I'm 15 years old and becoming a Navy SEAL is my life's dream. I don't know exactly what to do unfortunately. I know I have to graduate high school and I plan to train until I can meet all competitive physical requirements. But what's after that? Do I have to serve in the U.S. Navy for a certain amount of years? Do I go straight from my home town to BUD/S? Do I need to do anything else? How do I get recruited?
You have two or three years to think about it.
People will tell you to get into physical shape. There are tons of sites with workouts and regimens and diets. Some will have the requirements. Keep in mind that those are minimum requirements. You're expected to exceed them.
You will enlist and request the SEAL Challenge be on your contract. Then you'll go to Great Lakes to Boot Camp for a couple months. Under the SEAL Challenge, you'll get a bit more PT than the rest of the recruits. At the end of that you'll spend another two months at Great Lakes for some more training. If you're still standing... and still interested, they ship you off to Coronado where you will endure five weeks of "Indoc." And, if you can still move, and are still interested, you'll find yourself starting BUD/S.
I don't know what the drop out rate is in those 21 weeks, but I'd expect a few will wimp out.
So you find yourself standing in formation ready to get started. Take a good look at the guy in front of you, the guy behind you, the guy directly to your left and the one on your right. Odds are very good that at least four of you won't be standing there at the end.
When I was in the Navy, the enlisted commitment was four years, and six for an officer. But I believe you'll find that most only stay with it for about twelve years.
I know a SEAL/SWCC recruiter who frequents extreme events (like triathlons) looking for prospects. He's not necessarily watching who finishes first. Sometimes he'll go after one who finishes in spite of a sprain or a fracture. But, in general, SEALS aren't recruited.
What else do you need to do? Excel in everything you do. Get the grades up in school. Maybe get into sports... water polo and cross country would be my suggestions. If your school has lacrosse, and you have the time, you might try that. Be active in the community.
Learn responsibility. If you mess up, don't make excuses. Apologize and don't let it happen again. Learn self control. Whatever you do have a constructive reason. Learn self discipline. I think this goes along with responsibility and self control. Listen to your head. Your body will tell you stuff that's usually unimportant. You'll find in SEAL training it's going to tell you that you've done enough. Learn that "just enough" never is.
People are going to refer you to books, Web sites, videos. None of that is going to help you. It's like watching a video about swimming, and never having swum before, jumping into a pool. It's like reading a book about flying and running down to the airport and climbing into the left seat of a plane (that's the pilot's seat). Don't get me wrong. You might gain one person's perspective about some aspect of SEAL training... or all of it. But being there is different. And I think it's probably different for each person.
What will you face? Yourself... all the way down to your soul. If pain's your weakness, you're going to face pain. If cold's your weakness, you're going to face cold. If fear is your weakness, you'll face fear. If hunger's your weakness, you're going to face hunger. If lack of sleep is your weakness, you're going going to face that. If the inability to concentrate is your weakness, you're going to have to concentrate when you can't possible do so.
You take all your strengths and weaknesses with you to Coronado. It's like going to a deserted island all by yourself. The only stuff you have is what you arrive with. It doesn't make any difference how badly you need something. It doesn't make any difference how hard you work to find it. If you don't bring it with you, it won't be there. You will find strengths you didn't know you have. But you may also find some weaknesses you didn't know you have. The weaknesses drive you to the bell. The strengths might lead to your Trident.
And I mean a kit that will have everything I need: round nib pens, g pens, pencils, ink, manga paper, screen tones, tone burnisher, x acto knives, brushes, rotring pens, etc. You know the works. I really want to start on my rough draft manga. I think I might be ready! 83
Crafters who are new to Scrapbooking soon realize that there seems to be an unwritten rule: 'She who has the most stuff wins!'
There is no real reason to have masses of supplies, although it is tempting with so many beautiful and creative products available today. The temptation is often just too much, as I have found out the hard way.
This is when effective organization, idea's and storage solutions comes into play.
There is a difference between organizing your scrapbooking supplies and storing them. Arranging, categorizing and dividing help to organize your scrapbooking products and therefore help you to find what you want, when you want it. Storing means protecting your scrapbooking supplies so that they are safe, protected and accessible.
Scrapbooking Supplies can be organized in many different ways, but an easy solution is to organize by product type. This can be done by separating ribbons from fibers, beads from brads, and eyelets from snaps etc. This will make finding any of them much simpler. Organizing by color is another way, for example a box full of green fibers, beads and brads can make coordinating a green page a breeze.
The method or ideas you choose for your storage solution will be personal to you and will depend upon how you craft and the types of products you own.
Basic tools are used so frequently, that it is a good idea to keep them close at hand. A tool roll or small toolbox from a DIY store is a great way of keeping everything together. A sturdy shoe box could be the perfect home for tools at no cost whatsoever.
Try to store pens horizontally, as this ensures the ink remains evenly distributed along the length of the pen. Cutlery trays work well to store pens, pencils, rulers and knives. If wanting to store pens vertically, remember to stand them nib downwards to prevent leaks and drying out. Pot plant jars work well for this method.
Stamps should be stored in clear plastic containers that hold the stamps flat, visible and protected. Heavier wood blocked stamps need a more rigid plastic container. All stamps should be stored out of direct sunlight to protect the rubber.
Store bottles of paint and ink upright to prevent spills. A household spice rack could be the perfect home for a host of bottles.
For all your other stuff, investigate things like shoe hangers, glass jars and baskets.
Visit craft shops, as they often have the perfect storage solutions for all your supplies, but on the other hand can also be a little pricey.
Remember out of sight is out of mind, so keep things visible to remind you that you have them.
Having an organized craft space creates order out of chaos. This in turn can help you to make more efficient use of the time you set aside for your scrapbooking. After all, time is precious, and can be better spent doing what you are passionate about, rather than hunting through your stash trying to find what you need.
