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

Would I have the courage? Would you?

Would we have the courage to stand up for what we knew was the right thing without giving in to the fear of losing friends, losing jobs, being hated or even being killed? If need be, could people of our generation forsake the material gains of a never before seen technological future to ensure that the next generation can reach higher heights than we ever could?

These are indeed hard questions because no one truly knows what they would do when placed in a hard situation, we only know what we think we would do. To take a stand, to be selfless, to fight for the future, in truth there are only a few every generation (at best) who would place that sword of Damocles over their head.

Yet there is hope. These courageous people cast long shadows, shadows that can be likened to Olympic athletes running a relay race across human history using their legend to cut through generations to pass the baton of inspiration to the next person willing to fight the good fight for that time and place.

These people make our lives better while taking nothing for themselves, and we owe them everything.

Be inspired.

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!

The search for self

I started this blog of inspiration roughly 2 years ago with the intent of it being a constant source of unapologetic inspiration for both myself and my friends. Clearly though, inspiration hasn't seen fit to strike me in quite some time. However, I'm making my triumphant return with something short, sweet, but very wise, in spite of the odd voice that ushers forward this wellspring of knowledge. Live true or die trying, or...just die

p.s. - thanks for the link Mike

the secret of life revealed:

Follow these simple instructions and you too can be the greatest:



Get that inspiration bitches

"I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill" - Will Smith

So this is one of the original clips that even inspired me to begin this blog. Now a quick note to the reader, I've always been a major fan of Will Smith since I heard summertime back in the day and though his albums started turning to shit, he seems to have always been able to transform himself up to the next level. That being said, my fandom will not allow me to believe he runs with crazy ass Tom Cruise and the Xenu tribe 3000.
Anyways, this is a short clip from a Tavis Smiley interview done late last year and it gives a definite insight into how and why this dude has so much shit on lock. If this doesn't inspire, check you pulse because your either dead or so far removed from your dreams that you may as well be dead! Just kidding, enjoy and get that inspiration bitches

p.s. - I wasn't kidding ; )

full interview with Tavis smiley

Bakshi droppin' knowledge bombs on that ass

Its interesting, but since accepting the job in Japan, I kinda find that I don't want to go because at the end of the day I'll be working for someone as opposed to doing my thing. I knew this in my heart, but it was confirmed through watching this Ralph Bakshi comic-con knowledge session. Get this essential-ass inspiration bitches

p.s. - thoughts?

The Wisdom of Randy Pausch :

So I got this video as an email from my cousin Michelle and automatically I put it in the reserve for later bin in my head because most of the time, the fam sends some ole craziness that I hesitate to delete cause it's, well, fam. Then later today, mom forwarded this email to me, messaged me on aim and called asking if I opened the watched it. I still hesitated because she too is guilty of the same ole craziness , but I finally opened it and watched and damn, I am quite glad I did.
This is not the first time that I've seen the incredible spirit of life in a person that knew death was soon to take them. I've seen it on a personal level within my family and that incredible being was my cousin Rosalynd King. She had Multiple Sclerosis and for years, I watched her health deteriorate one body part/organ at a time. First it was mobility in her legs, then her eyesight, then she began to lose all functionality of her body and was constricted to an electric wheelchair, but she could still talk and still smile. Through the years that I saw her going through these things, I never recall hearing complain, ever... She was always happy just to be around family even if she couldn't see them, even if she couldn't float from room to room and talk with everyone during the holiday times, just being there made her light up with what facial muscles she could use. If you could judge her by spirit alone, you would never have known that she was dying. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for myself at times in life and for many people in this world.
I say all that to get to this point, we could all benefit from living like we were dying, truly. Let that reaper's scythe motivate you to get that ass movin, and seriously, get that inspiration bitches...

p.s. - I wish some of my fam would start sending ole craziness like this!

The fact of life

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."-Mother Teresa

That is pretty much self explanatory and needs no other words from me to make it any plainer. Get that inspiration bitches...