Veteran Mettle

“What does anyone ultimately fight for... ultimately? It’s one thing. It’s always change.” Tyler Grey     I thought this was pretty profound. I never really thought about boiling down a motive, an intention, an action (and all it entails) into it’s most fundamental pieces. But in an effort to obtain more knowledge, and then through that, more understanding - this is quite helpful. The insanity in a war, is done in the name of change - on both sides. When someone wants a raise at work and they don’t get it, this leads to them quitting - boils down to them wanting the change initially. Or something as simple as when someone grabs a drink, it’s because they want change. When someone leaves their previous life behind to commit to a larger cause - because they want to affect change. We are responsible for making the change we desire, or at the very minimum, we are responsible for attempting whatever we can to see to that change. Ally, educate, attempt, train, learn, adapt, see...

At some point in the journey we must transition from replicating what we want, to actually pursuing a deeper understanding of the details surrounding what it is we want. For example, at one point I wanted to compete in CrossFit style workouts. I figured the quickest and best way to do that would be from doing the workouts prescribed. So prescribed was what I was chasing. I thought that through repeated contact with prescribed weights, reps and movements would allow me to adapt and get me to where I thought I should be - competeing and doing well. What I didn't realize until much later was that this was just a first step in a much longer, gradual, humbling journey to get fit/healthy/strong. I have only realized since then, that it's not enough to just simply want to and then try to replicate what "the big boys" are doing - it's not effective, and as I found out the hard way - it's not safe. I saw something that looked easy to replicate, so I attempted it and...

I was a medic in the 5/20th Infantry battalion, I was with Bravo Company, and we were in a Stryker brigade. I was on the line the whole time I was in the battalion, and most of that time was spent in the stryker, either driving or sometimes as the vehicle commander. I recently recorded a podcast with a buddy, Craig Hysell who is the owner of Conviction Training Facility, and co-host of the Conviction Strong Radio podcast. This particular episode we were discussing vulnerability, how vulnerability can be a tool, and how it can allow us to grow beyond our current situation. For me, the situation of speaking about vulnerability is an onion of sorts; it's multi-layered. In order to have an honest conversation about vulnerability, it is necessary to speak from personal experience, to be vulnerable. As I was talking about vulnerability on the podcast, and relating it to my service as a medic in an infantry battalion, I was pretty uncomfortable giving details about my service; I was ...

Flip the perspective of how you look at things. For example: instead of having to go to the gym in the pursuit a goal, look at the gym as a place and an opportunity for experimentation and improvements. Take one movement, or even a piece of a movement and dedicate today's effort, physically and mentally, to understanding that movement better and executing it better than you ever have. nothing grandiose or exceptionally exciting from the outside, but on the inside it can be. 1) Shift from "having to" do something, to "getting to" do that same thing 2) Use each opportunity that you have as a way of getting better, in some capacity. 3) Slow down, dig in, fight for the improvement - this is the differentiation line between the improved version of yourself and the older version 4) Take time (even just a couple deep breaths) afterwards and be mindful of the progress that you're making. write it down, share it with someone who matters to yo...

Accessories instead of virtue. Flashy gear instead of hard work. Buzz words instead of substance. Trends instead of original thought. Small talk instead of critical thinking. Identifying problems and avoiding solutions. Bitching instead of making changes. Indulgence instead of discipline.

I typically wake up each morning to an alarm. As I sit up to address the day, I take a quick mental inventory of the soreness/aches/pains or discomforts I feel. I grab the water bottle off my nightstand, and drink whatever is left, which I filled the night before. As I stretch and crack, I slowly meander to the kitchen. I finish the water, then refill it, and fill up my coffee cup. (We have a programmable coffee maker which I try to make sure is setup the night before) I don't like waiting to drink coffee, to the extent that when I fill my mug, I usually throw some ice in there to allow me to drink the coffee immediately. Drink, not sip. I take my topped off, cooled down coffee, and my water into my "office" which is our spare bedroom and it's primarily used for storage of our once important possessions. Now we have little piles of paperwork, stacks of projects, and random stuff not often used anymore. We also have two desks, a bed, shelves holding t-shirts, and a l...