The Harder Right

My dad and I visited West Point last weekend, the distinguished U.S. military academy in the Hudson Valley.

It was extraordinary to see what cadets go through to become an officer — fortifying themselves in mind, body, and spirit to prepare for a demanding career in the armed services and beyond.

I was drawn to a particular phrase in the Cadet Prayer: “Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”

We all face crossroads in our life where a decision is hugely consequential. When the stakes are high and risky, it’s easy to loosen our moral code to take the convenient choice. But the strength to do the hard thing that you know in your heart — even when no one is looking — is a quality I will always admire.

My gratitude to “The Long Gray Line” of West Point graduates who lead us to be better.