I love the phrase, "If you want peace, prepare for war." It can be applied to a literal war, certainly, but to me it means so much more. In anything, if you want to make a change, if you want to overcome something, if you want to heal, or any number of other things, you must prepare for war.
Sobriety was and is a war for me. Finally freeing myself from my cocaine addiction was a war. It was a constant battle physically for about a month and a half. It was a mental battle to fight against the desire to use again for at least another 5-6 years. I have peace with it now. Recently I've admitted I have a problem with alcohol. I'm almost 4 months sober and its a battle to maintain it. But I am getting stronger!
It was a war to stay alive and not commit suicide. I had to get into therapy, ask to be switched to 8 different therapists before I found a therapist that was a great fit for me. I fought against the "screw it" mentality when I believed no counselor could help me. Once I found him, he challenged me and warned me my PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) would get worse before it got better. If you want peace, prepare for war.
I want to finish an Ironman triathlon, race bicycle competitively, form a veterans race fund, get veterans active in exercise and community, find them an outlet for their energies in a healthy way, help men (myself included) find mature masculinity, and ultimately I want to help my brothers and sisters find peace. But in each one of those cases, the onset of change is like stepping back onto the field of battle. As warriors, its a place we are familiar with.
In this poem, see the war as your own personal battle. What peace are you searching for? What battles are you afraid to fight? The sunrise is the promise of hope, the promise things will get better. We all have it. For some, it may be just a glimpse, but its there and we must celebrate it.
Until the burden is lifted and you get to the top of the hill, catching your breathe, embracing hope is a conscious choice and effort. Tell yourself there is hope over and over until you believe it. Tell yourself to forgive the people who have hurt you until you actually believe it. Tell yourself you are worthy of love until you actually believe it. Tell yourself you have value until you actually believe it. Tell yourself you won't quit... Until you actually believe it.
The only way to succeed is believing in yourself. If the world loves you and believes in you, its not enough. Its only good for a season. It becomes sustainable when you believe the positive self talk.
You are worthy of love and relationship. Now look out the window, and see the sunrise.
The Sunrise
By: Eric Beach
Few things are as beautiful
As the sunrise after a firefight.
When the day breaks
And you realize
You’re still alive,
Take a deep breath
And close your eyes.
Then say a prayer for those
Who can no longer fight.
Far too many saw the sunset
And missed the sunrise.
When the night fell
Some wished on a star
And learned that
Wishes only go so far.
You see in war
The morning is no guarantee,
A sight seen by most
For others, vision ended in a dream.
So if you’re lucky enough to see the sun
Paint its picture in the sky,
Welcome the new day
And accept its challenge
To stay alive and remember,
Few things are as beautiful
As the sunrise.
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