Memorial Day: Reflections on Warriors

Each year, at the end of May, we celebrate Memorial Day.  Originally instituted as a day of honoring those who died during the Civil War, it eventually became a day to remember any soldier who died fighting in the United States Armed Forces.

Take Pause

Memorial Day is the perfect time to pause and consider how much we owe to those men and women who have given up their lives in the pursuit and defense of freedom.  We are so accustomed to living with this freedom in our country, that it is easy to take it for granted.  It is hard to appreciate it when we do not know anything different.  Just like a fish who doesn’t realize it is wet (because it has never been anything else but wet), we tend to not realize the magnitude of privilege that is ours.

It takes warriors to build a country where freedom is the rule, rather than the exception.  And Memorial Day is a time to honor those wounded warriors who have made our lives of freedom possible.

But we can honor those wounded warriors even more by seeking to emulate them in their courage to fight against destructive forces.

Warriors Fight 

What happens when the enemy is not confronted and defeated?  He wins and the noble cause suffers.

What about you?  Are you a warrior?  Do you know what your enemy is?  

Your Enemy

Your enemy is the typical, unhealthy lifestyle that nearly everyone around you is living.  And it is deadly for two reasons:

1.  It is hard to recognize.  Just like the water surrounding the fish, the status quo is so normal, so common, that we just live it with very little contemplation.  Of course you eat dessert after dinner.  Of course you grab a doughnut on the way to work.  Of course you do not exercise the recommended six days each week.  Of course you are overweight.  Isn’t everyone living this way?  Yes, nearly everyone is.  

2.  It leads to illness, early disability and death.  If you follow the status quo of diet and lifestyle, you will be increasingly tired, weak, sick and in pain.  It will not get better; it will get worse with each passing year, finally ending in dependence on others.

What are you waiting for? Get Up & Fight!

Memorial Day is a perfect day to reflect on your willingness to fight.  Resisting the tide of ‘normal’ unhealthy eating and sedentary-ness is no walk in the park.  You’ve got to press in and fight like a warrior.  It isn’t easy and it isn’t always fun.  But the resulting energy, vitality, strength and mental clarity that will be your new ‘normal’ way of life will be worth every bit of effort and sweat you put into it.

I’m behind you.  Join me to learn how to set your life on a new course.  Forget the past—leave it in the past.  It doesn’t matter what your track record is with fitness and health.  We will focus on the future here.  And with me, your future looks great!