Allen James Lynch

"Getting ahead in life is not easy. It's just the opposite. I have learned that you have to do a lot of things that are unpleasant in the vague hope that life will be better in the future. You put in your time, pay your dues, explore alternatives, and try to make wise decisions. Anyone who's been in the Army knows how hellish it can be. That's the point. That's the whole idea of basic training- you get up early, you get yelled at all day, you are challenged physically and psychologically, you wash dishes and clean latrines, and go to bed exhausted before resuming the grind at dawn the next morning. You do it because you have to, and through the process you acquire mettle- that's a word I like. the work improves your mental toughness and your character- and people with mettle tend to achieve your goals. It has worked for me."

"Getting ahead usually involves being bold and never accepting that you've reached your personal potential. In my career as an advocate for veterans, I accepted new responsibilities when they were offered, even though I wasn't certain I could handle them. When I was a veterans assistance counselor and assigned to Icarus II, a drug treatment unit at the VA hospital, I realized I needed more education. I was not a good student in my youth, but as an adult, I recognized that I needed to learn more, took college classes part-time, and finally earned my degree. That was a proud moment."

""Others, not self" has become my core value- selflessness rather than selfishness- and that has made me a happier person. I don't always live by my own motto now; I still have my "I" centered moments. But I try hard to avoid them and return to the idea of being of service to others, to my family, my friends, and fellow veterans. When I fail, I try again. I am happiest when serving others and not myself."

"Writing this autobiography has been one of the toughest things I've done. It brought back a lot of memories. I had to look at these memories from two perspectives: that of a child and that of an adult. Through my child's eyes many challenges I faced growing up seemed insurmountable. But from an adult perspective they didn't seem so great. It's like when as an adult I went back to visit Lake Eliza. I remembered the lake being really big, but when I viewed it as an adult it was really small. The lake had not changed; it was simply a matter of perspective. That's the way my problems were growing up. When I was going through them they seemed enormous but now, looking back through more experienced eyes, the problems of my youth seem very small."

"Writing this book I wanted to visit the child of my youth, to tell him that after all his struggles he was going to have an amazing life; that this chapter of his life would end when he graduated high school and went into the Army; that all the hardships, all he things the bullies put him through would make him tougher and more resilient; that in his later years he would have wonderful friends who would be closer than family."

"You do not know what the next chapter of your life will bring. No matter how far down you may feel today every valley is surrounded by mountains whose peaks hold new and wonderful experiences. Throughout the toughest times in my life, I have held onto this one Scripture verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13."