"Warrior?"

As we travel down this road of life, we will encounter certain obstacles. How well we navigate those obstacles will be a large determining factor in well our lives may turn out. We will be faced with trials and tribulations of the emotional, spiritual, mental and physical type. How do we prepare ourselves to deal with these situations effectively? What’s the outcome if we don’t handle them?

We hear the words “Warrior Mindset” on a frequent basis and sometimes I truly wonder if people even understand what it means. What if they’re not a warrior? The pointy end of the spear? The apex predator?

Well, what does being a “Warrior” mean to you? Someone who has fought in war? What if I said you don’t have to be a warrior to have the mindset of one? Does the average, everyday “Joe”, even after being injured in a car accident, pulls another victim out of the road and out of the path of a speeding vehicle have to be a warrior? Does “Susie Soccer Mom”, who fights off an attacker in front of her children with nothing more than bare hands, sheer will and overwhelming ferocity have to be a warrior? What about a grandmother who gives the good news to a couple of dirtbags breaking into her home via a pump-action 12 gauge? Is she a warrior?

What do all of these folks have in common? Survival. Selflessness. The will to live. Does a warrior who goes into battle feel the same way? I’d venture a guess and say, “Yes.” Even though they’re everyday civilians they see the “Big Picture”. They, like the Marine storming a stronghold, will get the job done but also, they want to come home at the end of the day. That’s what it’s all about, folks. Getting the job done and coming home at the end of the day. Whatever that job is, do it like a boss and get home to those that you hold dear.

It would be erroneous to say that we all have that warrior inside us, as by the daily headlines we see, it’s more than evident that many are happy just being “Sheeple”. However, there are a quiet many who do possess that spirit and the funny thing is, they may not even realize it until their mettle has been tested. They just know, when it happens, that they will make it home, no matter what.

How can we who do consider ourselves “ready” nurture and maintain that readiness? We should be constantly creating and reinforcing good habits, deleting bad ones, performing visualization techniques, start meditating and be better about maintaining good physical condition. It’s a fact that a strong person is harder to kill but it’s not just physical strength that matters. We have to ensure that we are emotionally, mentally and spiritually strong, also. This is what makes a “warrior” whole and once that level has been attained, we are ready to deal with whatever has been placed in front of us and we have the capability to deal with it…and then go home.

-Pocket Doc