Chief Petty Officer Ryan Goodell:
I would say that, honestly, I have become more mentally sound since transitioning, because, before I had a label, right, for what I was feeling on the inside, I was essentially battling a war within myself.
I would be a rock star at work, doing great things, getting high marks on all my evaluations, but then I would come home and the voices inside my head would get very loud and tell me that you’re living a lie, this isn’t who you really are. And I could hide that at work, because, in the military, you’re a uniform, right?
The Navy colors are blue and gold, and that’s all you see. Realizing and pursuing my truth has made me more mentally stable. My depression is gone. I’m a better leader. I can think more clearly, I don’t have those nagging self-doubt moments anymore. I know who I am, and I lead very effectively. And that’s why, in part, I was chosen to be a chief petty officer.
