The Fog of War
Suffering without catharsis is nothing but wasted pain. ~ Jim MacLaren, via Elizabeth Gilbert
It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.~ Aristotle
If you’re like me, my clients, friends and family, the last three years or so have felt as though you’ve been fighting your way through a series of battles, one deeper or slightly different from the last, but all relentlessly asking you to deal with one particular area of life, even if that area spills over to a few others. And it doesn’t help that our world has been going through its own revolution with major insanity via governments and insurgents, the misuse of technology and military/police force, and the dis-ease that Mother Nature has been rebelling against in her own way …
Maybe a war was being waged against you from the outside — perhaps in the form of losing a job or a loved one, or dealing with a health crisis, breakup, financial issues — or from the inside, i.e., confronting depression, addiction, OCD, ADD, emotional trauma, co-dependency, self-esteem, toxic relationships, negative thoughts and patterns. Either way, it’s been a time that’s forced you to go to the mattresses with your psyche, getting schooled in something or by someone, but ultimately yourself, in a probably not-so-pleasant way.
If you rose to the challenge and hunkered down to face those adversaries, you will find, as the fog starts to lift, a super-stark reality check; things that you thought to be stable or secure no longer hold that position; things that once gave you comfort, now not so much. We see things now as they really are, not how we wish them to be. Smooth sailing it has definitely not been, but if you can honestly reflect on all that’s transpired, you will see that indeed it has been quite productive!
Yes there were some casualties, but most likely they were the enemies, real or imagined, internal or external, holding you back from moving forward anyway. We might have some scars, but we’ve recognized and liberated ourselves from our own self-imposed torture chambers and internment camps. You have decided what is or isn’t important and have begun to adjust some behaviors in order to reflect your new attitude and revelations.
The most dangerous threat we all continue to face is that of “divide and conquer”; of thinking we are the lone soldier in the battlefield and that we have to suffer in silence. Sure, at the end of the day we have to vanquish our own demons, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t call in the troops and rely upon our buddies for support, even if just moral, along the way. We cannot isolate in our trenches. We must reach out to our platoons — that is what they are there for!
The good news is that after sloshing through this winter’s punch [summer’s heat], we can revel in the Spring [Fall] knowing that lighter [cooler] days, both literally and metaphorically, are ahead. Be patient with yourself and others as you enter back into civil society and express kindness, compassion and forgiveness to all you meet, even your so-called adversaries, as we have all been struggling in one way or another with our wounds and probably have a little PTSD that can be cured with a lot of TLC. It is finally time for a truce, and to surrender to the peace that is waiting for you should you choose to accept all that the Universe has asked (well, more like demanded!) you to change.
Not quite sure what you’ve gained or lost in this epic battle with yourself? Give me a buzz and I’ll help you see this particular War — what it was really good for, so you can say, “Thank you for letting me be myself again” — only a better, new and improved version of who you are truly meant to be!
Originally published on www.kristinaleonardi.com March18, 2015
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