful. A gold watch and mediocre pension in case of success.”
At least then we would know what we were getting into.
Sarcasm Aside
If we are going to endure like Shackleton and his men did, we need to be reminded of our why — which is our purpose, our cause, or our belief. It isn’t about money. It has to be way bigger than that.
Don’t skim over this.
I bet if I were to ask you what you do or how you do it, you could give me an answer in the blink of an eye. But if I were to ask you why you do it, I’m willing to bet a ham sandwich there would be a pause before you answered. And I’m willing to double that bet that the longer you’ve been on the job, the longer the pause would be. If you’re really salty, I bet your long pause would be replaced with some quick sarcasm.
Remember
Look, we need to be reminded, and we need to remind ourselves why we do what we do. Everything flows from that.
Alright, I know what you’re thinking, so I’ll go first. I took this job because I love America and I wanted to serve my country by serving my community. I wanted to help good people by arresting bad people. And I believe that police work is God’s work — it’s ministry. Romans 13: 4 says, “For he (the public servant) is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.”
And I started Johnny Tactical to make law enforcement better from within and safer from without, while helping you take your work seriously, but not yourself. That’s why I do what I do.
What You Do Matters
Don’t let all the negativity get you down. What you do matters. You are the most important person someone will come in contact with today. It could be a kid who watches you from across the room, a driver in a wreck that doesn’t know what to do, a victim of domestic violence who can’t protect themselves, or a homeowner who’s sense of security has been violated. You may never see that person again, but I guarantee that you are the most important person they will come in contact with today. Remember that.
Now it’s your turn. Why are you in law enforcement? It’s time to remind yourself.
For more on Ernest Shackleton’s expedition read Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. (If it helps, there are lots of pictures).
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