Life Lessons from the Korangal Valley in Afghanistan

While reading Sebastian Junger's book 'War', I came across a few passages that really reminded me of the breadth of strength that we all posses. You don't have to be holding camp in one of the most dangerous war zones in Afghanistan to require greatness and focus from yourself on a daily basis. Use wisdom, learn from the sacrifices of your ancestors and of those that silently defend you, whatever country you may inhabit. Whether you believe in the ideals of the hand pushing the machine or not, learn from these people that put their life on the line. Don't waste your freedom by succumbing to the mental limitations of this age. Be inspired

" There are different kinds of strength, and containing fear may be the most profound, the one without which armies couldn't function and wars couldn't be fought (God forbid.) There are big, tough guys in the Army who are cowards and small, feral-looking dudes, like Monroe, who will methodically take apart a SAW* while rounds are slapping the rocks all around them. The more literal forms of strength, like carrying 160 pounds up a mountain, depend more obviously on the size of your muscles, but muscles only do what you tell them, so it still keeps coming back to the human spirit."

***

"Giving into fear or exhaustion were the ways in which a soldier could fail his platoon. But there were ways in which a reporter could screw things up as well. Tim broke his ankle in a nighttime operation on the Abas Ghar, but the medic told him that it was only sprained so that mentally, Tim would think he could walk on it...and he did. There was no other way to get him out of there and if the platoon were still on the mountain at dawn, they were going to get hammered. He walked all night on a fractured fibula with only Motrin as a pain killer, and they didn't tell him it was broken until he got to the cob**.

* Squad Automatic Weapon

**Contingency Operating Base

The Dream of Scipio

A passage from The Dream of Scipio:

"Virtue comes through contemplation of the divine, and the exercise of philosophy. But it also comes through public service. The one is incomplete without the other. Power without wisdom is tyranny; wisdom without power is pointless."

Thanks Ricky!

A Passage from 'The Alchemist'

"When someone sees the same people every day, as had happened with him at the seminary, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want the person to change. If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own."

-Paulo Coelho/The Alchemist-

Lessons on focus from the bearded one, Alan Moore

If you can't respect the beard, you're at least obliged to respect the body of work. Get that inspiration ^&*#$@#!

"If you're doing what you love, even if you're not making any money out of it, you are still better off than 99 percent of the people in this world who are not doing what they love."
-Alan Moore-

F for Freedom, V for Valerie, V for Vendetta

Why is it that we must wait until we face death to actually consider living free, living fearless? Is it because as a society individuals are not taught to be free because it doesn't benefit capitalist ideals to breed mavericks? Is it because of religion, fear, family? At the end of the day it doesn't matter what it is that the chains are made of, only that you recognize them and destroy them no matter what the cost. I encourage you all to live with freedom, don't be bound by anything like so many are. Rise above commonality, control your fate, become the undeniable pillar that people are forced to look to because you withstand all. Don't be held down by bullshit jobs, relationshits, titles, bullshit political systems, fear, be free. It is the road less traveled and lonely but in my opinion, it's the only road worth traversing.


suggested reading:



suggested vocabulary:

in·teg·ri·ty

–noun
1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.
3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.