We Are Warriors

“Every victorious warrior draws his strength from the highest source; his love.” ― Tapan Ghosh

Yesterday I was engaged in a Facebook conversation with my fitness instructor.  She was depressed and angry that the stay at the home order in Illinois had been extended.  She thought the danger was exaggerated and she needed to lead her classes and interact with people and she just could not stand it any longer bashing the governor and Illinois.  Her posts were uncharacteristic because she is joyful and a great leader.  I love taking her classes because if we are slogging, she kicks our butts into high gear.

She hasn’t been the only one expressing cabin fever and economic frustration amongst the public.  I have heard others including members of my family who say open up the economy.  They state people die from the flu and we do not shut down the economy, the danger is exaggerated, and then they say people will die anyway no matter what we do.  These comments reminded me of a commencement speech (one of my favorites) given by Admiral William H. McRaven on May 7, 2014 based on his training as a Navy Seal.

In the speech he said, “SEAL training was a great equalizer. Nothing mattered but your will to succeed.  Not your color, not your ethnic background, not your education and not your social status.  If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.”  He went on to say, “Every SEAL knows that under the keel, at the darkest moment of the mission, is the time when you must be calm, composed – when all your tactical skills, your physical power and your inner strength must be brought to bear.  If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.”

As Americans we need to reframe our thoughts to exemplify a warrior in a battle.  Only forty percent succeed SEAL in finishing training, and they are not the strongest, the most physically fit – they are those that have the mental discipline not to give up and to keep going no matter how difficult the conditions.

A military motto drummed into me by my father’s military service is we never leave another person behind.  There is a bound of comradeship in the military because lives depend on it.  Americans who shout about their freedom that they have the right to do what they want at the expense of others, don’t know what it is to sacrifice and place their life on the line for others.  They are weak in brandishing their guns in capitol buildings without understanding true discipline or unification under the American flag.  They seek to intimidate, not to protect their rights.

So those who can, should help those that are struggling who don’t have the means to live.  We need to make our voices heard, we are all in this together and we won’t sacrifice the lives of anyone for the sake of money.  We are better than that.  We do not leave anyone behind.  We are warriors.  We are Americans.